UMSU's annual celebration of life and learning - CELEBRATION WEEK - returns to the University of Manitoba next week and once again UMFM is proud to be a part of the fun. Starting on Monday January 23rd and running until Friday January 27th, the Fireside Lounge in University Centre will play host to a quintet of talented artists performing intimate acoustic sets every morning at 11 AM.

Things kick off Monday the 23rd with Lyzie Burt, who recently recorded a live session here at UMFM to mark the release of her new album Cigarettes and You.

Tuesday the 24th will feature Kipp Kocay, who has also done a UMFM live session and is set to release his new album Knowledge of Love two days after playing our stage.

On Wednesday the 25th, Bobby Desjarlais - best known as a member of the Bokononists and Attica Riots - will play a rare solo set.

Micah Erenberg (aka Zoppa) - who has played not one, but two live sessions at UMFM, will be playing our stage on Thursday the 26th.

And capping things off on Friday the 27th will be Slow Dancers' Jesse Hill who has also graced our recording room with a live session.

All of these shows are FREE and run 11am til noon in the Fireside Lounge (directly across from Tim Hortons on the main floor of University Centre) with support generously provided by UMSU. We hope you'll celebrate with us, January 23-27.

Big Fun is an annual indie music festival taking place in multiple venues throughout the Exchange District and surrounding area the last weekend of January. Using Winnipeg’s prairie winter as the backdrop, we will be showcasing the wealth of Manitoba’s artists alongside our historic downtown.

The goal of Big Fun is to present various genres of music and art over the course of four days. It will run from Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon (Jan. 26-29) with multiple shows each night. Big Fun takes the shows out of overused bars and clubs, occupying galleries, lofts, and warehouse spaces instead to create an entirely new event experience.

Manitoba maintains a reputation for having a rich artistic community as well as a bitter winter. We want to bring these two elements of our province together to create an annual event our prairie town can be proud of.

Big Fun Productions is comprised of five Winnipeg artists and musicians who are passionate about their city. Inspired by the layout of Pop Montreal and NXNE, Big Fun wants to create the same excitement within the music and art community in Winnipeg by hosting several events throughout the year.

Festival Passes are only $30, available at:

• In To The Music
• Music Trader
• Black Sheep Diner
• Lo Pub & Bistro

Tickets for all shows will be available at the door, prices may vary.

* Festival passes do not include access to the Lytics and Rebel Yell show.  Tickets for this event will be available for $12 in advance and $15 at the door.

Manitoba Music and Manitoba Film & Music are uniting once again for the second annual Manitoba Music Rocks Charity Curling Bonspiel to raise funds and awareness for the Unison Benevolent Fund. The bonspiel takes place on February 12 at the Granite Curling Club, offering participants of all skill levels a chance to curl for a cause.

The Unison Fund is an assistance and referral program – created and administered by the music industry, for the music industry. A registered charity established in 2010, the Unison Benevolent Fund is designed to provide discreet relief to music industry personnel in times of personal hardship and crisis. Find out more about the Unison Fund at unisonfund.ca.

The inaugural bonspiel, which took place last January, was a resounding success. Over 100 people came together to curl for the cause, raising over $2000 for the Unison Fund in the process. In addition to local coverage and sponsor support, the bonspiel also gained national attention with nods from Unison supporters like Music Canada.

The Manitoba Music Rocks Charity Curling Bonspiel is open to curlers of all skill level. All profits will be donated to the Unison Benevolent Fund. We'll have some games to keep people busy off the ice, as well as the one and only Mama Cutsworth back on turntable duties. Curlers will have a delicious finish to the event’s festivities with a celebratory dinner, with prizes for bonspiel winners as well as those who come dressed in their best, most outrageous, and vintage curling outfits.

Those interested in more information can contact curling@manitobamusic.com or call 942.8650. If you're interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact ginny@mbfilmmusic.ca.

We just received the following message from our pals the Crooked Brothers and wanted to pass along news of a one-day free festival THIS Sunday, January 15th!!

In case you haven't noticed, there isn't much snow around Manitoba these days. This got us thinking... since we've made a ton, and the slopes are looking great, and more than half of the staff at Falcon Ridge Ski Hill are musicians, why don't we hold a free music festival at the hill to get people out on the slopes. Come for a day of downhill skiing, snowboarding, x-country or just some good food by the fire in the chalet. There will be music all day starting at noon. The schedule is as follows:

Daytime Workshops:

• 12:00 Gospel Workshop w/ Bog River, Red Moon Road

• 1:00 Nothing On Which To Form A Country w/ Carly Dow (Bog River), Matt Foster (Crooked Brothers), Jesse Matas (Crooked Brothers), Rosalyn Dennett (Oh My Darling)

• 2:00 Banjo Workshop w/ Daniel Peloquin-Hopfner (Red Moon Road), Ben Hadaller (Bog River), Ben Pries, Allison de Groot (Oh My Darling), Jakobi Heinrichs (Virgil's Aunty)

Concerts:

3:00 - Virgil's Aunty & The Vigilantes
4:00 - Oh My Darling
5:00 - Red Moon Road
6:00 - Crooked Brothers
7:00 - Bog River

Check the website for more info- including bios of the performers:
http://www.falconridgeski.com/snowdance.php

send + receive: a festival of sound v.14
winnipeg, manitoba
october 17 – 20, 2012 (dates tenative)

for the 14th edition of send + receive we are seeking submissions for audio works that explore ideas around Natural Sound. this theme is open to interpretation and we welcome project proposals with various approaches that express a kinship with this idea. organic materials, field recordings, breath & body works, acoustic phenomena, works inspired by the natural sound world and conceptual works are some examples and we welcome others.

proposals for live performances, public works (presentations/performances), installations, screenings, radio profiles, workshops, artist talks and more are welcomed.

please download our submission form online.

our submission checklist:

• completed submission form
• a c.v. or detailed bio (max 3 pages)
• a detailed project description (max 2 pages)
• an outline of the technical needs of the project
• related work samples

send by post to:

send + receive
43-221 mcdermot ave.
winnipeg, mb
r3b 0s2

send + receive is an annual audio art festival that takes place in winnipeg, manitoba. send + receive has been an integral platform for the presentation, dissemination and discussion of sound art since 1998 and showcases artists from across canada and around the world. our mandate is for sound-based work. for a sense of the type of work we have presented see our website and to check out some photos of past festivals, head over here.

questions can be addressed to our director, crys cole.
 
submissions are due by february 1, 2012.

only artists who are being considered for this years’ event will be contacted.