Hello members and supporters,
Today is my last day as CEO of Music Victoria after ten years and three months at the helm.
Music Victoria was established in 2009 just in time to assist the music community rebuild from the liquor licensing crisis, when draconian liquor licensing laws which threatened our grassroots venues led to the music community standing up for what they believed at the SLAM Rally.
And ten years later I leave as we begin to emerge from the ashes of another crisis – the 2020 Covid pandemic.
Music Victoria appreciates what a difficult year it has been for the music community – one of the worst affected industries. But we are far more connected and organised than we were ten years ago, and Music Victoria is strong and established and here for you. We have the ear of the government, which no longer treats us as a nuisance, but an ally. We’re a serious economic driver, soft diplomacy ambassador, the soundtrack and soul of the state, and an important salve in the recovery of the state.
Victorians are crying out to hear your new songs and see you perform live again. We have also undertaken research to learn about better models from overseas so hopefully the industry can make some improvements.
Thanks to all of the board members who have overseen the organisation for over ten years, everyone who has worked for Music Victoria or partnered with us, and all of the members who have supported us. Please stay connected to this great organisation, and take care of each other.
General Manager Dale Packard will be Acting CEO until the new CEO is announced.
See you at a gig sometime,
Patrick Donovan
PSA for our members: We've received confirmation that Virgin Australia is not currently honouring the musician baggage allowance upgrade previously offered to our members.
Members wishing to claim the Virgin baggage upgrade will receive the following email:
Thank you for your email. With Virgin Australia constantly reviewing and adjusting our schedule due to the travel restrictions placed by the respective Federal and State Governments due to COVID-19, it does require us to review some of the current allowances that we offer to support the industry. Regretfully, due to the current situation with COVID-19 and the increase in demand for cargo and baggage to assist affected travellers we cannot extend the additional baggage allowance at this moment.
We will regularly review this and do anticipate to offer this allowance in the future.
Thank you for your understanding.
Virgin Australia
We are pleased to confirm that Qantas are still honouring the 69 kg luggage upgrade. Our members can login to their member account at musicvictoria.com.au/login/ for info on claiming the upgrade.
We will be in communication with Virgin via AMIN and will keep our members updated if we hear any news on the recanted Virgin offering.
Alice Skye, Elizabeth, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever & Simona Castricum announced to perform at the 2020 Music Victoria Awards
+ partnerships announced with Channel 31, Auslan Stage Left & JMC Academy
Ahead of the 16th annual Music Victoria Awards this year, Music Victoria are pleased to reveal a killer lineup of acts set to grace our screens this December for the unique live-streamed event, which forms part of the Melbourne Music Week program, taking place on opening night. Announcing: beloved singer songwriter Alice Skye, dreamy Melbourne musician Elizabeth, acclaimed indie rock five-piece Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and the incredible synth-pop icon Simona Castricum. These artists will perform live from the Melbourne Recital Centre on Wednesday 9 December, to an intimate live audience of music industry professionals, and broadcast live to the public throughout Australia and the world.
Music Victoria would like to thank 2020 Awards Partners Channel 31 who will be broadcasting the event live on Australian TV and streaming worldwide via Music Victoria’s Youtube Channel. Industry supporters, Auslan Stage Left will be interpreting the event for our deaf community, and JMC Academy will provide students with access to valuable hands-on experience in event production, video editing, online content management and more, thanks to a brand new Education Partnership with the educational institution.
Co-presented by PBS 106.7FM and RRR 102.7FM, the annual Victorian music community love-in celebrates the best music of the year across 20 categories. Victorian artists have contributed immensely to yet another year of great music, despite the COVID-19 crisis. With voting now closed and verdicts currently being calculated for all public and industry-voted categories, the winners of the best Victorian acts, artists, musicians, songs and albums will once again be announced by long-time awards MC’s Lyndelle Wilkinson and Chris Gill on the night. Winners of the best Victorian venues, festival and producer have already been announced at the recent live-streamed Industry Awards event, along with the winner of the inaugural Outstanding Woman in Music Award. Congratulations again to the 2020 industry winners The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood (Best Small Venue), Forum Melbourne (Best Large Venue), Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong (Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue - Over 50 gigs/yr), Theatre Royal, Castlemaine (Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue - Under 50 gigs/yr), Golden Plains (Best Festival), Joelistics (Best Producer) and Sarah Hamilton (Outstanding Woman in Music). The 2020 Music Victoria Hall of Fame Inductees, Mary Mihelakos and Chris Wilson will be officially inducted at the Music Victoria Awards event in December.
