Scholarship Program

The last thing we want is for financial hardship to stand in the way of your participation in this program. For this reason, we ​are offering sliding scale scholarships, up to a total scholarships budget of $3,000. If you would like to claim a scholarship ​amount, please fill out the scholarship section of your application form.

Applications are now closed.

Creators Connect: Webinar & Hangout

Join Hurry Hard Music CEO, Nich Davies, in an open ​forum hangout exclusively for music and media ​creators.

Discuss anything on your mind, share your creative ​ideas, and connect/network with like-minded creatives.

Guest mentors and presenters to be announced!

session #1

Wednesday, August 14, 2024 • 2:00 - 2:45pm

Time zone: MDT - North America/Edmonton (UTC-6)

session #2

Tuesday, August 27 • 6:00 - 6:45pm

Time zone: MDT - North America/Edmonton (UTC-6)

session #3

Thursday, September 5 • 12:00 - 12:45pm

Time zone: MDT - North America/Edmonton (UTC-6)

Meet the Team

Nich Davies

Program Director

Nich Davies is a Canadian record producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer and creative entrepreneur.

Since 2011 Nich has worked with bands including VISSIA, The Consonance, Revenge of the Trees, Jo-Jo O’ & the Woods and Two Bears North, taking ​him on tours of Canada, United States and Europe. He has become an in-demand live and session drummer having performed with artists such as ​Mick Flannery & Susan O’Neil, Mariel Buckley, Joe Nolan, Paul Cournoyer, and John Stowell.

Nich was put on the map as an internationally recognized record producer with the release of VISSIA’s ‘With Pleasure’ in April 2021. With Pleasure ​received broad international praise including several 8/10 reviews by the likes of Exclaim! (Canada), Maverick Magazine (UK) and NEXT Magazine ​(Canada). Speaking about With Pleasure UK’s Culture Fly said “we’re hooked”, Canada’s Eat North called it “truly unique”, UK’s Noctis "insightful and ​refreshing”, USA’s Great Dark Wonder described it as “phenomenal”, and Indie-Music said it’s “near perfect”.

Nich is co-founder, President and A&R of Canadian boutique music company Hurry Hard Music; responsible for the career of international recording ​artist VISSIA, and is developing several artist development centric ventures including songplode, International Artist Habitat and Neon Moon Records.

Nich has active relationships with several Canadian funding bodies including FACTOR, AFA, Canada Council for the Arts and Alberta Media Fund. ​Hurry Hard is affiliated with CIMA, CMI, MMF, SOCAN, SOCAN RR, Connect Music Licensing, FUGA, AMPED and Alberta Music.

Peter Zawalski

Artist Relations

@wasnaught

Jessica Marsh

Partnerships & Industry ​Relations

@neonmoonrecords

Peter Zawalski is a Canadian music producer who works under the moniker “wasnaught”. Peter’s primary work is the global music collaboration ​initiative, International Artist Habitat (IAH), which he began developing in 2022. IAH focuses on in-person music I.P. (intellectual property) creation ​(making full-production audio recordings), bringing together artists from around the world.

On February 13th 2023, Peter led a group of 9 artists from Finland, Estonia, Mexico, and Canada to Guadalajara for the IAH summit program, writing ​and recording 15 songs of varying genres over the course of two weeks. The summit also introduced participants to the region’s culture through ​cultural music activities including workshops in pre-hispanic music, son Jarocho music, and lessons in choir music from the Jalisco region.

International Artist Habitat had its second Creation Summit program in Bali, Indonesia in November 2023 with international artists from across ​Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia, including collaborations with members of Gamelan Semara Ratih (Balinese Gamelan Orchestra).

Alongside his work with IAH, Peter is a thriving music producer operating out of Sound Proof Studios working with artists from across Canada, India, ​and central Europe.

Recording his first album at age 14 (Sirens - Here Lies Elizabeth), touring western Canada at age 18 with his Progressive Metal band Of Articulate ​Design, and producing 4 albums for local bands Protosequence, Morewine, & Chef, Peter matured into a creative musician and producer with a vision ​to leave his mark on the Alberta, Canadian and International music scenes. At age 22 he started his attendance at MacEwan University where he met ​the collaborators for his Math-Jazz band, Red Litmus. Red Litmus’ debut album Instinct charted #1 in the jazz and electronic music categories on ​CJSR for 3 consecutive months in 2017. During his time at MacEwan, Peter had the privilege to study privately and complete a directed project on ​20th century spectral composer Oliver Messiaen with Dr. William Richards, Dean of Music. Peter spent his 4th year under the mentorship of ​MacEwan’s composition head, Kent Sangster, where Peter directed the MacEwan Jazz combo, arranging 90 minutes of original 9 piece ensemble ​music for the group. Peter has studied privately with renowned musicians Gilad Hekslaman (NY), Rubin De-Toledo, Ryan Davidson, John Stowell ​(NY), and Mo Lefebvre.

