Since our founding as Canada’s first public and educational broadcaster in 1927, CKUA has offered musical variety and thoughtful, professional programming. Part broadcaster and part arts and culture institution, the heart and soul of CKUA are the 126 hours of new, diverse, and vibrant music programs we present each week. CKUA’s music, arts, and culture programming creates a sense of place for our audience while highlighting the variety and health of the Albertan cultural ecosystem.
We have two vibrant broadcast studios, one in the historic Alberta Hotel on Jasper Avenue in Edmonton, and one in Calgary’s East Village, near the National Music Centre. Our library holds more than a million sound recordings and is both a storied archive and a contemporary, digitized resource for hosts choosing music.
Do you have a passion for telling the story behind the music? A creative approach to storytelling? Connected to the community and want to enthusiastically share what’s coming up in the Alberta music scene?
CKUA is seeking submissions in the following areas of programming:
Global: We’re interested in music that bridges cultural and geographical boundaries while also featuring local artists who bring international influences into their work. Your role will be to highlight these global sounds, all while showcasing artists who bring a fresh, international perspective to their music.
Modern/Nu Jazz: We’re looking for submissions that explore the innovative edges of jazz, presenting a modern take on this genre that incorporates diverse influences. Your submissions should aim to capture the essence of how these new jazz styles are reshaping the genre. Think of artists like BADBADNOTGOOD, Nala Sinephro, Nubya Garcia, and Good Information.
Hip-Hop/R&B: We’re seeking submissions that highlight the vibrancy and evolution of these genres, focusing on local artists who are pushing boundaries and creating new trends within Hip-Hop and R&B. Share the stories and sounds that define this dynamic scene in Alberta. Think of artists like Aquakultre, Moka Only, and Sargeant X Comrade.
Indigenous-focused: We are looking for a creator who can authentically represent and share the rich musical traditions and contemporary expressions of Indigenous, Inuit, and Métis artists. Your submissions should reflect a deep connection to Indigenous communities and showcase the diversity of their music, arts, and cultural narratives.
Folk/Country: Your submissions should spotlight Canadian voices in the folk and country genres that are pushing the envelope and bringing fresh perspectives to these traditional styles. Focus on how these artists are redefining the genre and contributing to its evolution within the Canadian music scene. Think of artists like Julianna Riolino, The Weather Station, and Jon McKiel.
Considerations:
- Who is the audience?
- Can you clearly articulate who this show is for and why they want or need this show in their life?
- What is the context for the music?
- What do we learn from your presentation? How do you make us feel engaged with what we were hearing? How do you communicate your interest in the music that you’re playing?
- Is your submission community minded?
- CKUA is a community hub; will you be engaged with our listeners? Are you enthusiastic about participating in fundraisers, and cross promoting what’s on the air?
What we’ll need from you:
- A brief bio
- A short explanation of why you’d like to bring your love of music to CKUA
- A link to your demo program (You can use Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, WeTransfer, Box or your prefered file-transfer solution.)
- Once you’ve got all those pieces together, visit bit.ly/ckuademo to send us your submission.
How to make a great demo:
- We’re most interested in your music mix and in your presentation, rather than your technical skill.
- There are dozens (hundreds?) of ways to record a demo radio program. If you don’t have access to a studio, here’s one example of how to create one using the free audio editing program REAPER. Using REAPER for Radio and Podcasting
Ideally, we’d like to hear a 30- to 60-minute demo including your voice and music, with three-song sets with talk breaks of no more than two minutes.
We’d like to hear how you assemble a set of tunes: How well do the pieces go together? Do the transitions underscore interesting similarities or artfully highlight contrasts? How do you employ changes of tone, timbre, tempo or style?
Please have fun, and don’t be shy. We all started somewhere!
We’re looking forward to hearing from you.
Submission Deadline: September 17
Use the Send it Now button to send us your submission:
Send it Now
