George Brown student-organized concert to feature established and up-and-coming Canadian artists
Jared Franklin has come a long way from his teenage days of organizing high school band shows for fun. For one thing, the George Brown College sports and event marketing post-grad student’s high school shows never featured a chart-topping artist.
Stage Nine Entertainment, comprised of Franklin and seven fellow sports and event marketing students, is in the final stages of organizing I Believe Music Counts, a benefit concert featuring a diverse group of up-and-coming Canadian performers. The show’s date is set for Dec. 2, and will take place at the Tranzac Club, located at 292 Brunswick Ave. in Toronto.
“I’ve always had a huge passion for music, for performing concerts. I’ve been producing and playing and going to see concerts for as long as I can remember, so the thought of bringing those two together, it was kind of natural,” said Franklin.
The performers, which Franklin has been scouting and selecting since January, include Eleanor Shore, For Jane, Jesse Gold, Jess and Tay and Scott Moffatt, former lead singer of The Moffatts. As part of the Canadian pop-band, Scott Moffatt had a number one single in Canada in 2000 with the song “Bang Bang Boom.”
Franklin has years of experience as a musician, playing in groups that were featured on Much Music and which have opened for major artists like Nelly Furtado. His experience as a musician helped him find performers and make industry connections, but Franklin finds his George Brown education to be just as useful.
“It’s been an incredible experience so far,” said Franklin. “I’d say the industry training is invaluable and the style of teaching is very different from the traditional method. The name and the brand of the program is very well-received.”
All show proceeds will go towards Musicounts, a charity that helps provide youth across Canada access to musical education.
More details about the event can be found at the Stage Nine website, and tickets can be purchased online at the Musicounts page.
