As the founder of Oceanview Guitar Studio & Creative Services, and Avebury Moon Music & Film, 17 x award-winning guitarist-filmmaker Kerilie McDowall offers guitar instruction, music industry coaching, and workshops from sound bathing, publicity/understanding the press to film. She’s coached and worked instructing non-profit groups from opera to theatre, to guitarists of all levels, JUNO and Polaris-winning musicians, to new film directors, and young filmmakers. As a professional publicist, she can also teach you a few tricks that you will just not want to miss, with crucial-to-your-success press, TV, radio, blog/podcast industry guidance, with important timelines and guidelines.
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Creative Diving with Positive Talk Radio from Kerilie McDowall
Published 1 day ago • 10 min read
Creative Diving with Positive Talk Radio
Dive by Kerilie McDowall
A Gift for You!
A gift for you and your friends from me to market yourself to the press!
As you know I have been excited to announce that I recently took on a new part-time career position as an A&R at Fromm Consulting. Fromm Consulting specializes in music rights transactions, and our founder is 70× platinum songwriter Andrew Fromm—a 27-year music-industry veteran. Since 2008, Andrew and team have completed nearly 200 deals (Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez, Eric Clapton, Rihanna), totaling over $1.25 billion in total sales. Andrew Fromm, is one of the leading brokers in the space. Just last week he was closing a 15 million dollar deal!
If you know of successful musicians or producers in your circle, pass along the information to them that they can profit immensely selling off songs or catalogs that are from five to 20 years old from their catalog to top bidding buyers through myself and the team at Fromm Consulting.
Please feel free to get in touch with me to discuss your past work and ideas for rights sales so that you can make some great cash!
At this point in time we will take music catalogs or songs bringing in yearly income of $5,000 to $200,000++. Tell your friends!
I am all about the positive, and recently I had a blast guesting on Positive Talk Radiowith Kevin McDonald with the fabulous and talented Kevin McDonald and his co-host Brichelle! You can check out the entire show here! We were talking about #jazz, #dance, #music, #film, #writing, #art, and more! (For all of you creativepreneurs!)
Lastly, if you are a musician or a prospective guest interested in appearing on Positive Talk Radio, shoot me a message and I will get you connected up with Kevin and Brichelle!
As many of you know, like many who love music, I am a complete jazz lover and aficionado. I have taken on many roles within the jazz business realm, from jazz guitar-playing/bandleading in Vancouver (1989-2000), spiritual jazz solo guitar online projects since 2024, jazz filmmaking with my award-winning short In the Zone: Rick Kilburn, jazz writing (DownBeat2016-2020), currently AllAboutJazz.com, and my part-time jazz and lifestyle In the Zen blog.
Many of you already knew that I had been a jazz radio producer and host of the jazz radio show Rhythm'a'ning starting at CFUV in 1988/89, then at CHLY 101.7 FM from 2000-2016. I interviewed hundreds of award-winning and fascinating guests, and from 2012-2015 was the #1 jazz podcast on Google through the past Player FM RSS feed.
Well, the extra news is that I will be announcing further part-time delves into the jazz radio realm in May/Juneish, should I be able to stay on track, so stay tuned! (If I can pull it off!) I can not wait to tell you more!
This past weekend I went to a fab entrepreneurs pitch fest called the TiE Vancouver Spring Fest 2026! I was pitching my short TV film originally made for TV/social media and theatres and a new feature film project to investors and met so many lovely and highly accomplished investors!
It was an extremely interesting experience being in a room waiting to pitch with such brilliant and innovative minds from the AI and tech world, and everything from a high tech door invention, to top-quality Moringa from an Uganda farm, informational systems, innovative environmental systems, to a bright lawyer who had developed an exciting system to help the financially disadvantaged. Honestly, I was so impressed!
At the TiE SPring Fest 2026
Thanks to New Ventures BC I received an invite from TiE Vancouver due to being on their entrepreneur's pitching forum. What a wonderful experience! TiE Vancouver threw out the red carpet from the catering to the events and the after-parties. Loved it! It was also an excuse to go visit my family, and we had such fun!!!!
WIth my sister Deb on Love Your Sister day!
WRITING
When inspired, I write. Words. Music.
My latest writing (words) projects include an article interview I am hoping to publish about jazz and music producer Luigi Porretta, of Quadwrangle Music Productions based in Nanaimo, Canada.
Porretta is a gift to the local Nanaimo music community and just won a major city award, HONOUR IN CULTURE 2026, for his devotion commitment to culture, and especially jazz music.
I am excited to get to this project as I sort through a few other commitments, and am excited to present this at a future date. Luigi is a gift to the world of music and had much to impart.
