NSAI TORONTO CHAPTER HOSTS TIN PAN NORTH 11th ANNUAL SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL throughout GTA

Thursday, May 27th to Saturday, May 29th, 2010

Toronto, Canada.   Anyone in the music business will tell you, “it all begins with a song” and on Thursday, May 27th through to Saturday, May 29th the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) Toronto Chapter are pleased to feature songwriters at various events and venues throughout the GTA (www.nsaitoronto.com)  to talk about the songs they’ve penned, and who has recorded them.  Live acoustic performances in “rounds” are guaranteed to engage and enthrall. 

Tin Pan North celebrates their 11th annual songwriting festival filling venues with featured talent as follows: 

Thursday, May 27th:      Katherine Wheatley/Wendell Ferguson TRANE STUDIO, 964 BATHURST STREET, Toronto 

From Parry Sound, Ontario Katherine Wheatley’s first CD, Straight Line, spent 17 weeks on Sam's Top Ten Independent Charts.  Katherine’s music has been used for documentaries, tv series and films.  She has been a featured vocalist on Stuart McLean's Vinyl Cafe, as well as a musical guest on Morningside with Peter Gzowski, This Morning with Bernard St. Laurent, TVO's Studio Two, and CBC Radio's Vicki Gabareau Show.  Katherine is currently the ambassador for the campaign to raise six million dollars for the new Parry Sound hospital.

Toronto based Wendell Ferguson has long been a behind-the-scenes force in Canadian country music.  Known for his comedic and clever lyrics including “Throw Another Fiddle on the Fire”, one would be hard pressed to find a better “guitar playing troubadour”.  Having won the Canadian Country Music Association Award for Guitar Player of the Year 7 times, the CCMA organization retired Wendell from ever being nominated in that category again!.  Wendell has backed up and recorded with artists such as George Fox, Duane Steele, Shania Twain, Tommy Hunter, The Dixie Chicks, Gil Grand and countless others.   

Thursday, May 27th:      Chris Whiteley / Cindy Church  BLACK SWAN TAVERN, 154 Danforth Street, Toronto  

Award winning multi-instrumentalist Chris Whiteley has been called a “major part of the roots music scene”. He wrote a number one Canadian hit for Prairie Oyster, and his songs have been recorded by Amos Garret, Cindy Church, Penny Lang, The BeBop Cowboys, Lunch at Allens, Quartette and Juno winning blues band Fathead.   

From Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, multi Juno nominated Cindy Church is known throughout music circles for her beautiful harmonic vocals whether solo or blended for the groups Quartette (Sylvia Tyson, Gwen Swick, Caitlin Hanford) and Lunch at Allen’s (Marc Jordan, Ian Thomas, Murray McLauchlan).  Having been awarded Female Artist of the Year for the Alberta Country Music Awards, and nominated for various CCMA awards, Cindy has 3 solo albums to her credit and performed background vocals on 3 Ian Tyson albums. 

Friday, May 28th:          NEW TO TIN PAN NORTH – GOSPEL SHOW St. John's Anglican Church, York Mills 19 Don Ridge Drive

FEATURING Ali Matthews  

Ali Matthews has released 5 independent, critically acclaimed CDs since 2000.  Writing and performing in both the Christian and mainstream music industries, she blends mature and sensitive lyrics with evocative, compelling melodies.  Matthews holds the GMA (Gospel Music Association Canada) record as the artist with the most nominations ever in one year: 11 in 2006.  She has received 7 GMA Covenant awards and 19 nominations in 5 years.  She was a winner in the 2006 International Songwriting Competition, The Canadian National Songwriting Competition, The Word Guild Canadian Writers Awards and she was named Woman of the Year in the City of Stratford for her outstanding contribution to the Arts. 

Friday, May 28th:          Tim Johnson / Amy Sky / Adam Crossley TRANE STUDIO, 964 BATHURST STREET, Toronto  

Recognized as a major songwriting talent in Nasvhille, Tim Johnson songs have been recorded by Reba McEntire, Trace Adkins, Andy Griggs, George Strait and Kellie Pickler. In 2007, Tim, with business partners Rory Feek and Jeff Skillen, established the Song Trust, an organization that taps into the Ipod generation's single-track buying habits by making the song the star by helping new artists that the labels have turned down. 

