Change is the only constant, it is a cliché that we have heard a thousand times but nowhere is it more true than with the current challenges facing emerging artists. Social media, digital streaming and globalization were already impacting local culture and identity when, along came the pandemic, which isolated us, ingraining these new habits that drew our attention away from our immediate community. So where does this leave a young emerging musician who needs a local audience to develop their skills? Fortunately, progressive organizations like Edmonton International Airport are providing innovative opportunities for musicians to learn, earn and move forward in their career all while improving the experience of travelling through the Airport.

YEG Stage: Edmonton International Airport Music Program

Edmonton International Airport (YEG) launched its music program in 2004 and has been a staple of the passenger experience program ever since. The program was paused in 2020 because of the pandemic but they relaunched in July of 2023 and were recognized by the International Airport Review as one of the top 10 passenger experience initiatives in 2023. It is interesting to note that they are the only Canadian airport to be recognized and one of only two North American airports.

YEG hosts 60 paid performances by 20 local artists every single month. That is 720 professional development opportunities for emerging artists every year. The program provides local musicians with the opportunity to hone their skills in front of a live audience while improving the experience for travelers at the airport. When I talk to musicians they also tell me about other benefits like unexpected encounters with people at the airport that lead to additional gigs and new opportunities.

Liz Dwerynchuk is YEG’s Director of Passenger Experience and she recognizes that YEG is not the biggest airport but she takes pride in their innovative and can-do culture. “A seamless airport experience is now expected of a modern airport. The bar has been raised and if you really want to improve passenger experience you need to introduce an element of surprise and delight.” Liz talks about the importance of embracing the local community and how artists create an authentic sense of place in what otherwise might be seen as a sterile corporate venue. “YEG is striving to be an airport for everyone, a welcoming and accessible space for all who journey through the terminal. Travel can be stressful for many people and live music throughout the airport can provide a welcome distraction and a calming ambiance while waiting for a flight.”

When we asked about the challenges of running a music program in a bustling airport, Liz was quick to point out that budget and staffing are always at the top of the list. This is where technology like Stagehand can help. I recently met with the administrator of the program, David LeGrow, and asked him how much time he spends managing the program. David indicated that using the Stagehand platform he can manage the program in 3-5 hours per month. In other words, only 2-3% of David’s monthly workload goes to managing 60 performances. YEG does an open call for artists annually and they admit that this is the most challenging part of the program. They have so many applications from so many talented artists that it is almost impossible to choose. Here again, they lean on enabling technology and the community to help with decision-making by convening a jury of artists, airport staff, and community members. Once a roster is chosen, artists are integrated into a process that empowers them to book their own performance times and locations. David maintains final approval and payments happen automatically through Stagehand once a performance has been confirmed. YEG also uses Stagehand to automate data collection from the audience and the musicians. Closely monitoring data helps YEG understand the impact of the program on passengers and the satisfaction of their partner artists.

Some interesting stats from a recent artist survey indicate:

• Overall satisfaction with performances: 4.71 (out of 5)
• 91% of artists indicated these performances help them move forward in their careers
• Artists’ state of mind improves from 3.87 before their performance to 4.56 after

Carrie Day is one of YEG’s featured artists, she had this to say about the program “…sometimes after my shift at the airport, I cry the whole way home. The good kind of cry. Where I feel like this crazy thing of being a performing songwriter at times has meaning and creates connections greater than I ever could have imagined. And sometimes I feel just pure joy. But I always feel grateful.”

David proudly shared some unsolicited feedback from a YEG traveller “The musician playing in the vicinity of Starbucks this morning is absolutely amazing. His music is relaxing to the point of hypnotic, and everyone stopped to listen and smiled at each other before moving on to their gates. The tones just imparted good vibes to all who heard it. By far the best musician and choice of music I’ve ever seen in an airport. Incredibly well done to him and to the YEG staff who selected him.” The musician the passenger was referring to was Josh Williams but we have heard similar feedback on so many talented local artists.

Conclusion

Stagehand is proud to have helped make live performance a seamless part of daily operations at Edmonton International Airport. But this is just one way to support emerging artists and build local culture. We have worked with downtown associations to revitalize the downtown core and cities to improve safety by activating troubled parks, we have brought joy and healing into hospitals and we have made public transit more welcoming. Successful programs start with the desire of a business or institution to improve customers experience in their spaces and they leverage pride in local community as embodied by local artists. When you make those two things easy and cost effective it creates new career development opportunities for emerging artists. Hats off to everyone at YEG for taking a risk on this industry-leading music program.

The post YEG Live Music Program: Case Study appeared first on Stagehand.

February is coming to a close – the shortest month of the year! The weather here in Calgary has been…. Let’s just say, a BIT chilly – we are glad to be experiencing warmer temperatures and hoping that wherever you are in the world, you are staying warm and cozy and enjoying time spent practicing your craft.

Earlier this month we shared a look at our January 2025 Spotify Playlist, featuring talented, busy artists on the platform, like i.Con Twins, Eden Taylor, Daylin Jorgensen, Esteban Herrera, Irene Poole and Jory Kinjo! (Did you see yourself on the playlist this month?) 