Also on my timeline are a few books I would like to write sourced from interviews. A brand new project is a delve into assisting music composers and those in the music industry with all things sync-related with US film composer Mike Hall. Hall has been a film composer for 30 years, and has some fascinating insight into the sync world, and once I did the interview with him, I realized it was the seed for a fascinating and very informative book. So stay tuned, once things settle and I have moved from my current house into a new space, I hope to get to many of these interesting projects for you.
MOVING?
I have decided to simplify and to downsize and to move into a smaller dwelling for a simpler lifestyle.
For getting house-ready I consulted with one of Nanaimo's most visually gifted people I know, Brenna Laine Darby. I expect the house to be on the market for Open House viewing to be selling by late April. Tell your friends who are house-hunting!
House for Sale Lobby Image by Brenna Laine
Dining Image by Brenna Laine
Dining Image by Brenna Laine
Family Room Image by Brenna Laine
Family Room with Vaulted Ceilings Image by Brenna Laine
Lobby, Partial Kitchen view by Brenna Laine
Family Room - ocean/mountain view surrounded by garden privacy
If you live on Vancouver Island, I will be selling gardening items and supplies, garage, kitchen, and seasonal tools, garden pots, including three mega size plastic pots, thousands of organic seeds, organic ice melter salt (about 60 full 10 - 20kg bags with a long shelf life), and household items with some creative items like a MIDI keyboard, other curiosities and two TVs from my mountain home soon at my estate sale soon so message and be sure to stop by and let me know if any of the items might interest you.
OCEANVIEW GUITAR & CREATIVE SERVICES RECAP
Oceanview Guitar Studio & Creative Services Open House
When: April 7 to May 31, 2026, 10 am - 7 pm
Free 45-minute Open House guitar lesson demos by appointment or online by ZOOM at Oceanview Guitar Studio & Creative Services Open House. Try out the electric or acoustic guitar in-studio! Available online by ZOOM in the USA or Canada. https://kerilie.com/contact
Sign up for five lessons and get 25% off until the first day of summer June 21, 2026. #Nanaimo #guitar #lessons with Kerilie McDowall. (York University music graduate, current Polaris Music Prize juror/ past JUNO Awards judge). Learn "inside the #music industry," knowledge/information through private guitar lessons, coaching, and workshop mentoring.
I have a few spaces left for new guitar and music industry coaching students. Beginners are welcome. There is a list sign-up for spring workshops. PM/email for info. Beginner guitar lessons and all levels: Pop, classical, blues, rock, jazz, country, folk, more. Ages 6 and up, teens, adults. Seniors discounts. Acoustic and electric. Rate: Five 45-minute lessons total with a fifth lesson FREE=$159.99 USD! For 5 weeks! Prices in USD. (About $222.77 or $44.54 Canadian funds each lesson)
20% off 12 weeks =$365.99 USD (About $509.60 or $42.50 each lesson in Canadian funds.)
Scenic south end location near Jingle Pot with mountain and ocean views. Biography: https://kerilie.com/background (17x awarded musician/music filmmaker). Looking forward to chatting with you by PM or email. https://kerilie.com/contact
Image above of Joey Johnson (by permission) by Dirk Heydemann of HA Photography.
Instagram: @keriliemcdowall
Student Megan Fleming. Image by Dirk Heydemann of HA Photography.
Have questions? Give me a call from 10 am to 7:30 pm PST at 1-250-668-3589. Online lessons and classes and workshops are offered in the USA and Canada and in Nanaimo, BC in the studio.
SERVICES SUMMARY OF OCEANVIEW GUITAR LESSONS & CREATIVE SERVICES
Emerging and professional recording artists can consult with me for grantwriting, press education, and study of the music industry, polishing any writing skills, EPKs, one sheets, bios, or press/publicity approaches with mentoring and coaching sessions with me in 2026.
Music industry coaching (grants, the press, album prep) rate: $318 CAD ($229 USD) for 2 hours, about $247 CAD ($177 USD) for one hour. Check out the Lessons and Workshops.
For recording artists and creatives: I offer press, publicity, grant writing skills and film assistance, and brand strategy, supporting creatives from opera companies to JUNO and Polaris Music Prize artists and emerging writers, musicians and filmmakers/directors.
30% off is extended into the Spring 2026. Did you see a service or a workshop that is not already marked down, but would like to receive 30% off? Choose your non-discounted service and use the 30% OFF Discount PROMOCODE is I3X5499 in your shopping cart (click the guitar, it is the shopping cart). Use the code in the gift and discount code section after clicking CHECKOUT.
Conditions: **PROMOCODE does not apply to already marked down on sale services. The senior discount is for ages 65 and up. Disabled clients (all disabilities) will also receive the discount.
