Saskatchewan Sound at Memphis Blues Challenge

Early this year, Ross Nielsen attended the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee with the support of our Showcase or Sell Travel Grant. After winning the “Road to Memphis Showcase Challenge” presented by the Saskatoon Blues Society, he needed some extra support to cover travel costs, and reached out to Creative Saskatchewan for some help. Thanks to the grant, he was able to represent Saskatchewan at the largest gathering of blues and roots artists, booking agents and buyers in North America! Awesome!

“Hey, guys. I attended the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee in January. It is the largest gathering of blues and roots artists and booking agents and buyers. Probably in North America, at least one of the biggest. And it was amazing. I got that opportunity because I won the road to Memphis Showcase Challenge in Saskatoon presented by the Saskatoon Blues Society and that allowed me to go and represent Saskatchewan in Memphis. And it was fantastic. The Showcase or Sell Travel grant, allowed me to actually go to Memphis and take part in the International Blues Challenge. Yeah, it covered mileage, per diems, literally put food on my belly and gas in my gas tank to get down there and do my thing. And then of course make it home and, I’m eternally grateful. Definitely would have been a challenge to go without that grant.

You know, what I love best about my community is the support. You know, when I got my Showcase or Sell Travel grant, and during the trip and leading up to it, I emailed Erin at the Creative Sask office probably a bazillion times. Sometimes related to the projects, probably sometimes related to things that weren’t part of the project, and everyone was always too enthusiastic to reply. And even by email it seems sincere and that they’re there to help. And, I’m just really grateful for that kind of support. It kind of reinforces the idea of, you know, what you’re doing is worthwhile. And, you know, creating art is important. And then for the government to fund groups like Creative Sask, who in turn fund artists, again, that just kind of leads me to believe that art is important and they want us to make art. And without these grants, for me in particular, it would be very difficult to make a living, or even be able to afford to create the kind of art that I do. Records are expensive and just really thankful to have the opportunity to, you know, get funding, to go to showcases, to create albums, to do tours. It’s incredibly valuable. And that kind of support is exactly what artists need and what the arts community needs to survive and thrive.”

Congratulations to Ross on the successful showcase, it sounds like an incredible time! You can check out his music here: https://linktr.ee/rossneilsen 

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Learn more about the Showcase or Sell Travel Grant here: https://www.creativesask.ca/marketing-promotion/showcase-or-sell-travel/