Featured Organization - Junior Music Management

Junior Music Management is a management services company based out of Treaty 1 Territory in Winnipeg, Mb. and founded by myself, Jacques Richer. I work with a full time management roster, with artists like WCMA nominated roots rocker Andrina Turenne, and Juno nominated troubadour Del Barber, as well as offering consultation and grant writing services to artists and music companies. With experience as both an artist and industry, I help artists and companies define their version of success by taking an artist centered approach and provided them with the tools and building strategies to attain their goals. I am fully bilingual and are proud to be able to work with artists and companies from across Canada in both French and English.

Follow Junior Music Management on Instagram.

What is success for your organization in the coming year?

Success for Junior Music in the next year mostly comes down to being able to continue working with incredibly talented artists and companies. 2023 was an incredibly busy year, and I was able to work with three artists who put out fantastic albums in the spring, so I am looking to build on those successes and continue to build momentum. I'm also looking into providing more strategic consultations to empower artists in navigating the music industry. A huge goal of mine is also to actively contribute to the advancement of Western Canadian artists by exploring more cool opportunities and sustainability, helping emerging artists develop their craft, and growing the company to a point where I can bring on staff.

What are you currently excited about in the music industry?

I think there are a lot of things to be excited about in the music industry. Tools like Zoom, Google Meet (or your video chat tool of choice) have made the music scene feel tighter than ever. While it doesn't capture the magic of in-person meetings, it's fantastic for maintaining and growing relationships, especially following events like Breakout West. I'm also happy to be witness to a growing focus on meaningful discussions about equity, and other crucial issues that demand attention. To me, it seems like steps in the right direction.

What is the greatest challenge you face currently, and how can other industry and artists partners help?

A couple of big challenges that come to mind are keeping things sustainable, in terms of finances and the environmental impact of the industry. Finding new and creative ways to tour, and diversify as artists so they can spend more time focusing on their art, and authentic connections with their fans are important. Another thought is that navigating the digital world can be tricky. It's a juggling act to adapt to constantly creating content, without feeling like you're compromising your artistic vision. I believe the industry can help by brainstorming/discussing, and advocating for financial outlines that work for artists and industry in the digital age, as well as engaging fans in meaningful ways online and in person. Balance is the key to everything!

Can you give a shout out to an artist or industry member who is also doing great things?

There are so many fantastic folks working in the music industry today, obviously I'm always excited about the artists I have the privilege of working with, (Andrina Turenne, Nameless Friends, Del Barber) but also want to shout out Misfit Management, a company and group of lovely folks who I admire and are always up to something cool, Birthday Cake, who are rockstars in Canadian music, always being generous with their time and energy, and the lovely team at Manitoba Music. There are honestly so many people, companies, and orgs I'd like to shout out, so I'll leave it at; I think we have a pretty great community of artists and industry in Canada, and I'm proud to be a part of it.