Carrie Sweeney

Written by Carrie Sweeney

Last week, I caught up with the OG Program Advisor, Lisa, who is no stranger to Saskatchewan’s music industry and a whiz at helping artists get the most out of their grant experience.

She met with me virtually from her cozy home office in Indian Head where the artwork adorning her walls tell the story of her early passion for music. A framed poster of the first Bob Dylan concert she attended with her dad in 1998: The Agridome with Jann Arden—tickets were $28.50! More framed posters from music shows she attended between 1991 and 2015 with acts like Family Dog, Unlawful Assembly, and Belle Plaine, and a signed portrait of 70’s country-pop singer and Lisa’s childhood hero, Crystal Gayle.

After showing me the music memories she surrounds herself with, she began by saying, “I’ve always loved the creative industries. At heart, I’m a visual arts and crafty person—I used to work in film and television. I love it all. But music…music is my true passion.”

Q: First off, can you tell us a bit about yourself? What’s your role and how did you get started in the music industry?

A: I grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan and music was always such a big part of my life. My mom was a music teacher and my dad was a huge music fan with a crazy record collection. He had a used record store with my brother in Regina, and my brother was a professional musician. I’ve just always been around and loved music but was more of an appreciator and promoter as opposed to a creator [laughs] meaning I really have no creative talent when it comes to music.

My way into music was radio. I went to broadcasting college and then I started working in radio when it was still old school—everything was on vinyl, tape and CD. I was on the air as a Music Director where I programmed the music and I really loved it. From there I made my foray into other creative sectors. I worked for the Yorkton Film Festival, which opened a door for me to work on a television production in Regina. From there, that led me to working at SaskMusic where I started to really learn about the local music industry and gained a huge appreciation for that. I had the privilege to go to different music events like South by Southwest, BreakOut West and M for Montreal. When music funding was first introduced in the province, SaskMusic administered the music grants until Creative Saskatchewan was up and running, so, that’s how I was introduced to music funding. When Creative Saskatchewan was fully established, I was offered a job and have been here since May 2014.

It has been really cool to be a part of getting the programs underway and refined over the years and really responding to the needs of the industry – not just for music but all the sectors we support.

I am a Program Advisor so it’s my job to help folks navigate our system and our programs. Answer their questions, guide them through the process, and then of course administer the files. When an application comes in, we review it, get it assessed by our panelists, compile results, put together contracts, issue results, and get the final reporting in…and then we get to do it all over again [next program opening]!

Q: What drew you to working with grants and supporting artists in this way?

A: I guess really I found it was something that I was good at. You know, I understand creative people who make music or visual art. I understand the commitment, talent, and passion that it takes and the challenges they face. I appreciate and love what they do so much. I wish I had the talent drive and courage for that, but I’m really detail-orientated, I love math, numbers, plans, and I love communicating with people, helping them, and getting to know them. So, all these pieces of the puzzle came together and fell into place when the opportunity presented itself to be part of Creative Saskatchewan.

Q: What’s one thing you love most about helping artists through this grant program?

A: “Seeing how our programs impact artists, how it can take them from 0 to 60, how it can get them out there, how it grows their careers and watching artists succeed—it’s just really amazing and I love it.”

I understand a lot of people are overwhelmed by the thought of applying and working with a provincial funder, especially for a creative person who is focused on their creative product and their career, as they should be, but it’s really rewarding when folks reach out with questions and I’m able to help them make sense of things and navigate the process and then they’re like ‘oh-ok this makes sense, it isn’t so bad.’ It’s a really rewarding thing.

About the Grant

Q: For those who might be new to this, what exactly is the sound recording grant and who is it for?

A: It’s for Saskatchewan-based musicians who are looking to record music. So that would be either a solo artist who is hiring musicians to play with them, or a band who would be considered a Saskatchewan band (at least 51% of stakeholders/ownership are from Saskatchewan). It’s for folks to head into the studio to record their music and end up with a product that they want [to sell], and a bit of [the funding] can be used to market the product.

Q: What kinds of projects are you excited to see come through the application process?

