Canadian Musician

Canadian Musician

Canadian Musician. Bi-monthly magazine. Its first issue was dated March/April 1979, with Burton Cummings as the cover story. Published in Toronto by Norris Publications (which became a division of Norris-Whitney Communications Inc., created in 1981), Canadian Musician has been edited in turn by Jim Norris, Kathy Whitney 1981-4, Norris 1984-5, Ted Burley 1985-8, David Henman 1989-90, Norris again in 1991, Frank Schulte 1991, Shauna Kennedy 1993-97, Norris again 1997-2001, and Jeff MacKay 2001-2004. Circulation stood at 27,000 in 1991. Editorial content is directed toward pop musicians and includes feature articles generally of a technical rather than biographical nature about bands and individuals, as well as 'how to' and music instruction columns, and product and instrument reviews. Initially columnists were drawn from the studio and/or pedagogical fields and included such longstanding contributors as Rosemary Burns (vocal technique), Bobby Edwards (guitar), Brian Harris (keyboards), Don Johnson (brass), Barry Keane (drums), Pat LaBarbera (saxophone), and Dave Young (bass). After 1985, a variety of musicians from different fields were selected to write columns to offer a greater perspective. A 'Selected Artists' subject index appeared in the April 1989 issue. The magazine's 'Showcase' section was launched in 1989 to provide coverage support to the independent musician. Columns of note include "Music Online," which was launched in 1996, with a focus on those Internet resources and issues applicable to musicians. In 1998, the columns "Indie Insider" and "Changes" were launched. "Insider" dealt with issues facing the increasing number of small-press or self-released artists, while "Changes" focused on the myriad of technological advances and their effects on the industry.

A second division of Norris-Whitney Communications, CM Books, has published Music Directory Canada (eight editions to 2001) and Mona Coxson's Some Straight Talk About the Music Business (1984, revised 1989). Canadian Musician celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2004.