Canadian Musician September / October 2019

MARK YOUR CALENDAR... IMSTA FESTA Toronto Returning on Oct. 12 The sixth annual IMSTA FESTA Toronto show will head back to Ryerson University on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. Presented by the International Music Software Trade Association (IMSTA), IMSTA FESTA events are held annually in Miami, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, L.A., Tokyo, London, Seoul, and Berlin. They showcase the latest music-making and production technologies while also presenting educational seminars, keynote speeches, and Q&As. Created for professional and semi-professional musicians, songwriters, music producers, and audio engineers, this free day-long event will feature panels, workshops and master classes, demonstrations, and more. Song- writers can also bring in a song to have it reviewed by an expert who will provide a professional critique. Keynote speakers and seminars will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information as it becomes available, go to www.imsta.org. STEVE GADD AT KOSA 24 KoSA Drum Camp Thrives with a Star-Studded Faculty KoSA Drum Camp celebrated its 24 th edition in Montreal with a star-studded faculty from June 25-30, 2019. KoSA’s founders and directors, Aldo Mazza and Dr. Jolán Kovács, welcomed percussionists from across Canada and the U.S. for the sold- out experience. KoSA 24 kicked off with Mazza’s classes in Cuban rhythms followed by Sergio Bellotti’s masterclass on “Musical Coordina- tion Applied to Comping and Soloing.” A highlight of the week was drummer Steve Gadd giving a memorable and intimate workshop covering a topic very dear to him and which orga- nizers say was a common theme at KoSA this year: playing musically on the drums. Other classes included Melissa Lavergne teaching djembe rhythms, Shawn Mativetsky explaining Indian rhythm con- cepts, and Stéphane Chamberland joining the KoSA faculty for the first time to present on collapsing rudiments. For more information, go to www.kosamusic.com. Canadian Musician surveyed musicians across the country on a few broad topics related to musicians’ mental health and available support. For more information on the mental health crisis facing musicians in Canada and what can be done, read our feature article on page 42 Studies & surveys have shown that professional musicians are signifi- cantly more likely than the general population to experience anxiety, depression & even suicidal thoughts. Do you consider this: 8% 10% 52% 30% Very surprising Somewhat surprising Not that surprising Not at all surprising In general, do you feel companies & organizations that work with musi- cians (i.e. labels, publishers, agencies, PROs, etc.) are adequately supporting their artists with regards to their men- tal health? 2% 59% 39% Yes No Not sure Are you aware of the Unison Benevolent Fund and what it does? 6% 13% 16% 65% Very aware (know it & have a full understanding of its services) Somewhat aware (know what it is & know a little about its services) Vaguely aware (have heard the name but don’t know much about it) Not at all aware Do you feel the music community you’re in is supportive of artists dealing with mental illness? 6% 32% 30% 22% 10% Very much Somewhat MUSICIAN SURVEY Hard to say Not really Not at all CANADIAN MUSICIAN 17

Canadian Musician September / October 2019 | Page 17