Tom Shenher is a student intern for Bent River Records. He is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer from Edmonton. Tom began writing songs as a young teenager on his guitar, before learning bass, piano, synthesizer, and how to use his voice. Tom has been described as an ‘EDM Singer-Songwriter’ due to his tendency to combine folk-style writing with modern rock production. Through his internship with Bent River, Tom hopes to deepen his understanding of record labels, and the music industry. In Tom’s free time he enjoys biking, and watching old movies.

INTRODUCING: Catch the Current – A Bent River Records Podcast! “Catch-up” with the label’s artists, dive into their latest projects, and explore the stories behind the music with our debut episode featuring 2025 JUNO-nominated guest artist Brianna Lizotte!

First episode streaming now on the Podbean website: LISTEN HERE

Hosted by: Will Drake
Produced and edited by: Leili Rastad
Audio engineered by: Leili Rastad and Xavier Svekla
Themes composed by: Jussi Pitkanen

These two competitions will run simultaneously — a “Mixing Competition” and “Songwriting Competition” 

The winners of each competition will receive a $750 honorarium (only one prize per winning entry and competition), and then will be paired together to fully produce and finish the winning song. Studio time will be granted for additional recording and production requirements.

By entering this competition, you are agreeing to the following TERMS & CONDITIONS: 

To work with another student or group of students to finalize the winning song. This process may continue into the summer months. Bent River Records (BRR) also reserves the right to publish, produce, re-produce, and distribute the finished audio in perpetuity, throughout the world. The author will retain all intellectual property.

Bent River Records (BRR) reserves the right to select performers for the winning pieces. 

Adjudication will be done by a panel of jurors selected by BRR, and will contain members of the department of music and representatives of BRR. The anonymity of entrants will be maintained; judges will not know the identity of the participants they are evaluating until after adjudication is complete.

Bent River Records values, promotes and prioritizes diversity, equity and inclusion in all of its work. We recognize the systemic barriers that have led to many artists being underrepresented and will continue to do work to amplify and uplift voices that reflect Edmonton’s diverse communities. We are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that represents diverse backgrounds.

Any questions regarding these competitions may be directed to John McMillan at mcmillanj0@macewan.ca

DEADLINE FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS: 12:00 pm MST on April 2, 2025

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Songwriting Competition Guidelines

Write a song designed to be the opening theme song for a television production. 

The competition will accept up to two submissions per participant or group.

Please use any television show as an inspiration and include a 150 word explanation on how the song fits with the show.

• Songwriters will write a song and create an audio demo that is representative of their vision for the song. 
• Songwriters are encouraged to work independently or in groups
• The song demo can be incomplete, but should be a minimum 30 seconds long, be an accurate representation of the overall song vision, and include at least two verses and one chorus.
• There are no limitations on instrumentation or musical style.
• The song will contain voice and lyrics; however, the songwriter(s) does not need to perform the vocal. Students should feel free to write for themselves but are also encouraged to explore writing for and collaborating with other performers.
• Songs will be judged based on the criteria provided below.

Song Submissions Should include:

• a lyric sheet
• audio file (mp3 or wav file) 
• rationale
• Naming Convention: BRR Songwriting Competition_Participant Name
• All submissions must be uploaded via this form.

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Mixing Competition Guidelines

• Please find pre-existing multitracks of a song on the submission form. Please use these files to create a mix of the piece. Participants may add new audio or remove unwanted audio, but this is not a requirement.
• Recording students will work independently on this, outside of their coursework (one submission per person).

 Mixing Submissions Should Be:

• Aim for approximately -18 to -20 RMS with no digital clipping
• wav files at 44.1 kHz and 16 bit
• Naming Convention: BRR Mixing Competition_Participant Name
• All submissions must be uploaded via this form.

