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Jennifer Venance
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Alberta Names Jennifer Venance As First-Ever Music Commissioner
"Alberta is home to extraordinary artists, organizations and industry leaders and I am honoured to serve as the province’s first music commissioner,” says Venance, a musician and music educator. She is mandated to help grow the province's music industry.
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Alberta has named its first-ever music commissioner.
Today (Aug. 25), the province announced that it has appointed Jennifer Venance, a musician and music educator, to the brand new position. In addition to teaching music, Venance recently served as director of K-12 education curriculum and French education with Alberta Education and Childcare.
“Alberta is home to extraordinary artists, organizations and industry leaders and I am honoured to serve as the province’s first music commissioner. I look forward to working alongside the sector to build on Alberta’s strengths, support growth and help create new opportunities for Alberta music at home and around the world," says Venance.
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In this new role, she will oversee implementing the Alberta Music Action Plan, which was unveiled in April. The initiative aims to "take Alberta’s music sector to the top of the charts" by supporting artists, producers and industry professionals to help local music thrive. Its goal is for the Albertan music scene to resonate worldwide, but also for its economy to grow and expand,
“From Paul Brandt to Tate McRae, Alberta has produced some of the world’s best musical acts. That’s why we’re proud to welcome Alberta’s first music commissioner, who will help more talented artists succeed and grow an industry that contributes billions of dollars to Alberta’s economy,” says Tanya Fir, Alberta's minister of arts, culture and status of women.
Per the Alberta government, the province's music industry generates $5 billion in economic output yearly and is tied to 23,000 jobs across the province. It is home to the Calgary Stampede, which drew over 1.4 million attendees this year, as well as the 11-day Cowboys Music Festival, which draws around 15,000 fans daily and celebrated its 30th anniversary this year with big names like Sean Paul, Dominic Fike and The Beaches. The Alberta Music Commission is set to operate on a model to the Alberta Film Commission and serve as a companion.
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Pop superstar Tate McRae, born in Alberta, is currently one of music's biggest names. She began her music career writing songs in her Calgary bedroom, notably her breakthrough hit "You Broke Me First," before moving to Los Angeles at 17 to pursue a full-time music career, an origin story that she referenced during her first-ever festival headline set at Osheaga. The Canadian artist has since transformed into one of the world's hottest pop stars, earning a No. 1 album on the Billboard Canada and Billboard U.S. charts with So Close to What, a No. 1 song in Canada with "Greedy" and even headlining Lollapalooza. Last year, she ranked as Billboard Canada's top Canadian artist above Drake and The Weeknd, based on Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Canadian Albums chart performance.
Alberta also remains invested in uplifting local musicians through institutions like the National Music Centre, which continues to make important contributions including a series of mini-residences connecting local artists to studios, recording teams and instruments, and its Music Therapy Initiative which recently received a $500,000 commitment from BMO.
“We look forward to working with the new music commissioner to advance the economic and untapped potential of Alberta’s artists, creators, businesses and broader music industry,” says Andrew Mosker, CEO of the National Music Centre and co-founder and chair of West Anthem, which is partnered with the Alberta government on the Alberta Music Action Plan.
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