Noah Derksen
2023-2024 Annual Report feature
This year was a monumental year for me, and my growth as an artist and small-business owner. I released a brand-new album in March, toured across Canada, the U.S, and played my first shows in Europe. I was nominated for my second Canadian Folk Music Award (Songwriter of the Year), and was selected as a finalist for SiriusXM's Top of the Country competition.
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I showcased at industry events in Ireland, Germany, Nashville, Hamilton, and more. I opened up for prominent artists in Europe and the U.S and had my first sync placement on a Dutch TV show.
Coming into this year I made a list of career goals—things that at the end of my career I would want to have accomplished to feel a sense of fulfillment with my career as an artist, and I was able to tick off a number of these. It feels like this year I was able to push the door wide open and firmly establish myself in the music industry, rather than simply scratching from the outside.
FACTOR funding allowed me to level up my career through taking opportunities and risks that I would otherwise not have been able to financially stomach. Financial supports such as FACTOR are key in establishing and sustaining a viable music business in a sparsely populated country like Canada with minimal market power. 2023 was the year that put me on the map in the Canadian music scene, with enormous thanks to FACTOR.
Photo Credit: Adam Kelly
