A Calgary concert series is reshaping the city’s live music experience. The Rocky Mountain Listening Room connects emerging recording artists with seasoned mentors to perform on stage and also take part in songwriting workshops that look at all aspects of the industry, including marketing and social media. “We have 14 spots, we call them ‘spotlight artists’ that perform one set with an established artist,” said Nancy Laberge, Rocky Mountain Listening Room vice president and artistic director. “The goal is to get these spotlight artists to the next level and to build a music community, so we have this beautiful audience that supports the artists and we have hardworking volunteer artists in the background supporting this project.” While the organization has roots in Calgary dating back 50 years, it took on this new form in 2025. Many of the learning sessions are done in front of a live audience where people not only come to listen to the music but also to learn about the artists, because they appreciate the effort it takes to become a successful recording artist. “It’s really important that the spotlight artists also learn how to banter back and forth, because their job is to entertain and showcase their art, and do that in a really cool, meaningful way,” said Laberge. “So (a live performance) is not just like listening to a CD.” Laberge says audience members along with volunteers and sponsors are making the project a success. “At the end of the year we select a spotlight artist to get a career building package,” she said. “An example is Home Routes gave a three-week tour, Long and McQuade donated money, OCL Studios has given 16 hours of recording time, and we help the artists with their electronic press kit and they get professional videos.” Jason Andrew Griffith is the first winner, taking home the prize package in May 2026. He says it’s a validation of what he’s trying to do with his musical career. “I got a chance to play the Canmore Folk Festival this year,” he said. “I’m at that stage where I’m ready to bust out of Calgary and try and get across the province and maybe even look towards other parts of the country at the same time as putting out new music and pushing that more to a little bit of radio play.” Griffith says he learned a lot in the year-long mentorship program. “The music is the fun part,” he said. “All this other stuff is like the work that you have to do to enable it, you have to somehow convince people to have a listen and be part of what you’re doing – but when it when it works, it’s very rewarding.” Eden Taylor won a spot as one of this season’s spotlight artists and says she is excited to learn as much as she can from experienced artists. Taylor says she knew she wanted to pursue a musical career from an early age. “My parents encouraged me to really just go out there into the scene and learn that way, just perform everywhere that I could,” she said. Her goal is to play at every venue she can in Calgary and then venture out to the rest of the country and even south of the border. “I didn’t realize a few years ago when I was just starting to do this, how lucky I am to be Canadian,” she said. “And how lucky I am to have all these resources and to be able to perform everywhere and to have all these different tools and assets that didn’t even realize I wouldn’t have if I wasn’t Canadian.” Leanne Lightfoot is the president of the listening room and jokingly describes herself as being an emerging artist for the past 20 years. She says she wishes there was a program like this she could have taken to help her career. “Life is full of ups and downs,” she said. “But if you are lucky enough to be part of this community, it’s got its arms wide open to you, so please come if you’re out there struggling and if you can be part of this community, it is just such an amazing feeling to be supported in that way.”
