Music SA

Music SA, formerly AusMusicSA and also known as South Australian Contemporary Music Company Ltd, is a non-profit organisation whose aims are to promote, support and develop contemporary music in South Australia, which it does by providing training at many levels, professional development advice and live performance opportunities.

It presents the annual South Australian Music Awards (also known as SA Music Awards and SAM Awards), puts on the two-week celebration of live music, Umbrella: Winter City Sounds, and organises a number of other musical events throughout the year.

History

AusMusicSA was established on 23 July 1997 as the South Australian Contemporary Music Development Company, trading as AusMusic SA. In 2004, Music SA Online was established, and in 2005 the organisation started the Contemporary Music Program in 29 secondary schools. From 2007 to 2010, it ran the Louder Than Words Festival in regional SA, and from 2008 to 2012 the Coopers Alive Festival. It also managed the Fuse Festival.[1]

In 2010, Music SA became a Registered Training Organisation, and in the same year Ausmusic SA was re-branded as Music SA. The organisation engaged in several collaborations with other partners, such as Flinders University, the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) Awards, and local radio stations, and has also published several guides relevant to the contemporary music industry.[1]

In 2015 Lisa Bishop (who is also deputy chair of Adelaide Fringe and a film producer), became CEO/general manager of Music SA, and as of August 2019 still holds the position.[2][3][4]

In 2015 Music SA took over responsibility for the Fowlers Live Music Awards, renamed the South Australian Music Awards (or SA Music Awards).[1]

Umbrella: Winter City Sounds, a two-week live music festival, was launched in 2016, which in 2017 put on 300 events, funded by the Australia Council and the SA Tourism Commission and as of August 2019 is an annual event.[1]

In 2017 Music SA launched the Girls To The Front music education program for teenage girls.[1]

Music SA's focus has broadened since its inception, from an organisation with a focus on music courses in schools to a nationally recognised industry body which "educates,...advocates, promotes, mentors, supports and markets artists and industry personnel and focusses on building a thriving contemporary music community in SA".[1]

Location

From sometime before 2007 until 2015, Music SA was located on Level 1 of the Lion Arts Centre, with the address given as "Fowlers Building" for some of that time.[5][6][7] From 2015 and as of August 2020 it is situated in St Paul's Creative Centre in Pulteney Street.[8]

Activities

Music SA's activities are aimed at benefiting the music industry in South Australia. To that end, it manages an informative SA music website; runs contemporary music workshops and training programs in schools; provides professional development services for artists and practitioners; runs music business events and seminars; provides opportunities for live performances; runs an accredited music business training program; runs Vocational Education Training (VET) programs for secondary schools; and since 2015 has been responsible for the SA Music Awards.[8]

In collaboration with the Live Music Office, it creates the Live Music Census, which analyses the music supply chain in South Australia, including song-writing, retail, manufacturing, recording studios, dedicated music media, education, and live music gigs and festivals.[9]

In addition to these, it puts on a number of events and programs: Umbrella: Winter City Sounds, a two-week festival; Adelaide Sounds, a live music series performed at Adelaide Airport every Friday afternoon and alternate Saturdays and Sundays since 2013;[10] Bands On Track, a competition in which the winners get to play as support acts at the Superloop Adelaide 500 after-race concerts,[11] and Clip It! music video competition.[8] Umbrella: Winter City Sounds 2019 featured hundreds of acts in small venues across greater Adelaide.[12]

In July 2017, Music SA created an event known as Scouted, an event run as part of Umbrella: Winter City Sounds and in conjunction with Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR), with the aim of giving a platform to some of South Australia's most prominent unsigned musical talents, spread across venues in Adelaide's East End. The first event featured electronic duo Electric Fields, Young Offenders, Bec Stevens, Alana Jagt, Timberwolf, Heaps Good Friends and others.[13][14] The event helped to boost the participants' careers, and the 2018 event was held at around the same time as the AIR Awards and Indie-Con.[15]

In the summer of 2018, Music SA and the City of Adelaide presented a series six of lunchtime and early evening concerts, called Rock The Square to showcase up-and-coming music talent in Adelaide. Lunchtime and evening concerts in Victoria Square/Tarndanyangga featured newcomers Kashaguava, Camp Coyote, Naomi Keyte, Cowboys of Love, hot mess, Madura Green, Alana Jagt and Corey Theatre Music.[16]

South Australian Music Awards

Background

Fowler's Live Music Awards started in 2012, and these were renamed the South Australian Music Awards (or SA Music Awards or SAM Awards[17]) when custodianship was handed to Music SA in 2015.[1][18] Major partners are as of 2019 the South Australian Government's Music Development Office (in the Department of Innovation & Skills[19]), The Music, Moshtix & Australian Hotels Association.[20]

2018

In 2018 there were three groups of categories, People's Choice Awards, Industry Awards and three Extra Awards.[21] The seven-piece rock band West Thebarton won four awards, including Best Group, Best Song ("Bible Camp") and Best Release (Different Beings Being Different). Hip-hop band A.B. Original took the Best Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Artist Award for their single "Blaccout", after having scooped five awards the previous year. Zephyr Quartet won the UNESCO International Collaboration Award and Tam Boakes was awarded the Music SA Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to Adelaide's live music scene and venue, Jive.[17]