A: You know, it’s always exciting to see such a mixed bag of applicants come through – it’s just so awesome. Whether it be a single, EP, full-length, any genre of music from hip-hop, folk, metal, you name it. It could be done in a home studio or one of the best studios in the province. It could be a young singer/songwriter from rural Saskatchewan who has never recorded before, or it could be a seasoned, established band that’s going into the studio to hopefully make their next platinum record. It encompasses and supports so many things. It’s so versatile, and it has to be because there’s such a wide variety of people that need this grant, and it’s really about what they’re setting out to do and how it makes the most sense for them at that time in their career and what that impact is going to be.

Q: Are there any misconceptions about the grant that you’d like to clear up?

A: With the sound recording grant, the recording and the mixing has to happen in the province for it to be part of the budget. However, if you have an opportunity to record out of province you can still apply for the sound recording grant. You can apply for funding for the other services needed to complete your album; the mastering, the album artwork, photography, manufacturing and/or marketing. But we only cover recording and mxing expenses that happen in Saskatchewan. The rest of the project activity can be done by service providers from both in and out of the province.

It’s important for people to know that with timing, too. If you have recorded before the program has opened, you still have the opportunity to get funding for the remaining activity that happens within the grant’s opening and deadline. You just have to apply with expenses for future activity. Even if it’s well before the deadline, as long as the program is open, you can submit one day and start your project the next day.

This is why it’s so important to read the guidelines and check out the budget template for Sound Recording, there’s lots of expenses related to recording that we cover!

Application Tips

Q: What’s your top advice for someone applying for the first time?

A: Definitely book a consult with a Creative Saskatchewan Program Advisor who can answer all of your questions, explain the program and help you feel more confident about the process. I like to look at it as you’re connecting the dots. You’re taking your project plan, marketing strategy, timeline, your team, vendors, budget and travel itinerary (if needed), and you’re connecting all of those dots. It’s important that all components of the application are connected and speak to one another. 

Ask a colleague or friend to look through your budget first, then read your application. Do the two complement each other, or does it leave your reader confused and with questions?

A well-researched budget is a really big part. You’re asking for money, so if it’s full of “guesstimates” and not backed up or researched, it’s really hard to convince assessors to support that. A good budget demonstrates that your plan is well thought-out, and you will know exactly how much everything will cost!

Q: What makes an application stand out to you?

A: When an applicant goes at it from a practical standpoint—is transparent, clear, and genuine, has a really good sense of what the project is and what their goals are—that is ultimate.

Q: What are some common mistakes applicants make and how can they avoid them?

A: Not giving themselves enough time. Rushing through things can invite so many errors or lead to misunderstanding. You don’t want to put time into an application and have it deemed ineligible because key things were missed. I know people can look at a deadline date and think ‘okay that’s when I have to do it’ [laughs] but no. When the program opens, put your application in when you can.

When people wait ‘til the last minute so many errors can happen—technical issues, the power going out. There’s no exceptions.  An application submitted one minute past the deadline can’t be accepted. It’s shocking how often that happens. So, give yourself plenty of time, read through things. Just because you’ve applied before doesn’t mean it’ll be exactly the same the next time you apply, because we update our programs constantly; we’re always trying to improve things.

Q: Is there anything applicants often forget to include that’s actually really important?

A: Include your bio. It is a required upload in the application, but it’s surprising how many times folks miss that. And, use the budget template we provide—that’s really important. If not used, an application is ineligible.

Final Thoughts

Q: What’s one piece of encouragement you’d give to emerging artists who might feel intimidated by the process?

A: It’s totally doable. This program supports emerging artists—there is space for you. I think there is plenty of support out there. Take advantage of what’s available. Saskmusic does amazing work and have all kinds of resources and opportunities. Reach out to the Program Advisors at Creative Saskatchewan because we will help you navigate the process.

Every year, we publish the list of people we supported with our grant programs, it’s all available on our website. I encourage people to go through and check it out, you’d be surprised at how many emerging artists are on that list. So yeah, it’s totally doable.

Q: Where can people go to learn more or get help with their application?

A: The industry associations that we support at Creative Saskatchewan are incredibly valuable. Sask Music can help with project plans and strategies. They host workshops and webinars, too. And of course, there’s our website. Under the staff directory you can book a consult. I recognize it can be overwhelming to decipher an abundance of information, but we do our best to make sure people are on the right path with their grant applications. Take your time. The website is an invaluable tool that will give you a lot. Get support, ask for help – we don’t bite!