Trebas Institute is proud to announce that students and faculty are taking part in the launch of MapleStream, an online platform dedicated to supporting young artists and promoting fair pay for musicians.

The platform, a new streaming only service for Canadian music, is based on two unique value propositions; showcasing distinctly Canadian content, and promoting fair monetization for musicians.

Leading the development of MapleStream is Rick Levine, Professor in the Entertainment Management Programme at Trebas, and founder of ICEBOX Music. Rick established ICEBOX in 2000 to manage the acoustic guitar duo, Fridge Magnets. Since then, the platform has grown to publishing and producing music as well as live events, classes and seminars.

Through Icebox, Rick developed, promoted and marketed an exclusive collection of Canadian indie artists. “ICEBOX has been teaching valuable music business skill for over 10 years, creating jobs, adding important value to the cultural industries and creating entrepreneurial opportunities in the music industry,” he said.

“When we started featuring Canadian artists, we knew we would get a response, but we couldn’t predict the overwhelming feedback and support. Then I realized that some of these great talents would never receive visibility. Today, I am in the process of creating a uniquely Canadian music streaming platform to ensure indie artists are recognized and fairly monetized.”

Working alongside Rick and his son Noah on these projects are William Noseworthy and Abdoulaye Tandia, who are currently graduating at Trebas. Will and Abdou first got involved with MapleStream in March 2021 through an internship, an opportunity for them to gain precious first-hand experience despite the difficulties the music industry has seen throughout the pandemic.

William said: “My background started with live music. I always found myself gravitating toward support roles and this led to my desire to expand my business knowledge and expertise at Trebas, with the vision to one day operate an artist and label services business. This led to me to working with Rick and ICEBOX first as a Social Media intern and now as member of a team with the same understanding of the struggles of independent artists and wants to do something about it.”

With a background in business, Abdou joined the Entertainment management program. “Music was always a passion of mine, and I always wanted to know how I could contribute. I figured the best way was to enrol with a school that would give me the tools to work in the music industry while working with people who had a vested interest in the music business. Trebas offered all those things in a city with lot of musicians but not enough people support the business of music.”

Internship opportunities are part of the support that Trebas offers to its students, alongside a variety of services aimed at helping them to succeed during and after their studies. Working with ICEBOX, Abdou and Will had the opportunity to apply the skills learned in the classroom in a real business environment, gaining experience they will be able to bring to their own future projects.

MapleStream is due to launch on July 21st. The team has been working to develop the platform and is now aiming to support its growth with crowdfunding initiatives, looking to promote Canadian musicians beyond the country’s borders.

“Will and Abdou gave a great contribution to this project as they, like me, believe in supporting independent artists. The quality of their work is a testament to Trebas’ teaching and industry connection, as well as its inclusivity and diversity. I am excited to see what they will be able to achieve in their professional career,” added Rick Levine.

For more information visit https://www.trebas.com/