There is nothing sweeter than the gut wrenching, soul shaking sound of Toronto’s female artists. In fact the only thing that IS sweeter is seeing them, hearing them and feeling them all on one night, at this years Honey Jam taking place Sunday, August 16th at the Mod Club.
 

For the past 15 years, President of Phem Phat Productions and producer of Honey Jam, Ebonnie Rowe has reinforced the importance of providing a platform that was specific to women in the music industry. “We wanted to remove the pressure of the ‘casting couch’ that women in the music industry regularly face”, says Rowe a long time advocate of fostering the growth, education and promotion of women in all aspects of the urban entertainment scene.  This all female showcase has been a launching pad for artists such as Jully Black, Nelly Furtado and Michie Mee and has provided many oppurtunities for professional development and networking for anyone involved in the event, myself included.  

Honey Jam kickstarted auditions in June, with the support of celebrity judges such as Esthero and my favorite T.dot producer, Rich Kidd.  Those that made it through and will be performing next month were revealed at the official launch last week at the Roots Store on Bloor.

This past weekend, the showcase stayed true to their commitment of supporting up and coming females in the music industry by hosting the annual Honey Jam Artist Seminar at the gorgeous (and very purple) Harris Institute of the Arts.  The seminar was jam packed with useful information for these artists on how to manage their careers, garner publicity, improve stage presence and strengthen their singing skills.  The session also gave them insight from Honey Jam veteran Jully Black, who reinforced the hardship and struggles of making it, at the same time proving that persistence and faith were the corner-stones to her success.  Highlights for me were definitely hearing Jully speak about her experiences, getting insights from leading music marketing strategists and the tearful conclusion to the day with vocal coach Micah Barnes.

Honey Jam needs your support!  Visit www.phemphat.ca for information on how to donate, volunteer  and attend the event.  Raffles tickets are also being sold with proceeds going towards keeping the Honey Jam legacy alive.