East Coast Music Association (ECMA)
Showcase Scotland Expo promotes Scottish music and artists at the ECMA event in Canada.
About
The East Coast Music Association is a regional collaboration of people in the music industry of Atlantic Canada. The mission of the ECMA is to foster, develop, promote and celebrate East Coast Music, its music industry, and its artists locally, regionally, nationally and internationally and furthermore have identified Scotland as a priority market for its members.
In a three-year partnership with the ECMA, Showcase Scotland Expo aims to promote and support development of Scottish artists and their music and its music industry in Canada, and specifically in the Atlantic region (Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick) with a focus on folk, traditional, Gaelic, and singer-songwriters.
The annual event East Coast Music Week brings together musicians, artists, agents, managers, record companies, studios, media, related corporation and retailers, providing a chance for us to showcase Scottish artists with a view to securing further opportunity in Canada.
Objectives
- Enhance the visibility of the ECMA and Atlantic Canadian artists within Scotland so that they may be discovered and hired for future gigs and or projects.
- Enhance the presence and active participation of east coast artists and industry professionals from the Atlantic Provinces in Scotland
- Enhance the activity of Scottish artists within the east coast region of Canada so that they may be discovered and hired for future gigs and or projects.
- Enhance the presence and active participation of Scottish artists and industry professionals at the ECMA and in the Atlantic Provinces.
Opportunities
From 2014 to 2020 Showcase Scotland Expo agreed to bring two Scottish acts to the ECMA for showcase performances and networking opportunities. Our presence there also includes a Scottish reception with further performances from the selected artists and the promotion of Scottish music in general.
In 2014 Amy Duncan and Rua Macmillan Trio were selected from a shortlist of applicants chosen by our Steering Group. For 2015, the ECMA organisers selected Breabach and Ross Ainslie & Jarlath Henderson having seen them perform at our event The Visit 2014.
RURA and Dàimh were selected to showcase at the 2016 ECMA’s which took place in Sydney, Nova Scotia from 13-17 April. Both bands performed at a Showcase Scotland reception and as part of ECMA presents the Celtic Colours Festival Club.
In 2019 we took Fara and Blue Rose Code to beautiful Prince Edward Island for ECMA. Both bands performed at the Kick Off Ceilidh, the prestigious opening of the whole event, and then performed public shows in lovely churches as part of the wider festival.