Photo credit: Samuel Graves – Aleksiah performing at the 2023 SA Music Awards
MusicSA is committed to promoting, supporting and developing contemporary music in South Australia and 2023 was a huge year! Thank you to everyone who created, recorded, listened to, saw, supported and engaged with local music in South Australia last year!
MusicSA achieved a lot in the first year of our three-year Strategic Plan and we’re proud to share this snapshot of what we have done. However, we know times are tough and we know how much work there is still to do in advocating for artists and music businesses in South Australia and we have hit the ground running in 2024…
We acknowledge that we meet, work and create on the traditional country of the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains. We recognise and respect their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship with the land. We acknowledge that they are of continuing importance to the Kaurna people living today. We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded. Always was, always will be.
Ngadlurlu Kaurna Miyurna yaitya yarta-mathanya Wama Tarntanyaku tampinthi. Iyangka yartangka ngadlu inparrinthi, warpulayinthi, pintyanthi. Yalarra, parnaku yailtya, parnaku tapa purruna puru purruna.Parnarlu yaku parnaku yarta yungki. Munaintyanangku, tunturri.
ADVOCACY IN 2023
Photo credit: Nick Astanei – Sunsick Daisy performing at the 2023 Scouted
In 2023 we enacted our first year of the new MusicSA 2023-2025 Strategic Plan. We moved office from St Paul’s Creative Centre to Shop 4 Cinema Place, Adelaide on Kaurna Yerta, just around the corner from the Exeter on Rundle Street. Our new central CBD position has helped create a more accessible space.
To share our new Strategic Plan and office with industry, we hosted 2 events. A small office-warming with 45 VIP Stakeholders, and our open-invite industry-wide catch-up with 180 friends and colleagues.
We launched and hosted our new twice-yearly industry temperature check, ‘Sound Check‘, with 2 city-based Sound Checks and 1 online regional Sound Check, reaching and receiving feedback from a total of 148 participants.
We held memberships with Arts Industry Council SA (AICSA), Australian Live Music Business Advisory Council, Australian Festivals Association and West End Association.
MusicSA is one of 8 state peak bodies called Australian Music Industry Association (AMIN). We met monthly via Zoom, and several times a year in person to discuss state-based issues, and to ensure we are elevating our local industries at a national level. The 8 peak bodies are – WAM, QMusic, MusicTAS, MusicNSW, MusicACT, MusicVIC, MusicNT & MusicSA.
We acted as a co-signatory on the National Industry Statement of Support for Revive, the new National Cultural Policy. We also are participating in the consultation process for the new SA Cultural Policy, Creating for the Future.
We were invited as a representative to the federal government Senate Committee inquiry into the National Cultural Policy (one of two music industry representatives from the national industry).
We were in regular communication with Local Government Associations, including The Barossa Council, City of Port Adelaide Enfield, City of Charles Sturt, City of Adelaide, City of Marion, Adelaide Hills Council, Mount Barker District Council, City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters and the City of Mount Gambier.
INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT IN 2023
Photo credit: Morgan Sette – Rob Edwards and band performing at the 2023 VAILO Adelaide 500 After-Race Concert
We held 52 one-on-one industry development sessions with artists, bands, music businesses, grassroots festivals an venues, and an additional focussed 47 industry consultation meetings with individual professionals, bands, venues, festivals, arts and cultural organisations.
We partnered with Tasting Australia, VAILO Adelaide500, Gathered Round, Adelaide Central Markets, Adelaide Airport, Westfield Marion, Westfield Tea Tree Plaza to showcase local original artists in public spaces, providing paid gigs for 224 solo artists and 20 emerging bands during the year.
We partnered with Support Act to deliver programs and support in SA, presenting 7 mental health and industry support programs to more than 135 registered South Australian music industry participants.
We partnered with the AIR Women In Music Mentor Program.
We sat on assessment panels for Helpmann Academy, Music Development Office, APRA AMCOS and AIR.
We delivered 6 industry development workshops for emerging artists, businesses, festivals and partnered with Sounds Australia, APRA AMCOS, YouTube Music, Spotify, TikTok and FreshFM to support their delivery of industry and professional development in SA.
We partnered with the Live Music Office to deliver professional development sessions for Live & Local program in the Barossa Valley.
We ran our 2023 internship program and had 2 part-time, paid interns, who were brilliant additions to our team. Thank you Alicia Salvanos (Admin Intern) and Effie Karapilafis (Marketing Intern)!
PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS IN 2023
Photo credit: Samuel Graves – The Empty Threats performing at the 2023 SA Music Awards
MusicSA Courses
We delivered the CUA30920 Certificate III in Music (Performance) with 23 graduating students, who performed over 35 original songs created over the course of the year at the MusicSA Courses end of year showcase.
I am super proud of the students performances at the end of year showcase, the students have put a lot of effort into developing their craft and have show so much growth this year. Their efforts shone through at the showcase! It’s awesome to see the end result! – Dale Taylor, MusicSA Training Coordinator
Registrations for the 2024 CUA30920 Certificate III in Music (Performance) are still open!
