Last Monday, Arts Minister Simon Crean announced the appointment of live music advocate and policy consultant Dr Ianto Ware as National Live Music Coordinator for SOUNDS AUSTRALIA. Is it really going to change anything for hardworking musicians and bands?
The Minister stated " The 2012 Federal Budget provided additional funding to the SOUNDS AUSTRALIA music export program which will help contemporary Australian musicians and songwriters develop from local to global stages.”
Through previous roles in the not-for-profit sector, Dr Ware has extensive experience supporting artists, venues, industry associations such as CEO of Renew Adelaide and founding director of Format Adelaide, as well as state and local governments. "Live music has been a hugely positive influence in my life. I'm absolutely thrilled to take on a job that will allow me to give back to the Australian local music scene," Dr Ware said.
APRA|AMCOS Chief Executive, Brett Cottle, said the appointment is a welcome boost for the Australian music industry. “The local live music industry is where our songwriters and performers hone their craft,” said Mr Cottle. “It’s no secret that the international appeal of artists like Gotye started at home – performing to local audiences in small venues. The National Live Music Coordinator role is significant - it will help ensure our live music scene continues to thrive and contribute significantly to our potential export success,” he said.
In 2011, an Ernst and Young study commissioned by APRA|AMCOS and funded by the Australia Council and other industry partners found that venue-based live music contributed $1.2 billion to the economy,(whose economy, certainly not that of the performers and musicians?-Ed) serviced almost 42 million patrons and created nearly 15,000 full time jobs Australia-wide.
Australia Council Acting CEO Libby Christie said, “Research such as our More than bums on seatsand Artfacts: Music have shown us repeatedly that music plays a vital role in Australian culture, with almost every Australian making it a part of their life.”
When we see the bulk of Australian bands playing for more than beer money and more than than they are forking out for a live music engineer I'll be a little less cynical about these smug do-gooder media releases from the powers that be be. Musicians need real change and that is only going to happen at a grass roots level. Dropping names like Gotye are superfluous and have nothing to do with thousands of talented people making and playing music for a pittance, day in day out.
Take for example living legend and "father of Grunge", (he and his band The Scientists invented it) Kim Salmon. After contributing his genius to the live music scene all over Australia for over 35 years he cannot survive on an income from his performances and recording alone. It's a travesty to think that someone who has given so much to Australian Music is in this position? If you don't believe me, read it as told by Kim Salmon himself to The Age newspaper in 2011 here.
