Preview
ROCK 4 THE CAUSE
Thursday, January 23
The Back Alley
When Music Centre Canada opened its new pro recording studio last summer, a compilation CD featuring Alberta musicians was at the top of the Centre’s to-do list. Six months later, the finished product Rock 4 The Cause has been released.
Studio manager Rodger Sallans assembled the compilation using 17 bands from Calgary, Lethbridge and Red Deer. With an emphasis on straight-up rock, Sallans filled the compilation with material from the Todd Kerns Oddity, One 900, Stampede Queen, Starewell and a host of other hard-working artists. While some bands on the compilation were already customers of Music Centre Canada, Sallans reports that all of the bands were selected after an official radio call for submissions.
A portion of the proceeds generated by the compilation will benefit charities such as the United Way, but Sallans’s first intention was to stimulate the independent scene in southern Alberta – a community of people often struggling to make ends meet while pursuing their dreams.
"(Alberta) pretty much lacks in the support system for independent music," he says. "Not a lot of places to play, not a lot of public awareness involved. One band’s friends know of maybe one or two other bands. You tell them that there’s over 200 bands in the city (and) people just go, ‘what?’ So it’s more or less to bring awareness to the independent scene in southern Alberta."
The compilation is a decent introduction to Alberta rock for those who don’t have time to sit in smoky bars waiting for a good band to hit the stage. Since it’s nearly impossible to represent every kind of music in the scene on a 70-minute disc, Music Centre Canada plans to release two more compilations. Each CD will benefit a different charity. The project featuring gospel music is slated to begin this month, and a country collection is due this summer.
The money for these projects come from recording equipment donated by various sponsors, which is in turn auctioned off by the participating radio stations (or exchanged for donations any way they choose).
"We’ve received over $10,000 in cost of sponsored equipment from music sponsors," continues Sallans. "Marshall gave us a package, (there are) Ernie Ball guitars, Dean guitars, Roland Boss – a whole whack of different sponsors gave us gear. But this gear here is 100 per cent charitable and, like I say, the idea of a charity and the benefit… was chosen by both radio stations (Z99 in Red Deer and Rock 106 in Lethbridge). They wanted it to go to the United Way."
It couldn’t have been a better business plan. The radio stations bring attention to the cause and give a little promotion to the studio. The studio promotes the bands, who will, it is hoped, play for a schwack of new fans. Scheduled to perform at the Rock 4 the Cause CD release party are Real, Judeth, Will Minor, Stampede Queen, One 900 and the Todd Kerns Oddity. Portions of the proceeds will benefit the CJAY 92 Kids’ Fund. |
