The Canadian music industry is a vibrant and diverse scene that has produced many successful artists and bands over the years. Canadian artists have achieved global success in a variety of genres, from pop and rock to hip-hop and electronic music.
Singer-Songwriter Danielle Allard is one of these success stories. With three studio albums she is a force to be reckoned with in the Canadian music industry. Additionally, she has gained an international audience as a music streamer with her combination of jazz, folk, pop, and blues.
Recently awarded the 2023 Capital Music Awards Solo Artist of the Year, Danielle is not only an amazing musician, but an entrepreneur in her own right. We spoke with Danielle about her love of music and her entrepreneurial spirit.
What inspired you to start your business?
I've been a musician for as long as I've been able to speak, essentially. I don't know if I really had a choice in building my business. Music is what I love, it's what I do, and I think the business aspect of it is just a necessity now.
How does music bring people together?
I always knew that music was so incredibly magic that it made it so that words weren't necessary. As an introvert, it was my first way of connecting with the world around me. It made it possible for me to reach out and speak in a way I hadn't been able to before. I think we all know that cliche that music transcends geography, culture, and language, but I didn't truly understand the magnitude of that until I started to stream my music online. Suddenly, we were connecting with people on every continent, from all different backgrounds, ethnicities, and languages and I found out that old saying was really true. Music helps us to process, grieve, laugh, and feel less alone. It is life.
How important is it to you to give back to the community?
Before we all had to "pivot" (I know...not that word) in 2020, I was mostly known in the community and charity circles in Ottawa. Music was a way I could give back to my community and I would typically donate around 30 performances a year to various local causes. I didn't realize that building a community online would become such an important part of my day-to-day life as it has these last 3 years. Creating a safe space online for my friends to shelter the storm that had become our lives became my focus and quickly, through Discord and Twitch, it became an integral part of my life. Now I'm streaming three days a week and hosting virtual game and movie nights for friends who can still be a part of a community from the comfort of home. This community has also made it possible to raise over $26,000 on our streams for various charities in these past three years. I'm truly grateful.
How do you balance your own art with being a teacher?
It's hard. I wish it wasn't so hard to be a musician or to be an artist. I am truly grateful for everyone who buys my music, books me for shows, or becomes a patron. I wouldn't be able to do what I do without them, so if you are reading this, please know how life changing it is when you support a local, independent artist. I wouldn't say I balance anything well, it is truly just an enormous amount of work, hope, and belief that music and a sense of community can change someone's life. All I can hope is that one song, or one stream, changes something for someone. All we can do is wake up every day and try to leave the world a better place than we found it.
What is next for Danielle Allard Music?
I'm currently back in the studio and streaming all the time—everyone is always welcome, and it's all accessed from your home. I bring all of our patrons with me to the studio monthly to see our album in progress and I do live writing, song requests, and art on Twitch three times weekly! My most recent album INVADER is a concept album with a 6-video series made here in Ottawa and I have about five additional projects on the go. If you've been looking to make friends, we have a community stream festival where I feature artists, makers, and musicians from my community regularly and we have online game and movie nights to chase away the Sunday scaries.
On behalf of all of Ottawa, we would like to thank Danielle for all that she does for the community and for local causes. We wish her the best with her ongoing projects.
Danielle Allard truly embodies the spirit of prosperity, and her story inspires all of us to become better versions of ourselves.
©TAAG Corporation 2023
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