Juno nominated, SOCAN award winning Amy Sky released 5 albums from 1996 through to 2007, and penned songs for Diana Ross, Anne Murray, Reba McEntire, Belinda Carlisle, Aaron Neville, Heart, Cyndi Lauper, Roch Voisine and Sheena Easton She also wrote and produced songs for Olivia Newton John’s 3 albums released in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Adam Crossley has been compared to Coldplay, Sting and Ryan Adams and initially came onto the music scene as the lead vocalist with the Nashville-based pop/rock band 9 Point Landing.  In 2005, Adam collaborated with Canadian producer Asher Lenz, (Andrea Bocelli) and began developing new songs and working with Josh Groban.  Their song, “So She Dances” is featured on Groban’s latest record “Awake” and was performed by Groban on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Dancing With The Stars. 

Friday, May 28th:          Steve Leslie / Ralph Murphy   BLACK SWAN TAVERN, 154 Danforth Street, Toronto

Nashville based Steve Leslie considers himself to be a lucky guy “who’s had the pleasure of making his living as a songwriter, musician and educator”.  Some of his works were recorded by Kenny Rogers, George Strait, Rhonda Vincent, Mark Chestnut, and Darryl Worley to name a few.  In 2004, Steve received a Grammy certificate for the title cut to Ricky Skaggs’ 2004 Grammy winning Best Bluegrass Album Brand New Strings.  

Essex, England born Ralph Murphy grew up in Wallaceburg Ontario and moved back to London 1965; he released two singles with Jack Klaysen as The Guardsmen who changed their name to the Slade Brothers, and opened up for famous headlining acts, such as The Kinks, The Troggs, Martha and the Vandellas, The Byrds and The Walker Brothers.  In 1969 Ralph moved to New York, and produced dozens of acts including legendary Canadian Rockers April Wine.  In 1976, Ralph went to Nashville to pick up an award and with partner Roger Cook, he formed the Picalic Group & Pic-A-Lic Music Publishing, one of the most successful independent publishers in Nashville.  Ralph is a past president of both NSAI and The Nashville Chapter of NARAS and currently serves on the board of the CCMA.  Now ASCAP Vice President International & Domestic, Membership Group, he works on many committees and teaches seminars internationally.

Saturday, May 29th:      HUGH’S ROOM 2261 Dundas Street West, Toronto  

Patricia Conroy / Ralph Murphy / Tim Johnson / Codie Prevost / Steve Leslie / Madeleine Slate /Dean McTaggart    

Patricia Conroy is one of Canada’s top female artists with 8 Number 1 Singles; 5 Number 1 CMT Videos, and was named the CCMA Independent Female Artist in 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007 as well as receiving various CCMA Awards including Female Vocalist, Song of the Year and Album of the Year.  Her songs have been recorded by Michelle Wright, Lisa Brokop, The Rankin Family, One More Girl and the US duo Steel Magnolia.  

Saskatoon based Codie Prevost is a multi-award S.C.M.A. winner including Male Vocalist of the Year and Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year for two consecutive years, 2009 and 2010.  With his work recently recorded by Grammy award winning producer Randy Kohrs; Prevost was also awarded the International Song of the Year Award for the title track of his current CD, SPIN.  Prevost’s third CD, GET LOUD produced by multi award winner Tom McKillip will launch in June of this year. 

Dean McTaggart’s professional career began as the lead singer/songwriter for the Canadian rock/pop band "The Arrows".  In 1986 Dean went on pen many hits including "Heaven Help my Heart" a Top 10 song for country superstar Wynonna Judd, " Darkhorse" a Number 1 in Canada for Amanda Marshall, "Birmingham' a Top 20 song worldwide for Amanda Marshall and hits for Anne Murray, Tina Arena, Terri Clark, Kelly Coffee, John Berry, The Guess Who, John McDermott, and The Rankin Family. Over the years Dean has been kept busy producing, recording, writing and playing live either with a band or in solo songwriter situations. 

“NSAI Toronto is happy to host Tin Pan North at venues in multiple cities,” said NSAI Toronto Coordinator and Festival Organizer, Dan McVeigh.  “We look forward to our songwriters performing for audiences in Oakville, Toronto, now, the London area”. Every year we add a little something new, and this year we have added a gospel event and a band showcase. We're excited to be able to present such fabulous local and international talent in our 11th year." 

The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) is America’s largest not-for-profit songwriters’ organization.  NSAI represents the songwriting community and exists to protect the intellectual property rights of songwriters. www.nashvillesongwriters.com  

What:                          Tin Pan North / NSAI Toronto Chapter

When:                         Thursday, May 27th, 2010 to Saturday, May 29th, 2010

Start Times:                 All shows start at 7:30 pm

Where:                         www.nsaitoronto.com for full events listing

How:                            www.ticketwindow.ca ticket information 

For more information: 

Dan McVeigh, Coordinator
NSAI Toronto Chapter/Festival Organizer
dman-music@rogers.com