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Evaluation of the Competitions

• Completed by a panel of two students, two faculty members, and one community member 
• The grading criteria is provided below:

Songwriting Criteria

• Quality of composition
• Uniqueness / creativity / originality
• 150 word explanation / fits well with proposed TV show 
• Fits well with lyrics
• Overall impressions
  

Mixing Criteria  

• Quality of mix (balance, sense of venue, etc.)
• Does the track sound properly mastered?
• Originality
• Do the deliverables adhere to the submission requirements? 
• Overall impressions

DEADLINE FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS: 12:00 pm MST on April 2, 2025

Riley Dickinson is excited to join the Bent River Records team as a student intern for Winter, 2025. They’re in their second year in MacEwan’s Arts & Cultural Management program, with a prior diploma in theater performance. They’re a local drag performer and musician under the name Robin Hearts, releasing a debut album in 2024 and then being a featured performer at the Edmonton Drag Festival that following Summer and playing gigs across Alberta and BC. They’re thrilled to pieces to be on the “other side of the table”, and can’t wait for the knowledge, connections, and experience working with Bent River is sure to bring.

Leili is in her third year of the Bachelor of Music program, specializing in Recording and Production, with vocals as her main instrument. Her musical journey began at age 10 when she started learning the violin, which eventually led to her high school diploma in Classical Violin Performance in Iran. Passionate about music production, Leili’s long-term goal is to establish her own recording label and studio. She is thrilled to be interning with Bent River Record Label and is eager to learn the inner workings of the industry, including Bent River’s unique approach to engaging with artists, planning events and shows, and publishing music. Recently, she’s become deeply interested in experimenting with synthesizers and exploring electronic music.

Jussi, an exchange student from Finland, is thrilled to be joining Bent River Records for the Winter term of 2025, a unique opportunity provided by MacEwan University that allows students to get hands-on experience in the music industry. He is in his third year of studies at the University of Metropolia in the Bachelor of Music Program, and with that experience, he is excited to find out what prospects this exchange and internship at BRR has to offer. Jussi is deeply deeply involved in the music he makes, and wants to ensure that the outcome be as exquisite as possible. With a passion for producing, writing music, and mixing, he looks forward to learn from the talented team and gain valuable experience.

Xavier Svekla is one of the student interns at Bent River Records for the 2025 Winter Semester. Xavier is a fourth-year student in MacEwan’s Bachelor of Music program, majoring in Recording and Production. He has been a performing musician for many years, and by joining Bent River Records, he hopes to learn more about the business side of the music industry. Xavier plans to use and further develop his skills in event planning, live sound, and artist management with the Bent River team. While music is Xavier’s biggest passion, he is also interested in learning languages and traveling the world.

Montuno West @ The Yardbird Suite
Friday, November 29, 2024
Doors open at 7:00 PM
Show starts at 8:00 PM

Montuno West featuring Israel “Toto” Berriel releases their new Bent River Records album, Raíces.

Montuno West boasts an exciting and infectious sound strongly influenced by jazz, Afro-Cuban folklore and other Latin styles. A true blend of tradition and modern approaches keeps the band’s sound fresh, evocative, and, most importantly, uplifting. In 2019, the group won the Calgary Music Award for World Recording of the Year. It was also nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award in the World category.

Montuno West is excited to be joined by special guest Israel “Toto” Berriel (Vancouver/Cuba). Berriel is a traditional Afro-Cuban percussionist, vocalist, and educator. He played with the world’s best-known Rumba group, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, for twelve years, where he mastered the Afro-Cuban repertoire. Toto is an exceptional performer and a naturally gifted vocalist with a distinctive sound. Although deeply rooted in Afro-Cuban traditions, he is also comfortable with jazz, soul, and funk. Originally from Matanzas, Cuba, Toto has toured worldwide and has made Canada his home since 2001.

Band members

Israel “Toto” Berriel, vocals and percussion
Chris Andrew, piano
Rubim de Toledo, bass
Raul Tabera, percussion
Luis Tovar, drums

Tickets will also be available at the door if not previously sold out online.