The Toronto District School Board is considering cuts to its music programs that could reduce the amount of time elementary students spend playing in bands and orchestras.

Stop the Itinerant Music Program cuts in the Toronto District School Board - Sign the Petition

The TDSB will discuss these proposed cuts at their June Board meeting. It will be important to demonstrate the broad support for music education in Toronto.

Speak out against the proposed cuts by signing this petition and contacting your trustee directly.

Everyday business communication could be threatened by anti-spam legislation - music companies, start-ups and bands will be affected.

Contact your MP today to tell them that you are concerned about the impact of CASL on legitimate business communications.

What many people consider everyday business communication is potentially threatened by Canada's new anti-spam law (CASL). Independent labels, start-ups and bands will be affected.

By defining all emails, SMS texts and social media sent in a commercial context as “commercial electronic messages”, or “CEMs”, and then banning sending any such messages unless you have prior consent or unless they fit into a narrowly defined exception, CASL threatens to strangle all business communication and to severely hamper the ability of legitimate businesses, including record labels and artists, to increase their networks or build a career.

In addition, consent cannot be obtained electronically, unsubscribe options will need to be included in all CEMs and businesses will need to keep a database of all business and personal relationships and removals of consent.

This will severely hamper the ability of labels, start-ups and bands to build networks, careers and to legitimately promote themselves through social networks which are critical to success in today’s marketplace. Compliance will prove costly.

Music companies, start ups and bands will be impacted by anti-spam legislation as it threatens everyday business communication in emails, SMS and social media. We need to let Minister Moore know about our concerns.

Send Minister James Moore a tweet asking him to help music companies, start ups and bands who will suffer from anti-spam legislation.

Everyday business communication is potentially threatened by Canada's new anti-spam law (CASL). Independent labels, start-ups and bands will be affected.

By defining all emails, SMS texts and social media sent in a commercial context as “commercial electronic messages”, or “CEMs”, and then banning sending any such messages unless you have prior consent or unless they fit into a narrowly defined exception, CASL threatens to strangle all business communication and to severely hamper the ability of legitimate businesses, including record labels and artists, to increase their networks or build a career.

In addition, consent cannot be obtained electronically, unsubscribe options will need to be included in all CEMs and businesses will need to keep a database of all business and personal relationships and removals of consent.

This will severely hamper the ability of labels, start-ups and bands to build networks, careers and to legitimately promote themselves through social networks which are critical to success in today’s marketplace. Compliance will prove costly.

Share the good news: the Ontario government has announced the introduction of a industry working group to support live music:

Share the good news: the Ontario government has announced the introduction of a industry working group to support live music:

Today, Hon. Michael Chan, Ontario's Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport announced that the Ontario government will plan a live music strategy, including a industry working group and plans to promote Ontario's music as a tourism draw.
Help share this good news by tweeting about the announcement using the #IWorkInMusic hashtag.

Toronto City Council has approved a budget that will increase the per capita funding of arts and culture; prioritize key initiatives including support for Toronto’s music cluster; and the implementation on the Creative Capital Gains Report.

Let Toronto City Councillors know that music is an economic driver in Toronto and send them a tweet declaring that #IWorkInMusic

Toronto City Council passed the 2013 budget, which includes a major increase in arts funding. Thanks to a motion endorsed by Councillor Crawford, council has approved the release of $6 million collected from a billboard tax, with the money going to the city’s cultural operations budget. The motion also directs the city to prioritize key initiatives including support for Toronto’s music cluster; and implement the Creative Capital Gains Report.

The Trichordist, a new blog at http://thetrichordist.wordpress.com/, has a series of blogs calling out companies who support pirate sites with their ad dollars:

Follow @TheTrichordist on Twitter and help call out companies that exploit artists' work on pirate sites

The Trichordist, a new blog at http://thetrichordist.wordpress.com/, has a series of blogs calling out companies who support pirate sites with their ad dollars: help pressure these companies to advertise responsibly by retweeting @TheTrichordist's tweets that expose these brands.