Item - 2019.CA8.9

Appointees' biographies:

Paul Banwatt

Paul Banwatt is the drummer for the rock band The Rural Alberta Advantage and a lawyer at Gilbert's LLP. Paul has been nominated for a Juno, won CBC and Galaxie Rising Stars music awards, made several appearances on the US and Canadian Billboard charts, played the Coachella Music Festival, and been featured in numerous publications such as Spin, NME, Playboy Magazine, and The New York Times.

Vivian Barclay

Vivian Barclay, - General Manager of Warner Chappell Music Canada Ltd., has worked as a radio programmer and on-air host, in artist management, publicity and promotion and as a programmer for conferences and festivals. A Ryerson University Graduate with a degree, Vivian joined Warner Chappell in 2001, and rose through the ranks with stints in royalties, copyright, song plugging.  Vivian is on the boards of the CMPA, the CMRRA, SOCAN and Phemphat Entertainment Group- (Honey Jam Showcase).

Mary An Blom

A 21-year veteran of the industry, Mary An Blom is currently the Director of Corporate Strategy & Insights at Sony Music. Her role includes assessing new business ventures, which has allowed her to work with stakeholders in diverse aspects of the Toronto entertainment community.  She also works closely with the executive team on strategic planning, and is known for her ability to distil complex problems and deliver creative and collaborative solutions.  She is a classically trained flutist.

Shaun Bowring

Shaun Bowring is a musician, business person, entrepreneur, music industry advocate with 30 plus years involvement in the Toronto music scene. Owner and Creator of Transmit Presents promotion company, The Garrison and The Baby G live music venues. Shaun is a board member of Little Portugal BIA as well as the co-founder / Director of Dundas West Fest annual Toronto street festival.

Melissa Bubb-Clarke

Melissa Bubb-Clarke is the Sr. Dir. of Music Partnerships for MLSE, overseeing Live Nation Canada’s sponsorship portfolio including three award winning programs recognized by the Sponsorship & Marketing Council of Canada and the Canadian Marketing Awards.  Melissa sits on the board for the Unison Benevolent Fund, serves on the Communications Committee for Music Canada Live as well as the Advisory Committee for MusiCounts.  Melissa lives in Toronto with her husband and two children.

Hannah Burgé Luviano

Hannah Burgé Luviano has made appearances on radio, television, and stage, and in 2015 released her debut record, "Green River Sessions." She has toured the US extensively, and in 2016 traveled to Mexico City to headline the Polanco International Jazz Festival. She is a faculty member at Centennial College in the Music Industry Arts Program.

Jeff Cohen

Jeff Cohen (JC) is co-owner of iconic Toronto live music venues the Legendary H-Shoe Tavern and Lee's Palace. He also co-owns Toronto based Collective Concerts and The Toronto Urban Roots fest.

Charlotte Cornfield

Charlotte Cornfield is a critically acclaimed songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Toronto. She has been touring for over 10 years both under her own name and as a side musician for a huge variety of acts. For the past five years she has been deeply involved in Toronto's music community as music programmer at the internationally renowned venue Burdock Music Hall, artistic director of the Toronto Bicycle Music Festival, and as a member of the Toronto Jazz Festival Advisory Committee.

Kiana “Rookz” Eastmond

Kiana “Rookz” Eastmond is an award-winning entrepreneur, the founder of Sandbox Studios and the newly appointed Executive Director at Manifesto. She is the definition of a hustler but her wins did not appear overnight. She is humbled by the process and a living testament that if you stick to your dreams, the payoff can be much more than you had originally signed up for.

Aerin Fogel

Aerin Fogel was born and raised in Toronto's East End. She is the founder and artistic director of Toronto feminist festival and show series Venus Fest, as well as her own music project Queen Of Swords. Aerin has been a part of the music industry for over 15 years, originally as a performer, and now as a producer and curator. She also works in the healing arts in Toronto as a professional astrologer.

Sarah Jarvis (Tourism Toronto representative)

Sarah Jarvis is the Director of Partnerships at Tourism Toronto. In her role, she is responsible for overseeing broader partnerships with industry stakeholders, Tourism Toronto members and corporate partners that benefit from the region's visitor economy. Sarah, a former musician, has had a long career in the arts and culture sector, working for organizations such as Luminato, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Endeavour Marketing and the Canadian Opera Company.

Tracy Jenkins

Tracy Jenkins is Executive and Co-Artistic Director of Lula Music and Arts Centre, which provides programming for Toronto salsa, jazz and world music venue Lula Lounge. Tracy oversees the educational programming at Lula and works with Co-Artistic Director Jose Ortega to produce the annual Lulaworld festival which has spawned the emerging Lulaworld label.

