Back in March, Tone Deaf reported on a comprehensive study by the Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN), who act as a representative body for musicians in Australia, which looked at the financial reality on being a musician in Australia.
AMIN are the good folks responsible for negotiating the Virgin Baggage Allowance deal for its members, which made touring around the country a whole lot easier for working musicians, as well as a much lauded deal with the Travel Beyond Group.
AMIN surveyed members on the financial costs of working as a professional musician, particularly those relevant to travel, insurance, and accounting. They found that the majority of survey respondents actually end up spending money on their music careers.
Of those who receive some kind of income from performing, most earned either $50 – $200 monthly before tax or $200 – $500 monthly before tax. On average, members were earning $1,000 – $5,000 monthly before tax from other hobbies or paid employment.
That’s why it’s cause for celebration whenever there’s an initiative which makes life easier for Australia’s musicians and why we at Tone Deaf get excited whenever we can report on a program that will get live music to the places where it’s least available.
Case in point, Arts On Tour (AOT) have just launched The Set List, a brand new regional touring opportunity for young, emerging musicians. The Set List is designed to help some of the country’s hottest up-and-coming acts reach new audiences by making regional touring financially possible.
Between travel, accommodation, equipment, and general life costs, touring can be a financial drain. It can be exacerbated tenfold when it’s not as easy as just hopping on a plane or driving up a freeway.
But thanks to funding from the Australia Council’s Playing Australia program, The Set List will be providing an all-expenses-paid touring experience for three acts. The first ever edition will hit the road this October, featuring Montaigne, Coin Banks, and I Know Leopard.
But it’s not just about helping out some great local musos. The Set List is also about community engagement. A youth panel will be assembled at each regional location to determine which of the three acts will play in their town.
AOT General Manager Heather Dransfield says she was inspired to develop the project after seeing a band busking in Sydney’s Pitt Street Mall. “They were just fantastic and had attracted a huge crowd. They were working really hard and it was inspiring to see,” she says.
“It got me thinking about opportunities for young musicians and how out-of-reach touring is for many emerging acts and I wondered if there was something our organisation could do. We have a great network of amazing regional performing arts centres always on the look-out for quality acts to present.”
“So we’ve joined the dots and created a project that looks after both the artists and these regional venues.” Did we mention the part about community engagement? Because The Set List is going to give young people in each town some amazing opportunities to get involved.
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In addition to the panel, young people can get involved with a poster design competitions, music journalism, support band spots, and various mentoring opportunities. “We’re really passionate about providing ways for young people to engage with the arts through their local performing arts centres,” says Heather.
“The Set List shows there are many ways to join the live music world and being a musician is only one of them. Music writers, promoters, tech crews and even graphic designers are all helping to make the music world go ‘round. We’re hoping that The Set List will open some of those doors for young music fans.”
Meanwhile, MusicNSW have announced the dates for their 2015 Quick Response Grant Program, just in time for BIGSOUND. The program is aimed at supporting musicians and artist managers who are hoping to attend Australian industry conferences, trade fairs, and other career expansion opportunities in 2015.
The Quick Response Grants are awarded to artists and managers to help them cover accommodation and travel when heading to these events. Artists and artist managers are invited to apply for one off funding of up to $850 per member of the touring party, with a total limit of $5500.
Round 1 is now open and you can head on over to the MusicNSW website to apply before it closes on Monday, 27th July. Round 2 is set to open Tuesday, 25th August and close on Sunday, 27th September. Make sure you read through the 2015 Quick Response Guidelines to ensure eligibility.
