Ottawa’s music scene is moving off the stage and onto the phone lines. A new contest titled #OttMusik is bringing local music and customer service together.
In December of last year, the City of Ottawa invited local artists to submit a 20-second clip of one their songs to the city. If selected, the artists’ song will take the place of the city’s current hold music.
When people call the city and are put on hold, songs from local musicians will play over the airwaves instead of outdated elevator music.
“It’s such a big opportunity. It’s for all musicians of all genres in all experience levels,” says Caleb Abbott, project lead and program co-ordinator with Community Arts and Social Engagement in Ottawa.
Initially hoping for around 30 submissions, the committee was pleasantly surprised when 217 artists sent in songs over the five-week application timeline, says Abbott.
The contest is currently in its second phase: the public engagement portion.
The city’s webpage currently showcases the applicants where the public is able to read about the artists and listen to their music.
A committee of three to five judges from the music industry will select the 20 to 25 finalists from the list later this March.
One of these applicants is local artist Lynne Hanson. Currently on tour in Western Canada, Hanson describes her sound as “porch music with a little red dirt.”
Although Hanson says she doesn’t normally enter competitions, this one caught her eye.
Ottawa-based band Those Gulls also hopes its music will be selected.
Singer and guitarist Andrew Grosvenor says the contest is a great way to highlight the city’s flourishing local talent.
“I don’t think the music in Ottawa has ever been more varied, more interesting, and more fresh,” says Grosvenor.
The goal is to have the phone lines up and running this upcoming spring, says Abbott.
“It’s a 50/50 experience. Half of it is for the musicians and half is for the public on hold.”