Did you miss me? I was busy filling out forms

Stephen Pate, can't wait for singing on the street

I missed you

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, May 1, 2009

OMG yesterday was a nightmare. My Music PEI Grant Application and life story was due by 5 PM.

I could not stop writing stories on Wednesday. I had to do the “Music PEI Encyclopaedia of Music Knowledge, Marketing Business and Why I Want a Grant” reference work all in one day.

Just in case those Music PEI spies are looking at NJN, I secretly did all the legwork three years in advance but only write out my life story on the last day.

I only wrote one NJN story in the early morning. Then I could not even peek at NJN Network. It was torture not to be here writing these stories!

Have you ever seen that thing, the Music PEI grant application form? There is an 18-page instruction booklet to turn out a 25-page application. With more twists and turns than an Alpine road in Northern Italy, you can lose your way very quick.

What are those people at Music PEI thinking? Do musicians have to learn modal scales and have a Masters of Business Administration with a double major? Four part harmony and a degree in International Marketing.

The whole thing is a trick to make it hard to get the money. You will notice all the directors are good at filling out those long applications. That is the trick – easy for them, hard for you and me.

I wandered over to the Canada Council for the Arts. They help musicians and other artists with funding. Can you believe it! All the rules, guidelines and who can’t do what are on one page and on the computer too.

So cool, you apply on line. Just set up a free account with who you are and what your music is and start applying. Wow, that is simple. Anyone can apply on-line. If you want to do the application in stages, it saves your work. They even upload the music. That is cool.

It seems like the Canada Council is trying to make it easy to apply. It seems like Music PEI is trying to make it hard.

Anyway, that ordeal is over and on with more stories.