The annual industry pilgrimage to the NAMM Show is in many people’s calendar no doubt with plans well advanced. The show appears to be as significant as ever, with attendances on the increase and new categories being catered for in new halls. The new floorplan of the show was hailed a big success in 2018 with noise levels more controlled and product categories easy to find. The central mall with the main stage has added much to the event and the atmosphere too.
The NAMM U sessions have proved a popular part of the Australian delegates’ visits.
This year members will be invited to register for the now annual ANZAC reception at NAMM, an informal get together with the NAMM executive committee, this year 5.30pm on Friday 25th January. Venue tbc.
Registration is available, and the ‘free’ badge deadline for NAMM Members is 9 January.
What a real positive for our industry the launch of the Don’t Stop the Music on ABC TV these last few weeks has been. Rarely is our industry and key advocacy message broadcast to such a prime time audience. And what a positive for those students that will be helped by this fantastic initiative to further their music making at school.
The AMA encourages its members to get involved – this link tells you all you need to know about donating
In other developments, Federal MP Matt Keogh raps in Parliament about Don’t Stop The Music Parliament’s own Eminem, Federal Member for Burt, Matt Keogh gave a rousing performance in Parliament last week about Don’t Stop The Music and the importance of music education. Check it out here.
Make Music Day Australia is set to expand next year with the announcement of a partnership between the Live Music Office and the Australian Music Association to deliver the 2019 program.
Make Music Day is a free celebration of music making around the world, taking place on 21 June. Launched in 1982 in France as the Fête de la Musique, it is now held on the same day in more than 750 cities in 120 countries.
Completely different from a typical music festival, Make Music Day is open to anyone who wants to take part. It’s a DIY Music Festival! Every kind of musician — young and old, amateur and professional, of every musical persuasion — can organise their own gig, or join the many organisations that will host events, to share their music with friends, neighbours, and strangers. All of it is free and open to the public.
The 2018 pilot of Make Music Day Australia was conducted with the funding and resources of the Australian Music Association (AMA), via its partner the NAMM Foundation (US based). The event saw over 100 events in 80 locations register an event on the Make Music Day Australia website.
To expand on the pilot program from 2018, a dedicated role has now been established through a partnership with the AMA under the auspices of APRA AMCOS and the Live Music Office, with the aim to build greater awareness of the initiative.
Australian Music Association Executive Officer Rob Walker said, “The AMA is very proud to be partnering with Live Music Office and APRA AMCOS in building the Make Music Day concept in Australia and creating an event that joins the world in celebrating music making on 21 June.”
“The synergy of purpose between the organisations is striking, and we look forward to engaging many more Australian musicians of all levels in live music in 2019.”
This role will grow these initial partnerships and relationships, increase the number of events from 2018, build on the assets and contacts created, and take the next step in developing this DIY Music Festival concept into one of a truly national interest.
Lucy Joseph of the Live Music Office will be coordinating the local initiative and commented, “Make Music Day is all about allowing communities of audiences and musicians to engage with each other for one day to make free, accessible music and to celebrate the role that music plays in our everyday lives.”
“In 2018 we saw a variety of successful activations across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland particularly, and we’re thrilled to be working so closely with AMA and NAMM to raise awareness and participation across Australia in 2019.”
The Live Music Office will work with Make Music Day to promote participation, engage with other government agencies and liaise with music industry stakeholders, local councils, venues and organisations promoting the benefits and opportunities surrounding Make Music Day.
An ambitious new project has been in the making for a while now. The ABC’s Don’t Stop The Music series and national impact campaign to get instruments into schools via The Salvation Army and Musica Viva. This is a major advocacy initiative for music education.
A part of this program is an instrument donation program. From 1 November the ABC, The Salvation Army and Musica Viva will launch a national appeal encouraging people to donate unused or unwanted musical instruments so they can be distributed to children who need them.
We encourage our members to support the campaign by getting any returns, or unwanted instruments that may be in our member storerooms and down to a local Salvos Store.
There may even be opportunities to assist with checking instruments or making them playable again.
The ABC has created these online resources to help potential donors understand what instruments are needed and if they’re in reasonable condition for donation.
How music education improves brain power
Award-winning music educator and researcher in music education and brain development, Dr Anita Collins has written this fascinating article for ABC Education on how music improves children’s ability to learn. Read and share here
Do you have a newsworthy story around music education?
Please send me an email with a short pitch and I’ll forward to relevant people at the ABC for consideration. You can also share your story on social media with the series hashtag #DontStopTheMusicAU
Stay tuned for promos of the series hitting your screens from next week – I’ll forward assets shortly. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Spread the word about the broadcast
Mark your diaries and spread the word! The first episode of Don’t Stop The Music will air Sunday November 11 at 7.40pm on ABC and ABC iView. Read and share the media release about the series.
You can also access images here to use in your communications. Please include the hashtag #DontStopTheMusicAU when sharing information about the series and campaign on social media.
