Sterosonic 2011

Summer brings festivals and with festivals comes my first season of backstage work in the music industry. Tash Shanks a diploma student at CMIT offered me the opportunity to work as a volunteer along side her at the biggest electronic dance music festival ever in Australia, Sterosonic. Though Perth's 26,000 punters was only one third of the 65,000 attendees in Sydney we sure had out work cut out for us at Claremount Showground’s.

Perth came through with its fine fine weather as it never seems to let us down when showcasing out lovely city off to many of the European acts that were part of the touring entourage which included 4 times world best DJ Armin Van Buuren, LMFAO (with all 28 of their touring party )Afrojack, The Bloody Beetroots and PNAU to name a few.

My job for the day was meeting and greeting artist, registration and ensuring all their needs were met. The team from Sunset Events were organized and ready to roll from 10am. The few hours were pretty hectic but there were a few times through out the day Mike (another hip-hop enthusiast and Music Business Diploma student at CMIT) got to escape and go check out some acts. Lucy Love. That was it for me. Lucy Love is a Danish lyrical genius and her live show, stage presence was so freaking amazing. It honestly blew all me expectation out the window, out the door, and through the floor. Below is a clip from an appearance she made on Danish National TV as unfortunately I have been unable to find any live footage from her Australia shows as of yet.

Later in the evening Mike and myself checked out Casper and MC Dynamite. It was going off to say the least. The sun had nearly set but there was still enough light to see everyone moving every limb possible.  Looking into the crowd of thousands Mike and myself imagined one day, one day this snippet of a dream could be reality. Coming into the music industry I felt mixed feelings about work after I had completed my studies. Over duration of four years was I actually going to get a job title or make a career out of it? Was there going to be a job position for me in the industry? Is there enough room for me in an industry, which in some case seems to be disappearing with the GFR and the deterring record sales where do I fit in? After attending Sterosonic, a festival on such a huge scale I have no more concerns. I am a hard a worker and I are going to continue to be committed to the growth of my local and national music scene.

Skills and Knowledge

What specific industry skills and knowledge do you want to develop through training over the semester ?
During the semester I have learnt to do a wide range tasks through a range of various systems and processes to demonstrate the best ways of achieving goals and the most efficient and professional ways to deliver information and get noticed. Below I have listed just some of the skills I learnt whilst in class

• Produce a press release
• Format a budget
• Time manage a team and myself
• Write contracts for all parties in the music industry
• Research Synchronization opportunities
• Branding of a business

Whilst being enrolled in CMIT Music Business in Semester 2 I was also giving the many opportunities some of these include

• attending Big Sound 2011 in Brisbane
• Interning for a Music Journalist in Perth
• Working back stage at Sterosonic 2011 Perth
• Landing a Menotorship with Elepfant Traks for 2012 in Sydney

I feel that if it was not for the advice, networking tips and time that my lectures put into the class many of these opportunities many never have arisen.

Future Education. Hopes and Dreams and Everything In between.

I have some how made it through 2011 and the final week of study before summer break has brought upon me thoughts of my goals and opportunity for future education. I have enrolled in The Diploma Coarse for 2012 at CMIT Leederville Campus in Music Business. Another year of being a broke-arse student living on a diet of instant coffee and Migoreing I am hoping that 2012 will bring smarter choices and wiser distribution of my time and efforts. The Summer timimg also brings into play my two projects for the warmer months. The first being my zine 'Silent Syntax' which will hopefully help to record and document the Western Australian Hip-Hop Scene in 2011 and the second a mixtape distribution strategy to deliver Western Australian hip-hop to the Kimberly Region. 

Heading into 2012 I will also start my application plan for The Seed. I am at full understanding that the opportunity to be part of The Seed is a privilege and some may say I am not ready for this movement at the beginning of my career. I feel since I have come into the industry I have displayed dedication and commitment for the industry which I am part of and the music community in which want to help develop. Over the coming years I want to learn the skills to give the artist and musicians around me the best possible chance of getting their music recorded, produced, loved and admired by this I want to obtain all the information, experiences and positive energy of the experienced peers in the industry.

Inspiring Me

2011 has introduced me to many people but there are a few in the music industry in particular who have had a real impact on me. Since leaving the mining industry and being part of the Western Australian music community I feel I have learnt some very valauble lssons and witnessed some very inspiring experiences.  It's thanks to some of these characters for giving me a little or a lot of their time.