2019

There were a few changes in 2019. The APRA/AMCOS Emily Burrows Award, instituted in 2001 in memory of Emily Burrows, a former APRA AMCOS membership representative and compliance officer and awarded to a South Australian artist or band,[22] was included in the ceremony. The "World Music" category was replaced with "Soul/Funk/RnB", and the "Best Engineer" category was split into "Best Live Engineer" and "Best Studio Engineer".[23]

The event took place in Bonython Hall at the University of Adelaide on 22 November 2019. Kelly Menhennett, Jimblah, Stellie, Jess Day, Horror My Friend and Electric Fields gave live performances.[23] Included in the winners were:[23]

  • Horror My Friend's "Turned Loose" won Best Song, the band won Best Group, and Ryan Sahb won Best Music Video for their song "Dopamine Waster";
  • Adrian Eagle won Best Solo and Best Release for "A.O.K.";
  • Dead Roo took out the APRA/AMCOS Emily Burrows Award;
  • Jess Day was recognised as Best New Artist;
  • Porchland shared the award for Best Festival/Event with punk rock mini-festival Stonecutters;
  • Neville Clark won the Music SA Lifetime Achievement Award; and
  • Lion Arts Factory took out Best Venue.

2020

The 2020 Awards took place on 3 November 2020 at the open-air venue known as the College Green at Adelaide University. The inaugural presentation of a new award, the Innovation Award, was presented by CityMag magazine.[24] Winners included:[24]

  • Luke Penman of Play/Pause/Play (Innovation Award);
  • Lion Arts Factory (Best Venue));
  • Jess Day, (Best Song, for "Affection", and Best Artist);
  • Siberian Tiger, and Slowmango (joint winners, Best New Artist);
  • Wing Defence (best group);
  • Seabass (APRA AMCOS Emily Burrows Award);
  • Jessica Wishart (Best Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander Artist), and Best Country; and
  • Naomi Keyte (Best Folk).

Funding

As of August 2019, Music SA receives funding from the Government of South Australia, previously through Arts South Australia and since 2018, through the Department of Innovation and Skills. It also receives project funding from the City of Adelaide, the Australian Hotels Association (SA Branch), APRA, AMCOS and the Live Music Events Fund. It also receives support from a range of commercial sponsors.[8]

In November 2018, after Minister for Industry and Skills David Pisoni had attended the 2018 SA Music Awards, the Government announced more than A$500,000 in funding to support the growth of live music in South Australia. Pisoni praised Music SA for its work in raising the profile of the awards and the local music industry.[17]

Funding for Indigenous musicians

In January 2019, Music SA announced the establishment of a new scholarship and internship plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians, made possible by the support of an anonymous donor, whose contribution was matched by Music SA.[25]

In April 2019, just before the election, the federal government announced its Australian Music Industry Package, which included A$22.5 million to provide small businesses with grants, capped at A$10,000 and spread over four years, to fund artist programming and improving infrastructure for live performances. With this package came a commitment to establishing a national development program to help Indigenous musicians and groups tour and record, with the program and funding to be administered by Music SA.[26]

References
  1. Walter, Skye (9 October 2017). "Twenty Years of Music SA!". MusicSA. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  2. "Lisa Bishop". LinkedIn. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  3. Czuchwicki, Jonty (16 February 2015). "Taking On The Wider Music Industry Issues". The Music. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  4. Kahl, Brittney (21 March 2017). "A Week In The Life Of… Lisa Bishop, General Manager of MusicSA". Music Industry Inside Out. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  5. "Contact". MusicSA. Archived from the original on 22 February 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  6. "Contact". MusicSA. Archived from the original on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  7. "Contact". MusicSA. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  8. "About". MusicSA. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  9. "2017 Adelaide Live Music Census". Live Music Office. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  10. "Adelaide Sounds". Cities of music network. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  11. "Local bands announced to open Superloop Adelaide 500 After Race Concert Series" (PDF). Music SA. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2019. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. "2019 Program". Umbrella Winter City Sounds 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  13. "Music Sa Launches - Scouted: A Music Showcase Across Adelaide's East-End". ATG. 15 May 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  14. John, Brandon (13 July 2017). "Seven of the best unsigned acts in Adelaide right now with Music SA's Lisa Bishop". Tone Deaf. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  15. "How Music SA's Scouted is helping take adelaide bands to the next level". The Music. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  16. "Music SA and the City of Adelaide present: Rock The Square - Summer In The City". Yewth. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  17. Pisoni, David (9 November 2019). "Govt support for homegrown talent and live music". Government of South Australia. Steven Marshall, Premier. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  18. "sam awards 2015 winners announced". Music SA. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  19. "Music Development Office". Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  20. "[Home]}". SA Music Awards. 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  21. "South Australian Music Awards Winners Announced". Adelaide Review. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  22. "Emily Burrows Award recipients hit WOMADelaide". APRA AMCOS. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  23. Von Einem, Johnny (25 November 2019). "Who won what at the 2019 SAM Awards?". Citymag. Pictures: Dave Court. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  24. Von Einem, Johnny (5 November 2020). "Who won what at the 2020 South Australian Music Awards?". CityMag. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  25. Marsh, Walter (15 January 2019). "New industry scholarship announced for Indigenous musicians". Adelaide Review. Retrieved 10 August 2019. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  26. Marsh, Walter (1 April 2019). "$31 million national live music plan to include Music SA-run Indigenous program". Adelaide Review. Retrieved 10 August 2019. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)


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