A new initiative is elevating Black Canadian artist managers in the industry.

F.A.M.E. (Foundations & Acceleration for Management Excellence) is designed to strengthen capacity, leadership and sustainability for Black music managers.

Started by Toronto-based non-profit, Breaking Down Racial Barriers (BDRB), the eight-week program — running from October 14 to December 4 — will provide intensive training, mentorship and industry access for Black-identifying music leaders.

Led by music manager Katrina Lopes, the initiative includes weekly Zoom workshops with management industry leaders, one-on-one mentorship and networking sessions with senior music executives and guest speakers from Canadian and U.S. music markets. Participants can gain practical skills, networks and the confidence needed to grow their management businesses and support artists on a global scale.

“F.A.M.E. was created to equip Black music managers in Canada with the tools and resources to build stronger careers and foster more success stories,” says BDRB co-founder and program David ‘Click’ Cox. “F.A.M.E. is about access, mentorship, and community — so managers can thrive and lead the next generation of Canadian music.”

Combining practical knowledge and education with a cultural lens, F.A.M.E. boasts problem-solving skills to tackle future challenges in the music industry — from disruptive technologies to new models of artist sustainability and equity.

“Developed from the ground up with a detailed curriculum specifically curated to the needs of Black music artist managers from the perspective of Black music industry professionals who have successfully navigated the industry,” says Ian Andre Espinet, BDRB co-founder.

Read more here. — Heather Taylor-Singh

Allison Russell Talks Working with Joni Mitchell at SOCAN Awards: ‘One of the Most Surreal Gifts of My Life’

SOCAN celebrated its 100th anniversary by presenting the Global Impact Award to a true Canadian legend: Joni Mitchell. The singer-songwriter won the award for her 1969 classic, “Both Sides, Now.”

Mitchell was not able to attend the SOCAN Awards ceremony in Toronto on Sept. 30, but she was honoured in an outdoor ceremony in Los Angeles, including SOCAN executives like CEO Jennifer Brown and the consulate general of Canada.

Instead, the awards brought on a musician who now knows her well: Grammy-winning roots singer-songwriter Allison Russell.

The Montreal-born, Nashville-based artist performed a powerful solo version of “Both Sides, Now” that included a spoken poetry intro, a cappella singing and unaccompanied clarinet. It was an unconventional performance that echoed the mature gravitas of Mitchell’s performances since coming out of retirement at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival. And there’s a reason for that: Russell has been a major part of that comeback.

“I’m very, very lucky to have a wonderful chosen sister, Brandi Carlile, who invited me into the magic circle of Joni Jam [the star-studded performances by Mitchell and a large circle of other musicians],” she tells Billboard Canada on the red carpet before the ceremony. “I play clarinet and sing backups. We’ve done Newport, we’ve done the Gorge, we’ve done Hollywood Bowl, we did the Grammys, which was just extraordinary. [Joni] really likes my clarinet playing, which is mind-blowing.”

Russell has been welcomed by the legendary songwriter at jam sessions in her Los Angeles home, which is a big deal for the musician who grew up idolizing her.

“Walking into her living room is like walking into her beautiful mind,” she explains. “Every inch of the walls are covered with her extraordinary paintings, which she’s planning to donate to a museum in Saskatoon right by the Saskatchewan River when she, I hope 50 years from now, rejoins the stars.”

“Getting to be in creative communion and community with her has been one of the most surreal gifts of my life,” she continues. “I’ve been listening to her since I was in utero. She’s my mom’s favourite singer. My mom’s from Saskatoon, and Joni still has her Saskatchewan accent. She’s been in the Canyon forever, but she still sounds so Canadian. We love talking about Saskatoon together.”

Asked if Mitchell has plans to play more live shows, Russell says she doesn’t know but praises the “determination, grit, resilience and sheer willpower” of her recovery from health struggles after a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 2015. She’s played marathon three-hour sets onstage in the last year, and Russell says she’s playing piano and guitar again.

Read more from the interview with Allison Russell at Billboard Canada here. – Richard Trapunski