Curious how you, too, can be featured on this monthly curated playlist? Here’s some simple & effective ways to gain yourself a spot:

1. Add your events to capitalize Stagehand manually, even the ones that aren’t booked directly through Stagehand. Why? We are actively building a centralized events hub that encourages folks to step away from traditional social formats like Facebook and Instagram and utilize a new community for musicians, performers, industry folk and fans. This is only possible with artists taking the first step to utilize Stagehand in their day-to-day artist/business practice.
2. Keep your profile on stagehand updated with recent photos, new recordings, an updated bio, fresh performance videos, etc. The more active and engaged you are on the platform, the more likely you are to gain a spot on the playlist next month (so long as you have distributed music to Spotify). Additionally, the more you post your manual gigs (events you’ve booked outside of the platform), the higher you will sort on our artists’ listing page (out of 3000+ artists), and the higher you will sort/appear when applying for programs.
3. Actively seek and apply for performance opportunities on the platform. Check in frequently to see if there are new programs open or encourage a civic or arts organization, venue or coffee-shop in your community to utilize Stagehand for their upcoming spring and summer seasons. We are here to help.

Stagehand is a growing community of performers, venues and community organizations. We are committed to assisting each member in growing and thriving in an ever-evolving industry. We are also open to hearing what you would like to see more, or less of, from us! Please reach out at any time to support@stagehand.app with any questions or queries.

Artist of the Month

Who: The Crickettes

Where: Based in Calgary

Genre Base: Folk, Contemporary Duo

Total gigs tracked on Stagehand: 47

We are excited to bring you a new month-end feature on the blog, and to kick things off, we’re sharing two Calgary-based musicians that have been busy as ever on the platform. Here’s more about The Crickettes:

The Crickettes are an acoustic ukulele duo from Calgary, Canada, known for their inviting and intimate live performances. With Sara Tkachuk on vocals and baritone ukulele, and Julianne Clease on vocals and tenor ukulele, their performances feature a delightful mix of catchy original songs and beloved covers (and the occasional kazoo). Their songwriting reflects the ups and downs of life, the beauties of love, and imaginative narratives, encompassing moody instrumentation, ear-pleasing harmonies, and a unique sound.

If you are interested in booking The Crickettes for your next event, or want to get to know these talented artists and stay up to date on their next gigs, you can either contact them directly through stagehand (click ‘contact), or follow them, and receive weekly updates of their next performance (click ‘follow’)!

Photo of the Month

@brotherbickerband / photographer: @theainsleychristine

If you are interested in booking an artist portrait session with Ainsley, she is offering a 15% spring discount to local musicians in Calgary and Western Canada (travel rates apply). You can book your session directly, here, and use discount code STAGEHAND to save on your photography, videography or branding session. Ainsley has been working with artists and musicians, providing content and social media support since 2019. In that time she has supported and captured a variety of artists, including The Roots, Begonia,The Dead South, Cowboy Junkies, Lake Street Dive and has supported organizations like Calgary Folk Music Festival, Music Mile YYC, JazzYYC, and many other non-profit organizations and small businesses with their content needs. Ainsley has been a team member with Stagehand since May of 2023. You can check out some of her work here.

AVAILABLE ‘OPEN’ PROGRAMS:

Cafe Gravity

Calgary Public Library

YouQuest

Edmonton International Airport

See you in March!

The post February Newsletter appeared first on Stagehand.

The attached white paper describes lessons learned from thousands of performances and how every Airport can become a hub for live music.

If you would like to learn more please contact us at info@stagehand.app,

Enjoy!

The post Making Airports a Hub for Live Music appeared first on Stagehand.

The only thing we were missing was the ability to put ALL your gigs on Stagehand. We recognize that not all of your performances will be booked through Stagehand, so we have given you a quick way to add non-Stagehand events.

To manually add a future event to your profile, follow these 4 easy steps:

1. Sign in to Stagehand
2. Select “Your Events” from the dropdown menu (top right if on your computer)
3. On the bottom right you will see a yellow circle with a + sign in it, click it
4. This allows you as an artist to manually create an event including, time, date, location, description, cover charge etc.

As an added bonus, we can easily integrate upcoming events (Stagehand and non-Stagehand) with your website so that you post once and events are updated in multiple places, contact us to find out how.

But don’t stop there. Are you opening for one of your musical heroes at the Jubilee Auditorium? Add it Stagehand. Did you get a pack of professional photos done? Add it to Stagehand. Record a video for your new single? Add it to Stagehand. Think of us as an easy way to update your EPK in matter of minutes with a few mouse clicks, versus having to rework an entire page. Put simply, by posting “Check out my Stagehand profile” you let everyone know they can check out EVERYTHING you’re up to, from songs, to snapshots, to shows big and small. You can keep your followers informed with clear, consistent communication on your creative career.

You put your best foot forward when stepping on stage, let Stagehand help you take that first step online.

If you have questions please contact support@stagehand.app 

The post Using Stagehand as an online Electronic Press Kit appeared first on Stagehand.