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Central Okanagan Music StrategyMembersLeadership Ensemble:Nicole Cantley, Kris Hargrave, Karma Lacoff Nieoczym, Craig SiemensAdvisory Group members: Gayle LunnJordon WibergKim Foreman-RhindressLindsay MacPhersonLucy BenwellMiles Thorogood Mitch CarefootNicole SlipetSean KellySiobhan BarkerTega OvieRoss SowardSarah Semeniuk
COMS Leadership EnsembleNicole CantleyCraig SiemensSecretaryChairCommunity Development Coordinator,Cultural Services, City of Kelownawhose goal is to grow culturalexperiences organically through ourcommunity’s creative champions. Partof the team that developed andlaunched the 2020-2025 Cultural PlanI’m excited about the opportunity to advance the CulturalPlan and to further strengthen the role that music plays inour community.Co-founder of the Kelowna LiveMusic Group and former MusicCoordinator and board memberfor the KAC with experienceorganizing and booking live musicevents. A retired geologist withexperience in project planning andcreative problem solving.Kelowna is growing and so is its music scene. I hope to helpcreate a community where there’s live music every night.Karma Lacoff NieoczymKris HargraveTreasurerPublic RelationsCreative Okanagan Executive &Creative Dir., Breakout West2018 Chair. Extensiveexperience in music industry astalent buyer, programmer,coordinator, mentor.Co creator of Ponderosa Festival,Kelowna Music IndustryHangout. Director for FestivalsKelowna. Currently working on anew Kelowna Festival andHubbubliveMy work, my love and need for music motivate me tosupport connecting and supporting the foundation andgrowth of the music sector in our region.Creating this strategy is about bringing people together,sharing experiences and ideas, and discovering ways toachieve common goals.
Gayle LunnCOMS Advisory GroupJordon WibergResearcher and strategist for nationalmarketing and NGO clients.Communications consultant with theOkanagan Symphony Orchestra.Classically-trained pianist, teacher andcomposer/arranger. Former songwriting andproduction mentor for Berklee Online.I believe our music community has the talent and the imagination totransform our landscape – and become a role model in the process.Over 15 years of experience incomposing, recording, producing,mixing and mastering for a variety ofartists, genres and platforms. Ownerof the Okanagan Mixing Studio in LakeCountry.I would love to see our incredible pool of Okanagan musiciansput out music that can stand next to anything coming out ofthe bigger markets, while keeping the uniqueness andcharacter of each musician/band well intact.Lucy BenwellSarah SemeniukExecutive Director, Kelowna CommunityMusic School; Vice President, BCAssociation of Community Music Schools.Musician, teacher, wife and mother ofmusicians.Outdoor Events Coordinator for the City ofKelowna whose role is to oversee andfacilitate all technical requirements for largescale events on City property whileproviding expertise to event organizers.I am honoured to play a part in building a vital service to support thecreation and sustainability of world-class performance opportunities forour local artists and entertainment for our community.“Music is a powerful form of creative expression and an integral part ofevents in our community. I am excited to explore opportunities to furtheradvocate & develop this sector in Kelowna.”
Sean KellyCOMS Advisory GroupSiobhan BarkerOriginally from Prince Edward Island,an amateur musician, trial lawyer andfounder of Sean Kelly Law, alitigation boutique law firm inKelowna.The ingredients for a great music scene are all here, we justneed to create an opportunity for the right people to be in theright places at the right times.Artistic Director of Ubique Arte. Professionalballerina turned Actor, Singer, Dancer,Choreographer. Most recently returned fromLondon, UK where she gained experienceworking at Victoria Palace Theatre and theRoyal Opera House.The Okanagan’s theatre scene is craving more collaboration with ourlocal musicians. The bridging of that gap is an exciting prospect whilstcontributing to the advancement of our music scene!Kim Foreman-RhindressTega OvieA trained musician and actor, Kim spent twoyears at The American Academy of DramaticArts in New York City and has a degree invoice and piano from Western ConservatoryKim has performed in more than 20 theatricalproductions and has written and directedseveral plays in New York, Connecticut, TheNetherlands and Kelowna.Co-founder of award winning B.C. band"Post-Modern Connection", and OkanaganCollege Business Administration graduate.Seasoned musician with experience in eventplanning and project management. 2019Enactus Regional winner as Project Managerand Kelowna Art Gallery's "Appetite for Art"planning committee member.Currently, Kim is the owner of Kelowna Voice Lab and performs locallyin a duo "Smitten" with her husband Jim, a trio "Kitsch 'n Sync" andclassic rock band "Cover2Cover""I'm really excited to work with the team and create a strategy thatempowers and grows the music scene in our city. We have hugetalented community and I'm thrilled to be a part of it."
COMS Advisory GroupLindsay MacPhersonExecutive Director for the Music BC IndustryAssociation, a not for profit association servingthe for profit and non-profit music industry. ASMU & Vancouver Film School graduateLindsay has worked as Project Manager forboutique music agency Secret Study, Label &management coordination for BoompaRecords.Nicole SlipetNowMedia Account Exec - Her love of musicbecame an obsession after her first concert(Hanson) when she was 8 years old. Afterstudying music at Carleton University, Nicole gother first gig at LiVE 88.5 FM - an alternative rockradio station in Ottawa. Nicole has a depth ofknowledge and over 10 years of experienceworking in the radio, music and events industry.She’s also worked in Business Affairs and administering licensing atNettwerk Music and live events at Squamish Valley Music Festival, RedTruck Concert Series and Shorefest.Music has influenced every aspect of my life - personally, professionally.It has taken me across Canada and back again. It is a privilege to be apart of a team working to ensure that the immense creativity of theOkanagan is celebrated.Ross SowardMitch CarefootRoss has worked for the City ofKelowna for four years now as aplanner in the City’s Policy andPlanning Department. As the Cityworks toward revitalizing itsurban centres the importance ofpublic space will continue toincrease, presenting anopportunity for the arts andcultural communityMitch is very involved in eventhosting in the Central Okanagan.He is a co-owner of Thick asThieves Entertainment.Throughout the years, Mitch has created live musicexperiences in Kelowna that range in size from 300 to5,000. Two of the largest annual events are the AltitunesFestival up at Big White Ski Resort to Denim on theDiamond in Kelowna.
COMS Advisory GroupMiles ThorogoodMiles is an experienced sound designer-engineer with anexpertise in electro-acoustic music production, sound fortheatre, game sound, film sound, computer science, mediaanalysis, cognitive science and Creative AI.As the director of the Sonic Production, Intelligence, Research andApplications Laboratory at UBCO, Miles leads an interdisciplinaryresearch program in representing and stimulating creative productiontechniques by studying factors of human perception. Practicalapplications of his research involve design support,
production mentor for Berklee Online. Lucy Benwell I am honoured to play a part in building a vital service to support the creation and sustainability of world-class performance opportunities for our local artists and entertainment for our community. Executive Director, Kelowna Community Music School; Vice President, BC Association of Community Music Schools. Musician, teacher, wife and mother .
