Describe your background and industry experience, and explain how it will help you contribute to the SOCAN Board of Directors?
Described as “one of the most compelling acts Canada has to offer” (Time magazine), Sarah Slean is a three-time JUNO and two-time Gemini-nominated songwriter, composer, and performer, with 25 years of broad experience in music. Signed to Atlantic/Warner at just 19 years old, she has since released 11 albums in more than 10 countries worldwide, and has toured Europe, the U.S., and Scandinavia, opening for such artists as Rufus Wainwright, Alanis Morissette, Andrew Bird, Feist, Ariane Moffatt, Ron Sexsmith, and Bryan Ferry – including a featured performance at the TED Global Conference in Edinburgh.
I bring the perspective of a songwriter, composer, performer and multi-faceted independent artist, who has also experienced a decade of navigating the business as a self-managed, self-published, master-rights owner. I work and enjoy fruitful connections across genres and disciplines – the works I have registered with SOCAN include songs, co-writes, screen cues, classical compositions, dance commissions, TV synchs, and music for the stage. I believe that uniting these communities will be absolutely essential to securing the viability of the arts in Canada. SOCAN should be the symbol of this unity. Aside from my lifelong experience as a creative artist, I have served as a Board member (SOCAN, FACTOR, MROC), mentor, teacher (York, U of T) to many younger artists. These roles have made me eager to give back and contribute to the sustainability of Canadian culture by serving at SOCAN.
In your opinion, what issues will be most important to SOCAN members over the next three years?
I think the most crucial issue facing SOCAN members is the protection and modernization of copyright legislation to meet our current technological landscape and the tidal wave of AI that is arriving. As a recording artist who started a career in the late ’90s, I have witnessed, in real time, the staggering impact of the digital revolution – how it opened up new opportunities, but also massively eroded intellectual property rights, and the traceability of royalty streams generated by those rights. As a screen and stage composer, I see the same issues playing out in that environment. Composers are often asked to give away their writer’s share to production companies in what amounts to a “race to the bottom” for creators. In an increasingly complex digital space, metadata and traceable registration systems will become even more crucial than ever before. As an artist who was able to build a sustainable living from my own intellectual property, I am passionate about ensuring that future generations of Canadian artists can do the same.