CCMA Songwriters’ Series: The Road to Halifax Regional Showcases

Tweet this release: http://tinyurl.com/k39tc4h

May 26, 2015 (Toronto, ON) – The Canadian Country Music Association® (CCMA®), in association with Music Nova Scotia and the Country Music Week 2015 Halifax Host Committee, announced today the CCMA Songwriters’ Series: Road to Halifax regional showcases. Set to take place in Truro, Yarmouth and Membertou in June and July, these songwriter showcases will be headlined by established Canadian country music artists/songwriters with support from emerging artists/songwriters from Nova Scotia and the local community the events are set to take place in.

Deric Ruttan, 2014 CCMA Award winner for the category of Songwriter(s) of the Year for the song, “Mine Would Be You”, will headline the first CCMA Songwriters’ Showcase in Truro at the Marigold Culture Centre on Saturday, June 13. Ruttan will perform alongside emerging Nova Scotian artists/songwriters JD Clarke, Amanda Riley and Makayla Lynn.

Michelle Wright, who was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2011, will headline a CCMA Songwriters’ Series showcase in Yarmouth at the TH’YARC Playhouse and Arts Centre on Saturday, June 27; and Carolyn Dawn Johnson, a multiple CCMA Award winner who is currently part of the Miranda Lambert tour, will headline the final CCMA Songwriters’ Series showcase on the road to Halifax in Membertou at the Membertou Convention Centre on Tuesday, July 28. Emerging artists/songwriters for the Yarmouth and Membertou showcases will be announced soon.

“The core strength of country music is the art of its storytelling,” said Don Green, President of the Canadian Country Music Association. “To have the opportunity to bring some of Canada’s biggest names in country music to the communities surrounding Halifax, while showcasing the region’s finest up-and-coming country songwriters, is the perfect way to not only bring attention to the calibre of artists that can be found in Atlantic Canada, but also generate excitement for what’s to come this September during Country Music Week in Halifax.”

"‎Nova Scotia is already world renown for its music, and this event will give our talented country artists the chance to shine on the national stage," said Communities, Culture and Heritage Minister Tony Ince. "The event will not only benefit our artists now, it will help strengthen the entire industry in our province for years to come."

Doors for each of the three CCMA Songwriters’ Series: Road to Halifax showcases will open at 7:00 p.m., with show time commencing at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the June 13 showcase go on sale Friday, May 29 at 10:00 a.m. AT and will be available online via ticketpro.ca, by phone at 1-888-311-9090 or in-person at the Marigold Box Office, MacQuarries Pharmasave (179 The Esplanade and Truro), or any Ticketpro outlet.

More information on the artists performing and sharing their songwriting stories at the Truro CCMA Songwriters’ Showcase at the Marigold Culture Centre on June 13:

Deric Ruttan
Deric Ruttan’s songs have been recorded by Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Gary Alan, Jason Blaine, Doc Walker and dozens of others. He has been recognized by the Canadian music industry with a number of SOCAN Awards, a JUNO nomination for Best Country Record for 2010’s Sunshine and multiple CCMA Award wins and nominations – he took home the 2014 CCMA Award for Songwriter(s) of the Year for his co-write on “Mine Would Be You”.
Facebook: facebook.com/dericruttan | Twitter: twitter.com/DericRuttan

JD Clarke
JD Clarke grew up in the rural community of West Gore, nestled in the Rawdon Hills of Nova Scotia. It was against this backdrop that Clarke learned to write songs and play guitar. Clarke’s years of personal passion and real life experiences (both good and bad) can be heard on such songs as the country-rock anthems, “What You’ve Got” and “All That Matters” to the Eagles-tinged, “Wouldn’t That Be Nice” and “Losing You”, to the power ballad “Heaven and Earth” – all of which Clarke co-produced, provided vocals for and performed most instruments on. He has already garnered 5 ECMA Award nominations, including the categories of Rising Star and Country Recording of the Year and has performed for audiences across Canada and parts of the US.
Facebook: facebook.com/JDClarkemusicchannel | Twitter: twitter.com/jdclarkemusic

Amanda Riley
With the release of her debut album, It Coulda Been Me, Amanda Riley is bringing her Nova Scotian-grown country sound to audiences from coast to coast. The album’s first two singles, “Summertime With You” and “Take the Country Road” introduced this talented young artist to Canadian country fans and earned her a nomination for Music Nova Scotia Country Recording of the Year. Hailing from Chester, Nova Scotia, Riley gained nationwide popularity on CMT’s Big in a Small Town and as a Halifax finalist on Canada’s Got Talent.
Facebook: facebook.com/amandarileysmusic | Twitter: twitter.com/amandariley22

Makayla Lynn
Named one of Reverbnation's top new artists, Makayla Lynn is a fresh face in the industry with the vocals, songwriting ability and stage presence that many call unprecedented for her age. With more than a half million video views from over 17,000 social media fans, Makayla Lynn is quickly becoming a household name. She has penned over 50 songs and recently released her album, Daydream, that has already seen 4 major award nominations and a single released across Canada with great success.  She has shared the stage and opened for some of country music's biggest names in front of crowds as large as 30,000 and in some of the most iconic venues.
Facebook: facebook.com/musicalmakayla | Twitter: twitter.com/musicalmakayla

-30-

About the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA):
Established in 1976, the CCMA is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization committed to the promotion and recognition of Canadian country music. Built upon the foundation to educate, elevate and celebrate Canadian talent, the CCMA progressively heralds the spirit, community and creativity that country music fosters through year-round initiatives, culminating every fall with Country Music Week and the Canadian Country Music Association Awards. Sponsors of Country Music Week and the 2015 CCMA Awards include FACTOR, Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters and The Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s “Canada Music Fund” and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Radio Starmaker Fund, the Province of Nova Scotia, the City of Halifax and Destination Halifax.

About Music Nova Scotia
Music Nova Scotia is a non-profit organization that has worked since 1989 with a mandate to encourage the creation, development, growth and promotion of Nova Scotia’s music industry. Music Nova Scotia exists to grow and nurture the Nova Scotia music industry, to retain Nova Scotia’s natural resource and promote investment, by providing education, information and resources to members; acting as the advocate for the industry to all levels of government and private enterprise; and supporting membership in the promotion of the export of Nova Scotia music regionally, nationally and internationally.

Media Contact
Michele Charlton
Halifax Host Committee, Country Music Week 2015
micheleelizabethcharlton@gmail.com
902-403-5628

Sponsors of Country Music Week and the 2015 CCMA Awards include FACTOR, Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters and The Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s “Canada Music Fund” and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Radio Starmaker Fund, the Province of Nova Scotia, the City of Halifax and Destination Halifax.