

Dylan Willows
Foundation for Music
Nov 15 - 16, 2025
Fort Tectoria (777 Fort Street) Victoria BC
Our first event, The Music Lab, is designed to provide emerging artists with an intimate, hands-on music creation experience and career-focused mentorship. Attendees will spend time with leading industry producers to explore the fundamentals of music production, including programming, multitracking, and workflow techniques. With sessions led by professionals in artist management, grant writing, marketing, and distribution, this weekend will provide a comprehensive roadmap to success, covering the essential dos and don’ts of navigating the modern music industry.
Two days. Tons of music pros. Real talk about what it actually takes to make it in the industry.
Come hang out, learn, and get inspired with panels, workshops, and hands-on sessions covering everything from planning your next release and landing on playlists to live performance skills, social media, and music production.
Who’s it for?
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Musicians just starting out
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Artists ready to take the next step in their careers
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Songwriters and performers looking for new skills and connections
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Anyone who wants the inside scoop on building their toolkit for success in the music industry
If you’re serious about your music (and want to meet people who are too), this weekend is for you.
Applications now closed - Thank you!

Meet the Facilitators

Deadmen
Matt Peters and Matt Schellenberg
The production duo began their partnership as members of longtime Winnipeg indie-pop band Royal Canoe. After a series of writing trips they relocated to Los Angeles where they have produced and written with artists like Ashleigh Ball, Dan Mangan, Eaj park (day 6) Molly Burch, Ian Sweet, Mouraine and Begonia (including her Juno and Polaris nominated albums, Fear and Powder Blue). As composers, they’ve scored tv series for CBC and HBO/Crave, as well as NPR’s This American Life. They are the recipients of several Western Canadian Music Awards and are four-time losers at the Juno Awards.

Steve Bays
Steve is a singer, songwriter, producer known for his memorable hooks and electrifying stage presence. As the frontman of 'Hot Hot Heat,' he was at the forefront of the 2000s indie-rock explosion, touring globally and cementing his status as a defining voice in modern rock. Also a four-time Juno Award nominee, Bays is a seasoned producer, engineer, co-writer, videographer and director. Along with his big hair and eccentric taste, Bays is a mad scientist of sorts, with a lengthy resume that bridges the past and future of alternative music. Recently also stepping into his own spotlight, Bays has launched a new solo chapter of his music career, channeling his restless creativity—melding punchy, hi-fi indie pop with raw, unfiltered energy. Whether he's jumping between high energy live shows, filming an impromptu video shoot, or conducting an all day and night long studio session, Bays is the kind of artist who tends to feel the most at home when he's wandering ahead, chasing the feeling of something yet to be named.

Nick Middleton
Nick Middleton is a global touring artist turned entrepreneur. As one of Canada’s leading talent buyers, he has booked debut market performances for icons like Lorde, Iggy Pop, and Charli XCX, while shaping the vision behind Midnight’s growing roster. A JUNO-winning producer and engineer, Nick’s career includes remixes for U2 and Imagine Dragons and performances on legendary stages from Coachella to Red Rocks. As CEO of both Midnight Agency and Westwood Recordings, he brings together creative insight and business leadership to champion independent artists on the world stage.

Colleen Dauncey
Colleen is a composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, who bridges the worlds of musical theatre and contemporary pop music genres. She has written the scores for acclaimed musicals including Vinyl Cafe: The Musical, The Louder We Get, and Grow, with productions staged across North America and the UK. Her work in pop and commercial music has been featured in television, film, podcasts, and web series. A dynamic live performer, Colleen has built a loyal global fanbase on Twitch.tv, where she shares original music and live-looping performances weekly. She has earned the status of Twitch Partner and was a featured performer at TwitchCon San Diego.

Piers Henwood
Since co-founding Amelia Artists in 2002, Piers has co-managed the careers of past and present clients including Tegan and Sara, Bedouin Soundclash, Luca Fogale, The Librarian, Buck 65, and The Funk Hunters. In collaboration with his artists and label partners, Piers’ work has resulted in over 1.5 million albums sold in the pre-streaming era, hundreds of millions of track streams, seven Gold certifications, twelve JUNO Award nominations with four wins, a Grammy nomination, an Academy Awards nomination, and a New York Times Best Seller. In 2018 he co-founded Amelia Recordings, an early stage record label with a mission to help a new generation of artists develop creative and career momentum. Piers originally comes from a musician background himself – as a founding member of the band Jets Overhead, he performed at major festivals including Coachella and Bonnaroo, toured throughout the world, and was nominated for a JUNO Award. As a believer in lifelong creativity, Piers continues to write and record with experimental electronic project Astrocolor, who won Instrumental Artist of the Year at the 2022 Western Canadian Music Awards.