The first is my Music Business Lecture and Coarse Coordinator at Central TAFE Leederville, Scott Adam. Scott has not only designed an excellent coarse for students to take part in but has offered his personnel experience as examples of lessons that can be learnt without doing things the hard way and fucking up yourself. Watching a man being so honestly excited and enthusastic about his latest project 'Ruby Boots' displays that after years in the entertainment industry it certainly doesn't get old.  Scott has provided me with some excellent advice which included attending Big Sound in 2011 where I feel I absorbed so much information, tips and ideas that I didn't know where to even start when I returned to Perth. He has also relayed the cold hard truths of the Music Business and watched many of us in the class fall apart at times but also offered support and assistance when required. Below is a first single of the Ruby Boots debut EP 'Sleeping Alone' which I freaking love !

Before I reached Big Sound is Brisbane I created a list of people that were going to be attending the conference that I wanted the opportunity to chat with. One of them was Nathan Farrell who I admire for his work with Thundamentals and hearing him speak on the 'Sync Up: G'day Touring Down Under' panel. So I tracked down Nathan at Big Sound and whether he was ready for it not I had a series of question that I wanted to rack his brains with. So why does Nathan inspire me, because he has been in the industry for years as a artist manager and concert promoter and still had the patience and time to answer my questions. There has not been one promoter that I have met since being part of the industry that was willing to discuss his artists and experiences with-out a hidden agenda or without bag-mouthing others in the music business. Nathan shared some tips with me that I often think back to and that will help shape my business in the years to come. Below are two videos; the first is to the panel he spoke on at Sync Up and the second a clip from one of the acts that he managers Thundamentals.

On the 20th of October 2011 a legend in the Australia Music Scene and Pioneer in the Australia Hip-Hop scene Hunter from SBX Crew sadly passed away from terminal cancer. I have memories of early Hunter shows at the Hyde but they are nothing compared to the years of memories many in Australia and in particular the SBX Crew will hold close to their hearts forever. Now not for a second I am going to say I was close with Hunter, I was not that privileged. Since moving back to Perth we had brief conversations through Facebook and at shows but my admiration and inspiration comes for this man through the work he has done for his community, the support he offered to artists, the on-going production of music that he created and last the love that was undeniable for his son. Hunter has pathed the stable foundations where hip-hop will continue to be created for years to come in Perth. Below is link to a track dedicated to his son Marley and his Rappertag contribution. RIP Hunter.

Education Through Music

Two weeks ago I was introduced to the music of a political activist of English and Iraqi descent Lowkey by fellow class member Cortext. At first I didn't really think much of him but after listening to the lyrics in the 2011 release 'Terrorist' I was sold. Lowkey is an educator, his delivery has captured me and my thoughts. I have found myself exploring and researching topics which he mentions in his music whilst listening to it when I should be concentrating on completing assignments.

Late last night I had a pleasant conversation with a friend of mine, he relayed to me the situation that was happening in Egypt and expressed to me that he had serious concern for a good friend that was a journalist and who had been posting live on Twitter the situation in Tahrir. That was the beginning and the end of my study plan for the evening. I always had knowledge of our media being censored but after watching the broadcast from BBC compared to the live tweets, images and movies being uploaded on to Youtube the truth was obvious and so so heartbreaking of the events happening in Egypt.

With the the online delivery of the news in Egypt as it happened and the education through honest lyrics last night I felt part of a dysfunctional world but also felt relieved that there are artist such as Lowkey and Dead Prez that have the opportunity to share and create a awareness on an international level through there rhymes and do so. The point I am trying to make is that I feel there is the need for artist to deliver education through music and especially through hip-hop to ears that want to hear. 

The Mountain Goats - This Year

This time last week I was feeling unmotivated, dis-heartened and unenthusiastic about where I was at and what the coming years held. I had spent all weekend working at the cafe and at my Nana's house so I could find some peace and quite to concentrate on my assignments, many which are now over due. I found support in The Mountain Goat's track This Year. I posted it on my Facebook page as I have found it is the easiest way to replay a song that you want to listen to 30 times on repeat that you done have in your own itunes. After posting the song Archie, a Perth MC who I have met through hip-hop gig through out the year, posted a link to his Soundcloud where he had sampled This Year. I found solace in someone else connecting with this track. "If Archie was going to be okay, if Archie could make it through this year and it hadn't killed him then I was going to be okay"

Archie's Cover of This Year

There is nothing I can see myself doing next year other than studying music. Since part-taking in this coarse 6 months ago I have experienced hard times financially and emotionally but the knowledge I have gained, the experiences I have had and the people that I have met reassure me that there is light at the end of the tunnel. So today I will enrol in the Music Business Diploma Course at CMIT for 2012 and pray to God I win the Tuesday Night Oz Lotto draw tonight so I can re-connect my phone.