Jesse Kumagai

Jesse Kumagai is the VP, Talent for Live Nation Canada and was Director of Programming for The Corporation of Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall for more than a decade. In addition to his professional duties, Jesse has been an active volunteer currently serving as the Chair of Music Canada Live and a member of the Unison Benevolent Fund Board.  He is the former Vice-Chair of the Yonge Dundas Square Board of management, a former board member of CAPACOA and the Small World Music Society.

Rob Lanni

Rob Lanni (with Eric Lawrence) co-founded Coalition Music in the late '80s - a full-service management company.  The current client roster includes artists Our Lady Peace, Simple Plan, Finger Eleven, USS, Justin Nozuka, The Balconies, Andee and Ben Caplan.  In 2010, Coalition Music purchased and renovated a 12,000 square foot building in Scarborough (a former convent) that is home to Canada's Music Incubator (not-for-profit) and TEMPO (Through Education Music Provides Opportunity) charity.

Tao-Ming Lau

Tao is founder/agent at Blue Crane Agency, a music booking agency seeking to prioritize women, artists of color, and queer and trans musicians in North America and abroad. She is a Polaris Music Prize board director, sits on the TD Toronto Jazz Festival Artistic Advisory Committee, and was chosen as a Rising Star in Toronto Life Magazine's 50 Most Influential Torontonians of 2018. She was previously at touring agency Billions and Universal Music Canada.

Julisa Ly

Julisa has worked in the radio industry for 12 years and is currently the Music Director at 102.1 The Edge. Growing up, she's been a supporter of the local music scene and continues to do so.

Sofia Mikhaylova

Since being a journalism student at Ryerson, I have contributed much of my energy as a writer towards writing for numerous local Toronto publications. After university, I began a career in marketing, but continued writing about music in Toronto (and the world) on a freelance basis. In 2016, I went from throwing events for local DJs to creating an independent record label focusing on releasing instrumental electronic music from underrepresented female, trans, and non-binary artists and producers.

Noah Mintz

Noah Mintz is the owner of and a Senior Mastering Engineer at Lacquer Channel Mastering. Since 1975, Lacquer Channel Mastering has been one of Canada's premier mastering studios. Combining the best of vintage and state-of-the-art technology, Lacquer Channel currently has Canada's only operating record lathe. Previous to Mastering Noah was the singer and guitar player of the influential 90's indie rock band, hHead.

Richmond “Tona” Nantwi

Not your average master of ceremony or MC, Tona, armed with an in depth understanding of the power and the complexity of words, and a love of Hip hop, has developed his own creative niche through aboriginal and versatile demonstrations in an era where the true art of Hip hop seems to have been lost. Tona reminds the listener of the era where Hip hop was authentic, as he incorporates his own life experiences through rhymes. This appreciation plays a vital role in his most pivotal point.

John Samuels

Just John is a Musician based in Toronto. Raised in Scarborough he is the founding member of the art organization, Blank Canvas Gallery. Known for his high energy performance, John's vision has always been to be himself; push the boundaries in his art, contrasting styles, blurring genres and presenting fresh production and visual aesthetics. Just John has been trailblazing D.I.Y. culture for years. Inspired by social activism, he became the driving force behind Blank Canvas Gallery.

Spencer Sutherland (Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas representative)

Spencer has served on TMAC since its inception, and as Co-Chair in 2017/18.  In the industry, he has owned and operated music venues in Toronto for over 10 years, and has produced over 1500 events.  He is well known for his advocacy work, having helped to author the Music Strategy, introduced measures to improve venue sustainability such as the Agent of Change, initiated a new focus on music to improve the Nighttime Economy, and continues to promote the cultural significance of music in Toronto.

Kim Temple

As Manager of Member & Industry Relations for Canadian Music Publishers Association, Kim advocates for copyright protection and serves its national membership.  She facilitates trade missions, runs international song camps, and fosters cross-sector creative industry collaboration.  As Head of Licensing & Publishing at Six Shooter Records, she runs the creative sync department and manages the label’s publishing roster. Six Shooter’s roster includes Tanya Tagaq and Whitehorse among others.

The Civic Appointments Committee recommends that:

1. City Council appoint the following candidates to the Toronto Music Advisory Committee, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on November 14, 2022:

Paul Banwatt

Vivian Barclay

Mary An Blom

Shaun Bowring

Melissa Bubb-Clarke

Hannah Burgé Luviano

Jeff Cohen

Charlotte Cornfield

Kiana “Rookz” Eastmond

Aerin Fogel

Sarah Jarvis, as the Tourism Toronto representative

Tracy Jenkins

Jesse Kumagai

Rob Lanni

Tao-Ming Lau

Julisa Ly

Sofia Mikhaylova

Noah Mintz

Richmond “Tona” Nantwi

John Samuels

Spencer Sutherland, as the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas representative

Kim Temple

2. City Council direct that Confidential Attachment 2 to the supplementary report (June 26, 2019) from the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture remain confidential in its entirety as it relates to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Toronto Music Advisory Committee.

