Some music fans just listen. Others put their time and energy where their ears are. Over the last few years, John Sicard has worked with Ilya Pauly here at Studio Economik to spec out the gear for what would become Sicard Studios, a professional recording facility in Ottawa built around a spacious live room designed to feel like a club stage, complete with a full lighting rig. The goal was simple, give artists a space where they could perform with the same energy as a live show, and capture that on tape.
The studio has since recorded artists like Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar, Rebecca Noelle, Anders Drerup, and Julia Rita, among others. It's become a genuine resource for Ottawa's music community, the kind of room that attracts serious musicians and gives local talent access to a professional environment that can genuinely serve their work.
What John built at Sicard Studios is already a meaningful contribution to the Ottawa music scene. But he didn't stop there. In 2026, his wife Pina and he lent their support to the National Arts Centre with the Sicard Artist Series, a concert series spotlighting emerging Canadian artists on the NAC's Fourth Stage. Pina and John have made a five year commitment to the NAC in support of emerging artist performances, a long view that's rare for this kind of sponsorship.
The 2025-2026 lineup includes Eadsé, a Wendat singer-songwriter with over four million streams presenting her debut trilingual album, Gentiane MG, a Montreal jazz pianist whose trio work blends contemporary jazz with classical composition, and Logan Staats, a Mohawk artist fresh off a performance at the LA Kia Forum for a tribute to Robbie Robertson.
John built a room for artists, opened it up to his community, and then helped fund a stage for the next generation. That kind of commitment is rare, and it's genuinely good for Ottawa and the Canadian music scene at large. We're honoured and privileged to work with him.
You can find the full Sicard Artist Series schedule here, and learn more about the studio at sicardstudios.com.