Industry leaders spark global music debate

The inaugural event, the first of its kind in Australia, will be held alongside Melbourne Music Week.

Hosted by the City of Melbourne and titled “We Can Get Together”, the symposium reinforces Melbourne’s position as one of the world’s top music cities.   

Leading Australian and international guest speakers, industry representatives, academics, economists, journalists, planners and musicians will discuss what makes a music city, focusing on the relationship between urban planning, economic growth, industry development and music making.

The symposium will hear  from Canada’s Amy Terrill, Vice President Public Affairs Music Canada, Professor Robert Kronenburg, Roscoe Chair of Architecture at the University of Liverpool, local musician and producer James Black, City of Melbourne Arts and Culture chair Councillor Rohan Leppert and key players from Melbourne’s music industry.

The one-day event and aims to showcase solutions, programs and techniques used around the world to boost economic activity, promote music making and improve city life.

RMIT PhD candidate, Australian Postgraduate Award recipient and sessional teacher Samuel Whiting will be attending the symposium as a delegate, alongside other staff from the Bachelor of Arts (Music Industry).

“This will be an opportunity for me to gain some valuable industry insights,” he said.

“I am looking forward to talking with local industry representatives, musicians and government delegates about the state of the local live music scene and the role of venues within it.”

Whiting’s doctoral research is entrenched within the Melbourne live music scene, drawing attention to how the city’s small-scale live music venues of function as social hubs for musicians, music industry professionals, arts workers and other creatives.

He also worked as a research assistant on the 2014 Live Music Report, The Economic and Cultural Value of Live Music in Australia, speaking to passionate venue owners regarding the sacrifices they make to ensure Melbourne’s position as a vibrant music city.

Whiting believes that partnerships with local music industry events such as the Melbourne Music Symposium will greatly benefit RMIT’s awareness of the local scene and the University’s standing within it.

“RMIT has a long history of involvement within the local music industry, and this involvement will only continue and develop further with partnerships such as this,” he said. 

Bachelor of Arts (Music Industry) Program Manager Dr Ed Montano also emphasised the advantages of collaborating with leading international industry figures and academics.

“Being involved in this event alongside the City of Melbourne will provide us with incredible opportunities for networking, increasing our industry connections and boosting the profile of our music program,” he said.

“We hope this partnership will be the first of many with the inaugural event.”

Montano is also working on a student-led, on-campus live music event for Melbourne Music Week, with more details to be announced soon.

The Melbourne Music Symposium 2015 (Thursday, 12 November) is an outcome of the City of Melbourne Music Strategy 2014-17, in partnership Monash University and RMIT University and supported by Face The Music and PBS 106.7FM.

Story: Emma Morgan