Local artists in Oshawa are continuing to build on the momentum of Durham Region stars such as Shawn Mendes and Daniel Caesar.
Janest Gomez-Calubayan is one of them. Like many others, she’s finding new opportunities within Oshawa’s music scene, allowing her to pursue her career closer to home.
Gomez-Calubayan, a Durham College Music Business student, says music has always been part of her life.
While she began writing her own songs in high school, the Whitby resident says her sound has developed into a mix of indie, folk and R&B influences, often incorporating spoken word and poetry.
“There are a lot of emerging artists in the Durham Region,” she said. “Some don’t want to be labelled as Toronto-based, so there’s definitely a growing scene here.”
The growth of Oshawa’s music scene can be seen in the increasing number of local artists and events across the city.
Venues such as The Biltmore Theatre have introduced initiatives such as the Songwriter Series, which gives independent artists a consistent platform to perform original music.
In addition to Oshawa Music Week, an annual multi-day festival and conference run by Music Business students that showcases local and emerging talent, events such as open mic nights continue to create opportunities to gain exposure and connect with audiences.
Gomez-Calubayan has performed at The Biltmore Theatre and said these opportunities make it easier to get started and meet others in the scene.
She added the variety of artists in the region, ranging from indie and acoustic performers to hip-hop and rock musicians, is another reason the scene stands out.
She said it creates a diverse and supportive environment that allows artists to collaborate and grow in ways that can be more difficult in larger, more competitive cities like Toronto.
With a mix of emerging talent, local support and increasing opportunities, she says Durham Region’s music scene is worth paying attention to.
“There’s a lot going on,” she said. “You just have to go out and find it.”
She added many artists are able to build connections by simply showing up to events, which helps strengthen the overall music community in the region.
However, she says one of the biggest challenges is not a lack of opportunity but the pressure of putting yourself out there.
“I wouldn’t say it’s the city,” she said. “It’s more about pushing yourself and taking that step.”
While opportunities exist, standing out in the shadow of the GTA requires more than just a sound.
Visual content and branding have become just as important for independent artists, especially in an era where social media plays a major role in promotion.
Zenon Villeneuve, a Durham College alumnus who works with Gomez-Calubayan as a photographer and a videographer, said visuals play a major role in helping artists build an identity online.
“A lot of people rely on social media,” he said. “If everyone has the same thing then everyone just blends together.”
Villeneuve said strong visuals can help an artist stand out and create a unique identity, whether through photography, music videos or social media content.