The AMA’s first show promotion to the electronic musician is set to boost business and create opportunities for members.
The AMA’s Rob Walker said, ‘we’ve had great response to this event on social media after two weeks of launching the site, so there appears to be a lot of interest. We have all the key suppliers of synth, DJ and products for the producer represented, as well as key retailers, so there’s going to be some sales opportunities as well as all the great live music and seminar programs’.
This growing market segment is providing products to new and progressive music, and we look forward to showing them off to an eager consumer.
After the AMA’s AGM on Monday, Craig Johnston was elected for a second term as AMA president, Michael Shade from Yamaha was re-elected Vice President and Tony Burn, Treasurer for the 2018-19 year.
New to the committee is Dave Clark, representing Jacaranda Music, while Damon McMahon and Daryl Horwood depart the committee after a number of continuous year’s service. Mark Amory, Richard Snape, Warrick Baker, Matt Walsham were the other returning wholesaler representatives. Retail reps returned were Graham Hoskins, Jarred Finnigan, Rob Mestric along with the president, and this year Anthony Ursino from Macron Music joins the committee as he was later appointed as an ex-officio committee member representing the Events Sub Committee.
The AGM passed a unanimous motion expressing appreciation for their contribution to Damon and Daryl and looked forward to their return when possible. Damon was key to developing better piano and keyboard statistics as one of his pet-projects, among the many other responsibilities of a committee member. Daryl was instrumental in the development of the use of the Australian Musician brand as the industry’s public brand, and an advocate of the Melbourne Guitar Show and our other AMA public promotions.
The minutes of the AGM, including the President’s and Treasurer’s Reports have been distributed to members.The president advised members present of work done in promotions, government relations and events. He highlighted the AMA’s submission to the Federal Parliamentary Inquiry into the Music Industry, the work on an exemption for musical instruments trading in products containing rosewood and the development of the AMA’s new events and online footprint and the partnerships with the NAMM Foundation in the development of Make Music Day.
We thought we’d share a good article written by Bob Popyk in the latest Music Trades Magazine. A positive perspective on the value of music stores in the digital age.
What do you think the industry needs? What does it need to sustain itself. Until September 21 the federal government wants to know and is calling for submissions into the music industry.
What is the role of music products industry in this process? Do you have a view?
This inquiry appears to look at what the musicians need to be more commercially viable here and in overseas markets. How musicians make income in the digital world, live performance opportunities including festivals and events one could imagine are topics of interest.
Should members wish to make their views known to the AMA, we are pleased to make a submission on behalf of our industry, or if you wish to make your own, you can do so online.
Submissions are being sought by Friday, 21 September 2018. Submissions can be made online or by emailing communications.reps@aph.gov.au
For information about the inquiry visit the committee’s webpage at: www.aph.gov.au/communications
The next 12 months priorities are set with the association announcing new shows in Melbourne & Sydney, and a concerted partnership with the NAMM Foundation to establish Make Music Day on the global calendar of events on June 21.
All events are a great opportunity to partner with the community in making music – and making some sales too!
We have been planning a synth and electronic music promotional event for some months now We have had a committee of suppliers and retailers giving input and encouragement in this planning process.
We’re pleased to say that the planning has culminated in the Melbourne Synth Festival, November 23-25 at the Meatmarket in North Melbourne.
The Melbourne Music Week festival has approved the event as a satellite event in its 2018 program and Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio will partner with us. Both these partnerships help us to promote to a targeted end-user in this product segment. We also intend to partner with 3PBS, and invest in social media and our usual PR channels
We have a cohort of AMA member suppliers and retailers already committed to exhibiting at the inaugural event. More details in the coming weeks.
The association is also pleased to confirm its intention to present the first Sydney Guitar & Drum Show to be held May 11 – 12, 2019 at Rosehill Gardens. The success of the drum show held in 2017, prompted the committee to broaden the scope of that show. While still providing the public with the opportunity to see drums and drummers, guitars and guitarists will complete the picture and provide Australia’s biggest market with a major promotion. Plans are currently being finalised, and more details will arrive next month.
The association’s other 2018-19 major event and promotion is Make Music Day 2019, joining the global celebration of music making by the community in over 800 cities and towns, on June 21. We embark on Year 2 of this effort in partnership with the NAMM Foundation, our principal funding partner.
The Melbourne Guitar Show was back last weekend bigger and better than ever, with very healthy attendance of just on 5,000 people, robust sales and first class exhibits. “The AMA is pleased that the Melbourne Guitar Show has become somewhat of an institution over the last four years”, said Organiser, Rob Walker. “In the face of a robust commentary that the guitar is dying, the show refuses to acknowledge this, and in fact provides evidence that the instrument is as popular as ever, and being played in more ways than ever”. “The talent on display was amazing as were the new guitar products on show”.
The AMA’s media outlet Australian Musician again presented and covered the show in its glory over the weekend – you can check out daily reviews for Saturday and Sunday at these links
