Last week I had the chance to travel to Quebec City for the annual RIDEAU event — one of the biggest gatherings for performing arts professionals in Quebec. It was an incredible opportunity not only to perform, but also to meet the amazing team helping bring my upcoming shows to life.
First impressions of the event:
My new booking agency, Production Palmarès, put on a top notch event to showcase their artists. It was a “5 a 7” event where artists, producers, and presenters gathered together for an immersive and interactive experience.
The atmosphere:
The event took place at Centre Morrin in Old Quebec City: a historic building which used to be a prison, now a library and cultural center. The vibe was so cool: the old architecture, the worn out stairs from hundreds of years of action, and the feeling of becoming a part of it’s history was very powerful.
Made some new connects:
I met a bunch of amazing artists, including Fred Dionne, Jeannot Bournival, and Charlie Juste as well as many more whom I admire and all have something amazing to offer. I got to hang out with Marie-Pier Ares & Alex Ares, my booking agents (such great people), Alex Laganière who was the host, and everyone else there from all over Canada and Internationally too.
Why this experience matters:
This event allowed me to showcase my musical performance, introducing me to potential collabs and bookings to come in the future… There were even delegates from Belgium who apparently loved what I presented! Who knows, this event might have opened the door to my first international tour.
Behind the scenes:
One of the highlights of the trip was finally meeting part of the production team helping build the upcoming shows. After months of emails and planning, it was great to sit down together in person and start imagining what the next performances could look like.
Highlights:
I especially enjoyed meeting Fred Dionne, an artist I think highly of and would love to collab with. Jeannot Bournival, artist/producer, who since has expressed interest in helping me perfect my upcoming EP project. Nik Segoya, a fellow Festival International de la Chanson de Granby, Grand Concours Hydro Quebec Semi-Finalist, who I got to share an AirBnb with, and with whom I’m now planning to write music with.
Moments like these remind me how many passionate people work behind the scenes to make live music possible. I'm grateful to be surrounded by such a dedicated team, and I'm excited for everything we're building together.
Final thoughts & what's next:
Now it's back to writing, recording, rehearsing, and getting ready for the next shows. I can’t wait to share more soon! Thanks for your support guys… Couldn’t do this without yas :)
Much love,
~MB~
