This spring, Durham College (DC) alumnus Brendan Kennedy was nominated in the Road Warrior (Tour Manager) of the Year category at the 2024 Canadian Live Music Industry Awards (CLMIA), recognizing his more than 10 years on the road working with bands including The Glorious Sons, Valley and Billy Talent. The 8th annual CLMIAs took place on June 4 and celebrated Canada’s live music industry.

Kennedy grew up in Brockville, Ontario, playing in local bands as a drummer. In a small town with minimal resources, he also took on the role of promoter and sound technician – creating a clear vision for a career in the music industry.

Coming from a musical family, with both of his parents being teachers, he was encouraged to get a post-secondary education in an area he felt passionate about. He enrolled in the Music Business Administration program at DC and graduated in 2013.

“I went into the program with a pretty solid goal of what I wanted to accomplish, but the courses and faculty helped me understand how the whole music industry ecosystem works,” said Kennedy. “I took every available opportunity to gain experience doing sound. I did every open mic and took on a really big leadership role at The Reel Music Festival.”

The Reel Music Festival, now Oshawa Music Week, is an annual event organized by students in DC’s Music Business Administration/Music Business Management program and features live music showcases, entertainment for music lovers, and music-industry education for aspiring and established music-business practitioners.

After graduation, Kennedy moved to Toronto with his band, but quickly found his existing connections in the industry were opening opportunities for him to kick-start his career off stage. He began working in the studio with his friend, and future Juno Award-winning producer, Derek Hoffman. He then secured a position doing sound at two Toronto venues working DJ nights and shows. A bartender at one of the venues was Chris Cresswell from Canadian punk-rock band, The Flatliners. Cresswell heard Kennedy mixing a show and invited him on tour.

Since that first tour, Kennedy has been on the road with different bands consistently for 10 years touring Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada and the United States.

He attributes his success not only to technical skills but to soft skills like organization, problem solving and an ability to connect with people. “You have to be good at your job, but being personable is also important,” he said. “I’ve been told I’m a very patient person, so that helps. I’ve always attributed that to my grandparents because they were so patient with my cousins and me as kids.”

A self-described open-book, Kennedy returns to campus when he can to offer guidance and inspiration to current students. His advice to those starting out in the music industry is to find an area you enjoy and stick with it.

“If you know you want to go into tour management for example, find people in that role to network with and just work really hard at that one thing. Putting yourself out there is the most important thing you can do in this business, and if you can stick close to your goals, it’ll pay off.”

* photo credit: Becca Hamel