Candidates' biographies:

Paul Banwatt

Paul Banwatt is the drummer for the rock band The Rural Alberta Advantage and a lawyer at Gilbert's LLP. Paul has been nominated for a Juno, won CBC and Galaxie Rising Stars music awards, made several appearances on the US and Canadian Billboard charts, played the Coachella Music Festival, and been featured in numerous publications such as Spin, NME, Playboy Magazine, and The New York Times.

Vivian Barclay

Vivian Barclay, - General Manager of Warner Chappell Music Canada Ltd., has worked as a radio programmer and on-air host, in artist management, publicity and promotion and as a programmer for conferences and festivals. A Ryerson University Graduate with a degree, Vivian joined Warner Chappell in 2001, and rose through the ranks with stints in royalties, copyright, song plugging.  Vivian is on the boards of the CMPA, the CMRRA, SOCAN and Phemphat Entertainment Group- (Honey Jam Showcase).

Mary An Blom

A 21-year veteran of the industry, Mary An Blom is currently the Director of Corporate Strategy & Insights at Sony Music. Her role includes assessing new business ventures, which has allowed her to work with stakeholders in diverse aspects of the Toronto entertainment community.  She also works closely with the executive team on strategic planning, and is known for her ability to distil complex problems and deliver creative and collaborative solutions.  She is a classically trained flutist.

Shaun Bowring

Shaun Bowring is a musician, business person, entrepreneur, music industry advocate with 30 plus years involvement in the Toronto music scene. Owner and Creator of Transmit Presents promotion company, The Garrison and The Baby G live music venues. Shaun is a board member of Little Portugal BIA as well as the co-founder / Director of Dundas West Fest annual Toronto street festival.

Melissa Bubb-Clarke

Melissa Bubb-Clarke is the Sr. Dir. of Music Partnerships for MLSE, overseeing Live Nation Canada’s sponsorship portfolio including three award winning programs recognized by the Sponsorship & Marketing Council of Canada and the Canadian Marketing Awards.  Melissa sits on the board for the Unison Benevolent Fund, serves on the Communications Committee for Music Canada Live as well as the Advisory Committee for MusiCounts.  Melissa lives in Toronto with her husband and two children.

Hannah Burgé Luviano

Hannah Burgé Luviano has made appearances on radio, television, and stage, and in 2015 released her debut record, "Green River Sessions." She has toured the US extensively, and in 2016 traveled to Mexico City to headline the Polanco International Jazz Festival. She is a faculty member at Centennial College in the Music Industry Arts Program.

Jeff Cohen

Jeff Cohen (JC) is co-owner of iconic Toronto live music venues the Legendary H-Shoe Tavern and Lee's Palace. He also co-owns Toronto based Collective Concerts and The Toronto Urban Roots fest.

Charlotte Cornfield

Charlotte Cornfield is a critically acclaimed songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Toronto. She has been touring for over 10 years both under her own name and as a side musician for a huge variety of acts. For the past five years she has been deeply involved in Toronto's music community as music programmer at the internationally renowned venue Burdock Music Hall, artistic director of the Toronto Bicycle Music Festival, and as a member of the Toronto Jazz Festival Advisory Committee.

Kiana “Rookz” Eastmond

Kiana “Rookz” Eastmond is an award-winning entrepreneur, the founder of Sandbox Studios and the newly appointed Executive Director at Manifesto. She is the definition of a hustler but her wins did not appear overnight. She is humbled by the process and a living testament that if you stick to your dreams, the payoff can be much more than you had originally signed up for.

Aerin Fogel

Aerin Fogel was born and raised in Toronto's East End. She is the founder and artistic director of Toronto feminist festival and show series Venus Fest, as well as her own music project Queen Of Swords. Aerin has been a part of the music industry for over 15 years, originally as a performer, and now as a producer and curator. She also works in the healing arts in Toronto as a professional astrologer.

Sarah Jarvis (Tourism Toronto representative)

Sarah Jarvis is the Director of Partnerships at Tourism Toronto. In her role, she is responsible for overseeing broader partnerships with industry stakeholders, Tourism Toronto members and corporate partners that benefit from the region's visitor economy. Sarah, a former musician, has had a long career in the arts and culture sector, working for organizations such as Luminato, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Endeavour Marketing and the Canadian Opera Company.

