Vicki L MorrisonOttawa music producer Bryan Ruckstuhl is offering Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and their families a chance to professionally record a song and music video through the new Studio Forces program.
After the tragic deaths of Corporal Nathan Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent on home soil in late 2014, the music producer and owner of Studio 169 felt helpless.
Just days after the deaths Ruckstuhl heard Canadian hockey icon Don Cherry express his pride in Canadians for coming together in a time of profound grief but admitted the public outcry would not last.
“Cherry said that in two or three weeks most Canadians will go back to their lives and forget about the rest of our military families in need. As someone who grew up on military bases, that hit home, and I knew I had to do something,” said Ruckstuhl.
He immediately reached out to an organization Cherry mentioned, the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS), and soon after Studio Forces was born.
The Studio Forces program is exclusive to CAF men, women and families who not only have a passion for their country, but a passion for music. A singer, songwriter or someone with other exceptional musical abilities could be the first recipient of:
● artist development through Studio 169
● one song professionally produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Bryan Ruckstuhl and Jonathan Chandler (Amos The Transparent) at Studio 169 and Second Hand Sound in Ottawa, Ontario
● one professional music video produced by Golden Mean Films
● professional promotional pictures by Jamie Kronick
● two years of professional web hosting, courtesy of Bandzoogle
● one round trip travel voucher to Ottawa for audio video recording and photo shoot via Porter Airlines
To be eligible candidates must provide proof they are a current or past member of the CAF or the immediate family of a military member. Candidates must submit a maximum 400-word biography and video of a live performance to [email protected] by March 15, 2015.
“My goal is to give a musical platform to our military personnel and their families who wouldn’t otherwise have the means or push to do so,” Ruckstuhl said. “I also want to continue to build partnerships that can contribute to the needs of our recipients and their families.”
Bryan Ruckstuhl’s father spent his career in the Canadian Armed Forces. While growing up Ruckstuhl moved roughly every five years between different CAF bases in Canada and recalls his father being deployed for months at a time. Ruckstul is a passionate and patriotic supporter of the CAF.
As the owner of Studio 169 in Ottawa Ruckstuhl has nearly 20 years of real working experience in a variety of areas of the music industry. Ruckstuhl was one of the minds behind developing the Big Money Shot program through LiVE 88.5 FM in Ottawa, Ontario. This program has spent millions on Canadian talent, making it one of the biggest development programs in the world.
Ruckstuhl also co-founded Café Dekcuf, a live music venue in Ottawa. He has played shows for crowds of over 25,000 people, opening for acts like Three Days Grace, Default, Thornley, Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo, Hawksley Workman and more.
Combined with his experience of working live sound early in his career, Ruckstuhl has also worked as a production manager for festivals, major label artists and radio stations and is currently the production manager for Hope Volleyball Summerfest, an annual Ottawa charity event.
To learn more about the contest, please visit the Studio Forces website.
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