A driving force behind Neon Moon Records, Jessica Marsh has dedicated her career to developing artists and building sustainable music careers. ​With over a decade of comprehensive industry experience, Jessica initially showcased her expertise as an artist manager (JAM Mgmt), guiding ​talents from humble songwriting stages to international touring acts. Her current focus lies in extending her support to a burgeoning roster of artists ​under Neon Moon Records.

Her impactful efforts with JAM Mgmt led to a nomination for "Impact in Artist Development" at the 2019 Western Canadian Music Industry Awards. ​She's completed professional development initiatives, including Canada's Music Incubator Artist Management Program (2018), the PASSPORT: Music ​Export Summit (2019), and the PHOENIX Music Executive Development Program (2021).

As a distinguished alumnus of MacEwan University, where she completed both the Music Program and Arts & Cultural Management Program, Jessica ​seamlessly transitioned into her current role as a sessional instructor. Here, she imparts invaluable insights through the Managing in the Music ​Industry course. Beyond the classroom, she is a highly sought-after mentor, offering crucial guidance to numerous artists navigating their unique ​paths—a commitment she steadfastly upholds through her endeavours at Neon Moon Records.

AFFILIATIONS: Music Managers Forum, Alberta Music Industry Association, Cultural Human Resource Council, Canadian Independent Music ​Association.

VISSIA (Viss)

Content & Media Creation

@vissia_3

Edmonton’s multi-faceted vocal powerhouse – VISSIA – has been carving out a niche in the pop world with her fearless sophomore album, With ​Pleasure. Hailed as a triumph of pop songwriting, it landed at No. 7 on CKUA’s 2021 Top 100 and has earned her high-profile appearances at c/o Pop ​in Cologne and the UK’s Great Escape Festival, further solidifying VISSIA’s reputation as an unmissable artist to watch. From R&B, soul, pop, and with ​a subtle tinge of her folk roots hidden in the details, With Pleasure sees VISSIA set her sights on exploration as she captures the essence of everyday ​life and turns it into gold. With infectious tracks like “On My Mind” and the haunting “About Moving On,” VISSIA has proven herself to be a versatile ​and gifted artist with an undeniable presence. As VISSIA’s star continues to rise, she remains dedicated to expansion, passion, and her craft on her ​forthcoming album, Surfacing.

Fresh out of MacEwan’s music program, VISSIA dove headfirst into graphic design and content creation in 2011, armed with a bootleg version of ​Photoshop and a desire to craft a professional website on a tight student budget.

Fast forward a decade, and Viss has grown into a truly multi-disciplinary artist, extending her artistic vision into visual creative from photography to ​album artwork to video production, including her self- produced, written and edited Telus STORYHIVE series, Dirt City Songbook (2023), where she ​interviews and spotlights seven emerging Edmonton artists; and her live album and tour film, Live, With Pleasure (2024).

With a story-oriented approach and natural eye for design, Viss has illustrated and designed for both digital and analogue applications for a wide ​range of clients, from indie recording artists to inspiring non-profits.

VISSIA is co-founder and board member of boutique music company, Hurry Hard Music, head of design across all of Hurry Hard’s brands including ​International Artist Habitat and Neon Moon Records.

Keshia Bundred

Events & Experiences

@massivenights

Keshia Bundred is a multiple hat wearing communications professional. She graduated from MacEwan University with a diploma in Arts and Cultural ​Management, and returned to earn a degree in Communications with a major in journalism. She currently inhabits a hobbit home deep in the woods of ​New Brunswick, although she will always consider the prairies her home.

Keshia has been involved in the music industry for over a decade, mostly working with individual bands or artists. She has also worked/volunteered ​for Alberta Music, The Jubilee Auditoria Society, EFMF, CKUA, etc.

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Working alongside Neon Moon Records, Keshia is the oil that keeps the gears moving. She manages the operations, bridges communication, and aids ​in the success of artists.

© 2024 Hurry hard Music Ltd. | Contact: Team@HurryHardMusic.com