As you know, I am the founder of Avebury Moon Music & Film, built on a commitment to quality, excellence, and innovation, ensuring technical precision and thorough, nuanced creative film and music work.
Now in the monetization phase of film post-production for educational/global distribution of In the Zone Rick Kilburn, I am seeking investors. With 155 universities, 213 colleges in Canada, 6,000 in the USA, 2510 Canadian high schools, and 26,727 in the USA, there are lucrative opportunities.
This short film has the potential to earn $275+ per music license. At the $250 music license amount after 5 years, the film has the potential to earn $14 million+ in music licensing in North America, Europe/Asia.
We had over 1.47 billion cast hits on IMDB from June 2023 to 2024. To view the pitch deck and executive summary, please get in touch.
"If you’re a music lover then the short film documentary In the Zone: Rick Kilburn, Vancouver Island Bassist and Producer is a must-watch.” —Film Daily, Illinois, USA
"You will fall in love with the personality behind the great Rick Kilburn in this intimate and fascinating documentary short." —FILMHAUS Berlin
"I love the film. I've watched it many times, and get something insightful out of it every time." —Chris Wong, Journeys to the Bandstand: Thirty Jazz Lives in Vancouver author, Vancouver, BC
“There’s no excuse not to watch the short film [In the Zone: Rick Kilburn] documentary right now.” —Film Daily, Los Angeles, USA
WATCH THE FILM
All TiE Vancouver and other interested film investors and potential donors are invited to get a free link to view the full short documentary In the Zone: Rick Kilburn for future educational distribution, or to view it on Film Freeway. I am also working on my feature film in development! I am mentoring with one of the USA's top nationwide Los Angeles film professionals, Jon Fitzgerald of Cause Pictures, co-founder of Slamdance, and past film festival director of the AFI, and many other impressive fests. Investors: Message at info@kerilie.com and I will send you the private film viewing link.
With costs like future regular formatting editing, close captioning, additional add-on filmmaking, employee staffing costs, incorporation, commercial insurance, marketing, website creation, travel, memberships and user fees, your investment with In the Zone: Rick Kilburn will finalize the project and has immense potential!
Donate to the film crowdfunding at PayPal to Avebury Moon Music & Film.
To assist the regular island film and music community: I will share your name or business name, title, and 30 word star bio with your permission FREE in the new StarsIn theCommunity feature in the In the Zen Blog.
All non-anonymous donors and investors will have their business name featured in Star Donors in the Community. Investors can request a full story interview article in the In the Zenblog. Send your 30 word bio and the rest of your details here.
Scene Magazine announced it on Instagram, and here is the past article I was invited to write by Ontario's Music in Motion Canada about my short jazz documentary film about the life of 20-time award-winning producer/bassist jazz musician-composer Rick Kilburn entitled, In the Zone: Rick Kilburn! View the film trailer above In the Zone: Rick Kilburn » Scene Music Magazine!
Visit my website at https://kerilie.com to learn more about services and take a peek at workshops in the STORE to receive exclusive tips and DISCOUNTED future offers. Prices are in USD.
info@kerilie.com (or click reply) 1-250-668-3589 in Nanaimo, BC. Services are available in studio and online in Canada and online in the USA.
Warmest,
Kerilie McDowall Founder/Owner Oceanview Guitar Studio & Creative Services and Avebury Moon Music & Film
Award-winning TV Director/radio host, jazz guitarist, and composer. Polaris Music Prize juror/DownBeat Critics Poll/ past JUNO Awards judge Kerilie McDowall instructs and coaches guitarists, creatives, writers, non-profits, businesses, on-the-rise musicians, and new film directors at Oceanview Guitar Studio & Creative Services in Nanaimo, BC, Canada.
As the founder of Oceanview Guitar Studio & Creative Services, and Avebury Moon Music & Film, 17 x award-winning guitarist-filmmaker Kerilie McDowall offers guitar instruction, music industry coaching, and workshops from sound bathing, publicity/understanding the press to film. She’s coached and worked instructing non-profit groups from opera to theatre, to guitarists of all levels, JUNO and Polaris-winning musicians, to new film directors, and young filmmakers. As a professional publicist, she can also teach you a few tricks that you will just not want to miss, with crucial-to-your-success press, TV, radio, blog/podcast industry guidance, with important timelines and guidelines.
Your Free Gifts x2 Splash. By Kerilie McDowall Gifts for You x 2! (OOPs!) Sorry that the previous link did not work! To make it up to you here are two gifts for you and/or your friends!** If you already subscribe drop me a note and I will email you the pdf file(s). First: From me to you to market yourself to the press! Your Press guide. GIFT #1 FOR YOU! Second: A gift to get you started with the guitar! Your first guitar lesson! GIFT #2 FOR YOU! **Thoughts to Add Image by Garik Barseghyan...
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