Tracy Jenkins

Tracy Jenkins is Executive and Co-Artistic Director of Lula Music and Arts Centre, which provides programming for Toronto salsa, jazz and world music venue Lula Lounge. Tracy oversees the educational programming at Lula and works with Co-Artistic Director Jose Ortega to produce the annual Lulaworld festival which has spawned the emerging Lulaworld label.

Jesse Kumagai

Jesse Kumagai is the VP, Talent for Live Nation Canada and was Director of Programming for The Corporation of Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall for more than a decade. In addition to his professional duties, Jesse has been an active volunteer currently serving as the Chair of Music Canada Live and a member of the Unison Benevolent Fund Board.  He is the former Vice-Chair of the Yonge Dundas Square Board of management, a former board member of CAPACOA and the Small World Music Society.

Rob Lanni

Rob Lanni (with Eric Lawrence) co-founded Coalition Music in the late '80s - a full-service management company.  The current client roster includes artists Our Lady Peace, Simple Plan, Finger Eleven, USS, Justin Nozuka, The Balconies, Andee and Ben Caplan.  In 2010, Coalition Music purchased and renovated a 12,000 square foot building in Scarborough (a former convent) that is home to Canada's Music Incubator (not-for-profit) and TEMPO (Through Education Music Provides Opportunity) charity.

Tao-Ming Lau

Tao is founder/agent at Blue Crane Agency, a music booking agency seeking to prioritize women, artists of color, and queer and trans musicians in North America and abroad. She is a Polaris Music Prize board director, sits on the TD Toronto Jazz Festival Artistic Advisory Committee, and was chosen as a Rising Star in Toronto Life Magazine's 50 Most Influential Torontonians of 2018. She was previously at touring agency Billions and Universal Music Canada.

Julisa Ly

Julisa has worked in the radio industry for 12 years and is currently the Music Director at 102.1 The Edge. Growing up, she's been a supporter of the local music scene and continues to do so.

Sofia Mikhaylova

Since being a journalism student at Ryerson, I have contributed much of my energy as a writer towards writing for numerous local Toronto publications. After university, I began a career in marketing, but continued writing about music in Toronto (and the world) on a freelance basis. In 2016, I went from throwing events for local DJs to creating an independent record label focusing on releasing instrumental electronic music from underrepresented female, trans, and non-binary artists and producers.

Noah Mintz

Noah Mintz is the owner of and a Senior Mastering Engineer at Lacquer Channel Mastering. Since 1975, Lacquer Channel Mastering has been one of Canada's premier mastering studios. Combining the best of vintage and state-of-the-art technology, Lacquer Channel currently has Canada's only operating record lathe. Previous to Mastering Noah was the singer and guitar player of the influential 90's indie rock band, hHead.

Richmond “Tona” Nantwi

Not your average master of ceremony or MC, Tona, armed with an in depth understanding of the power and the complexity of words, and a love of Hip hop, has developed his own creative niche through aboriginal and versatile demonstrations in an era where the true art of Hip hop seems to have been lost. Tona reminds the listener of the era where Hip hop was authentic, as he incorporates his own life experiences through rhymes. This appreciation plays a vital role in his most pivotal point.

John Samuels

Just John is a Musician based in Toronto. Raised in Scarborough he is the founding member of the art organization, Blank Canvas Gallery. Known for his high energy performance, John's vision has always been to be himself; push the boundaries in his art, contrasting styles, blurring genres and presenting fresh production and visual aesthetics. Just John has been trailblazing D.I.Y. culture for years. Inspired by social activism, he became the driving force behind Blank Canvas Gallery.

Spencer Sutherland (Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas representative)

Spencer has served on TMAC since its inception, and as Co-Chair in 2017/18.  In the industry, he has owned and operated music venues in Toronto for over 10 years, and has produced over 1500 events.  He is well known for his advocacy work, having helped to author the Music Strategy, introduced measures to improve venue sustainability such as the Agent of Change, initiated a new focus on music to improve the Nighttime Economy, and continues to promote the cultural significance of music in Toronto.

Kim Temple

As Manager of Member & Industry Relations for Canadian Music Publishers Association, Kim advocates for copyright protection and serves its national membership.  She facilitates trade missions, runs international song camps, and fosters cross-sector creative industry collaboration.  As Head of Licensing & Publishing at Six Shooter Records, she runs the creative sync department and manages the label’s publishing roster. Six Shooter’s roster includes Tanya Tagaq and Whitehorse among others.

This report recommends the appointment of 22 individuals to the Toronto Music Advisory Committee at pleasure of Council, for a term ending on November 14, 2019.