Savannah Wellman
Savannah’s experiences in the music industry have seen her on both sides of the curtain. Her journey has included a degree in music, followed by years of performing and touring in various bands, and continued at Music BC as program manager for artist development initiatives for over 8 years. Along with co-founder Meagan Davidson, Savannah launched Tiny Kingdom in 2017 as an artist management and services company, representing clients including Skye Wallace, Haley Blais, Teon Gibbs and Jasper Sloan Yip. Their expansion into a label in 2020 saw Tiny Kingdom added to a very short list of female-owned labels in Canada, and their passion for supporting other women and gender minorities lead them to spearhead the Women In Music - BC chapter. Savannah's musical and industry knowledge has been called upon as a panelist, consultant, juror, and as Chair for the MMF (Music Managers Forum Canada) and Board member of Women in Music Canada.
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Lindsay MacPherson
Lindsay is the Executive Director of Music BC, a nonprofit organization championing the growth of British Columbia’s music industry through advocacy, export, and career development. Under her leadership, she has secured long-term funding for the B.C. music ecosystem through Amplify BC, launched the ARC artist accelerator program focused on mental wellness and sustainable career growth, and helped hundreds of artists reach new audiences on festival stages worldwide. She is a board member of the Western Canadian Music Alliance (BreakOut West), FACTOR (the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings) and the Vancouver Music Task Force. In 2025, she served on the Vancouver JUNO Host Committee supporting Industry Relations, and produced JUNOfest - presenting over 100 multi-genre performers from across the country at independent venues throughout the city.
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Pheonix Bain
Phoenix Bain is a communications and marketing professional who got her start working in college radio at CFUV 101.9 FM in 2010. She began working as a local promoter and talent buyer in Victoria in 2014 for different arts organizations and festivals and co-founded the multimedia festival Pretty Good Not Bad in 2016. In 2017, she joined the team at DoBC Media as a social strategist and content creator, and in 2018, she founded her own production company, VILA Presents, producing multimedia events highlighting local and international talent. In 2021, she joined Definitely Real Agency as a full-time digital lead overseeing marketing strategy execution for brands and artists. With her passion for music always front and centre, she has continued to grow her skills over the years in the content creation, social strategy, and ad campaigns for artists, music festivals, and venues.

Bryan Capistrano
Bryan has 20 years of experience in the communications field. 18 of those years were spent in broadcast radio and 12 of THOSE years were spent in music programming. Bryan was the Music Director/Assistant Program Director of The Zone @ 91-3. During his tenure, he worked directly artists, managers, label reps, and radio trackers while curating the station's playlist. Together with Dylan, he oversaw the re-launch and re-shaping of The Zone's Band of the Month Program.

Stephen Franke
Stephen is a Victoria, BC–based talent manager and co-founder of Blue Heron Music, an artist management company known for its artist-first approach. Since 2005, he has produced and managed acts and helped musicians secure major placements and partnerships with brands like Volkswagen, Google, Netflix, and HBO (including over 200 syncs) while supporting careers that now generate over 500 million annual streams. Active in the Canadian music industry, Stephen is recognized for his expertise in artist development and market strategy. He also co-produces one of Victoria’s most successful music events, The Phillips Backyard Festival Series, which highlights an incredibly global and diverse music culture. Stephen was a close friend and colleague to Dylan Willows for 15 years, owning music venues together, working on festivals and pushing local Victoria talent to a national and international level.

Morgan Brooker
Morgan Brooker has been a cornerstone of the Victoria music scene for over 20 years, helping shape the careers of acclaimed artists such as Jon and Roy, Current Swell, Jesse Roper, Ocie Elliott, and many others. He is also the co-producer of the revitalized Phillips Backyard Music Series, a celebrated event that brings world-class talent to the heart of Victoria. A true champion of live music, Morgan’s passion has taken him around the globe in pursuit of unforgettable performances by some of his favourite artists.

Brandon Fletcher
Brandon William Fletcher, Production Lead at Definitely Real Agency, is a filmmaker, photographer and graphic artist whose images and work have been commissioned by a wide range of clients including M83, Manila Grey, James Reid, Curtis Waters, Warner Music Group, Universal Music, and Blonde Diamond. Nominated for “Excellence in Visual Design” at the 2025 WCMAs (Western Canadian Music Awards), he made the Long List for the 2021 Prism Prize for "Best Music Video of the Year” and was also nominated for “Video Director of the Year” at the 2017 WCMAs. Fletcher sat on the Board of Directors for Music BC as well as on numerous award jury panels, has organized and presented at events, and is active across collaborations; agencies, freelance special projects, and personal projects.

Terry McBride
Terry McBride is the co-founder and CEO of Nettwerk Music Group, one of Canada’s most influential independent music companies. Now in its 40th year, Nettwerk is committed to nurturing a diverse roster of artists by fostering fan-connected communities, helping musicians build sustainable and long-term careers. Beyond music, McBride co-founded the groundbreaking Lilith Fair tour, raising over $10 million for women’s charities. In 2004, he expanded into wellness with the launch of YYoga, a chain of yoga studios in Canada. Renowned for his forward-thinking approach to digital music distribution and artist empowerment, McBride has received numerous accolades, including the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award and multiple Pollstar Manager of the Year honors. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for A2IM (the American Association of Independent Music), a not-for-profit trade organization representing over 600 independent record labels.
And more to come...
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