Music Writer’s Lab
We presented the Music Writer’s Lab 2023 program with the South Australian Government’s Music Development Office, alongside MusicNT and Australia Council for the Arts. The program supported 3 emerging writers to be mentored by 2 mentors, and attend the 2023 WOMADelaide, generating 3 published music journalism articles.
“Through the mentorship I received, I was given confidence in my writing skills as well as introduced to many connections. Now I know how I can use my skill and connections to further my career too.” – mentee
SCOUTED
We partnered with SAE Creative Media Institute to deliver 2023 Scouted with support from AIR and the South Australian Government’s Music Development Office. We showcased 12 emerging acts across 3 West End live music venues to 2023 AIR Indie-Con Australia conference national delegates and industry.
Performing across The Lab, Jive and Nexus Arts was Chloe Veronica, Emerauld, INFINITIES, Molly Rocket, Mum Thinks Blue, Purée, Stormy-Lou, Sunsick Daisy, Tonix, The Tullamarines, TUSHAR, and Twine.
The emerging acts were also invited to attend Indie-Con, the annual AIR Awards, a networking breakfast and a workshop delivered just for them by YouTube Music. Click here to read the recap.
We are so thankful to have been given this shot by Music SA – the gig has already provided us with so many contacts who have set up meetings with us, and I can feel a lot of momentum. Not only this, but the awards night and networking breakfast were super helpful. Our hearts are very full. – Tonix
We have still been buzzing from Scouted 2023. We felt so honoured to be a part of it this year, we all really feel like you guys are doing something amazing for the music scene here in Adelaide!
Everyone was so lovely to work with and was really nice to meet so many new people. There was some unreal vibes from all the artists and was so humbling seeing so much support going around. It was such an electric feeling playing on stage.
– Purée
MADE IN SA – BIGSOUND
We partnered with the South Australian Government’s Music Development Office to deliver the “Made in SA” showcase event at BIGSOUND in Fortitude Valley (Meanjin, Brisbane), alongside supporting partners Beer & BBQ Festival and Hindley Street Music Hall. BIGSOUND is a highly anticipated and industry-attended national music conference and showcase.
Made in SA offered a unique chance for SA artists and local SA industry workers to take advantage of our presence at BIGSOUND together, connecting with national industry. 2023 Robert Stigwood Fellows: Aleksiah and The Empty Threats, as well as 2022 Robert Stigwood Fellows Wanderers performed at the 2023 Made in SA.
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MUSIC AWARDS
We delivered the 2023 South Australian Music Awards hosted at the beautiful Woodville Town Hall. We celebrated the success and diversity of the South Australian music industry through the presentation of 34 awards and achieved a 30% increase in nominations and public voting on previous years. Performing during the evening was CARLA LIPPIS + MONDO PSYCHO, Nathan May, Aleksiah, and The Empty Threats.
Aussie music legend Paul Kelly also performed, and was inducted into the AMC South Australian Music Hall of Fame. A highlight of the night was DEM MOB‘s well deserved 5-award win!
A massive thank you to all our partners and sponsors who made it possible.
VAILO ADELAIDE 500 AFTER-RACE CONCERT SERIES
We worked with VAILO Adelaide 500 to program 4 local emerging acts onto the big stage, supporting huge acts such as Robbie Williams, ICEHOUSE, Carl Cox & Eric Powell’s Mobile Disco, and more. Locals performing at the VAILO Adelaide 500 After-Race Concert series were DJ SVVLO, Mums Favourite. Purée, and Rob Edwards. Click here to see photos!
Beyond grateful for the opportunity to walk out on that stage, and share my stories and songs with all the people at the [VAILO Adelaide 500] before [Robbie Williams]. Endless thanks to [MusicSA] for the support and running incredible initiatives like this. – Rob Edwards
GOOD MUSIC MONTH
And lastly, but definitely not the least, we launched our inaugural Good Music Month, our annual, state-wide, open access live music festival held each November across South Australia. Good Music Month is intended to drive focus on attendance to live music across SA, and spans all genres of live music.
We’re still in the process of collating data, but we can share that a massive 656 live music events were registered with Good Music Month. Over 2000 artists engaged with Good Music Month, and over 70 of their gigs were held regionally across 19 regional venues! With thanks to our partners at the City of Adelaide, Adelaide Economic Development Agency, and Adelaide West End Association, 341 gigs were held across the City of Adelaide and Adelaide West End.
Thanks for providing this great initiative and supporting local music and venues in SA! It has been great to have the extra promo and a platform to showcase the live music we have on offer at our venue.
Looking forward to next year! – Suburban Brew
We’re also looking forward to Good Music Month 2024, along with all the other exciting South Aussie contemporary music industry advocacy, industry development, and programs and projects the year has ahead!
To stay up to date with what MusicSA is doing this year, as well as opportunities and important news, sign up to our e-news.
