NEWS RELEASE
TROUBADOUR FESTIVAL
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With Kempenfelt Bay serving as a beautiful backdrop like none other, residents of Barrie and beyond are set to gather outdoors to enjoy live music again this weekend, June 24 and 25, for the Troubadour Festival! This year the festival has partnered with the Central Ontario Music Council (MusicCo). A portion of the proceeds from the festival will be shared with MusicCo. The not-for-profit and the music festival have a lot in common, especially the goal of promoting live commercial music in Simcoe County.
MusicCo’s Board of Directors is a team of music industry and community leaders. “These people represent all sectors of commercial music in our area including music artists, venues, tourism, marketing, large scale festivals, music societies, production, education, government and radio stations,” says MusicCo Executive Director Greg Groen. “The council seeks to foster the growth of Barrie and area as a destination for commercial music. Troubadour Festival at Meridian Place is a perfect fit for us.”
Co-creator of Troubadour Festival, Ryan Andersen, agrees. “We have the same goals. To promote live music in our region and provide professional music artists with spaces to perform for a live audience. It’s important to note that these artists deserve to get paid for their music. There is nothing like music to connect people, bridge linguistic and cultural divides, and provide an avenue for identity and expression,” says Andersen.
He believes music is a transformative experience and adds that collectively, the music ecosystem generates rich social, cultural, and economic benefits. “It is in the best interests of the City of Barrie to assign importance to these advantages and work with the music community to accelerate the growth of our music economy and eliminate barriers,” says Andersen. “Meridian Place is exactly the type of venue that needs to be utilized to present world-class performers. The fact that it’s a beautiful setting with the bay as a backdrop is a bonus.”
““A vibrant music economy drives value for cities in several important ways,” says Groen. “These include job creation, economic growth, tourism development, city brand building and artistic growth. A strong music community has also been proven to attract other industrial investment, along with talented young workers who put a high value on quality of life, no matter their profession.”
Troubadour Festival takes place this Friday and Saturday at Meridian Place in downtown Barrie. Many artists are scheduled to appear including Natalie Macmaster and Dwayne Gretzky. You can check out the artist lineup, schedule, and purchase tickets at www.troubadourfestival.ca.
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