The 2020 Music Victoria Awards
Wednesday 9 December, 7.00pm-9.00pm
Melbourne Recital Centre (Elisabeth Murdoch Hall - Invite-only)
Performing live: Alice Skye, Elizabeth, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Simona Castricum
Members of the public can tune in to watch the event live-streamed as it happens here or on Channel 31
Subscribe to get a youtube reminder here
PUBLIC-VOTED NOMINEES
Best Album
Cable Ties – Far Enough
Elizabeth – the wonderful world of nature
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Sideways to New Italy
RVG – Feral
Sampa The Great – The Return
Best Band
Amyl and The Sniffers
Cable Ties
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
RVG
Best Song
Baker Boy – Move
Leah Senior – Evergreen
Mildlife – Rare Air
RVG – I Used To Love You
Sampa The Great – OMG
Best Solo Artist
Angie McMahon
Baker Boy
Briggs
Courtney Barnett
Elizabeth
Gordon Koang
Leah Senior
Sampa The Great
Simona Castricum
Sui Zhen
Best Musician
Amy Taylor (Amyl and The Sniffers)
Erica Dunn (Tropical Fuck Storm, Palm Springs, MOD CON)
Gareth Liddiard (Tropical Fuck Storm)
Gordon Koang
Jen Cloher (Dyson Stringer Cloher)
Romy Vager (RVG)
Sampa Tembo (Sampa The Great)
SilentJay (Sampa The Great, Mandarin Dreams)
Stu Mackenzie (King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard)
Tom Iansek (Big Scary, #1 Dads)
Best Breakthrough Act
Alice Skye
Elizabeth
Grace Cummings
Nat Vazer
Pinch Points
Best Live Act
Amyl and The Sniffers
Cable Ties
Gordon Koang
Sampa The Great
The Teskey Brothers
INDUSTRY-VOTED NOMINEES
Best Regional/Outer Suburban Act
Benny Walker (Echuca)
Bones and Jones (Geelong)
Freya Josephine Hollick (Ballarat)
The Kite Machine (Geelong West)
The Teskey Brothers (Warrandyte)
Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent
Alice Skye
Allara
Kee’ahn
The Merindas
River Boy
Best Blues Album
Aaron Pollock – Separated Through Time
Charlie Bedford – Good to Go
Joey Vincent’s Bakelite Radio – Rosary of Tears
*Lloyd Spiegel – Cut and Run
The Teskey Brothers – Live at The Forum
Best Country Album
The Cartwheels – Self-titled
Lost Ragas – This Is Not A Dream
Michael Waugh – The Weir
Mitch Dean – Holding Back the Levee
Tracy McNeil & The GoodLife – You Be The Lightning
Best Electronic Act
*DRMNGNOW
OK EG
Pugilist
Simona Castricum
Sleep D
Best Experimental or Avant-garde Act
Bridget Chappell
James Rushford
Maria Moles
Natasha Anderson
Robin Fox
Best Folk Album
Charm of Finches – Your Company
Fiona Ross & Shane O'Mara – Sunwise Turn
Liz Frencham – Love and Other Crimes
Louisa Wise – All of These Things
Ruth Hazleton – Daisywheel
Best Heavy Album
Carcinoid – Metastatic Declination
Dead – Raving Drooling
Diploid – Glorify
Internal Rot – Grieving Birth
Sithlord – From Out of the Darkness
Best Hip Hop Act
Birdz
DRMNGNOW
Jordan Dennis
Nomad
Sampa The Great
Best Intercultural Act
Amaru Tribe
Black Jesus Experience
Gelareh Pour's Garden
No Borders Music
Sampa The Great
Best Jazz Album
Andrea Keller – Life Is Brut[if]al
Horns of Leroy – Big Night
JK Group – The Young Ones
Vanessa Perica Orchestra – Love is a Temporary Madness
ZEDSIX – The Shape Of Jazz
Best Reggae and Dancehall Act
Dub FX
Jah Tung
Marvin Priest
Monkey Marc
The Push Reggae Band
Best Rock/Punk Album
Cable Ties – Far Enough
Nuada – Beneath the Swamp
Pseudo Mind Hive – Of Seers and Sirens
RVG – Feral
Shepparton Airplane – Sharks
Best Soul, Funk, Gospel or RnB Album
Karate Boogaloo – Carn The Boogers
Sampa The Great – The Return
Surprise Chef – All News Is Good News
The Teskey Brothers – Live at The Forum
Various Artists – Over Under Away Volume 1: 10 Years of Hopestreet Recordings
INDUSTRY AWARDS WINNERS
Best Small Venue (under 500 capacity) - The Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood
Best Large Venue (over 500 capacity) - Forum Melbourne
Best Festival - Golden Plains
Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue (Over 50 gigs per year) - Barwon Club Hotel – Geelong
Best Regional/Outer Suburban Venue (Under 50 gigs per year) - *Theatre Royal – Castlemaine
Outstanding Woman In Music - Sarah Hamilton (One Of One)
Best Producer - Joelistics: Mo’Ju & Joelistics Ghost Town EP
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
TO BE INDUCTED AT THE MUSIC VICTORIA AWARDS
Mary Mihelakos (industry)
Chris Wilson (musician)
Music Victoria thanks Major Partners Bendigo Bank, City of Melbourne, Creative Victoria and Melbourne Recital Centre for their ongoing support of the Music Victoria Awards.
*Music Victoria Board Member Tim Heath is a co-owner of Regional Venue winner Theatre Royal. *VMDO/Songlines staff member Neil Morris is nominated for his work under the performing name DRMNGNOW. Music Victoria Artist Advisory Panel member Lloyd Spiegel is nominated in the Best Blues Album category. These Awards are industry-voted by independent panels, and nominees are not involved in the voting process.
Nothing about this year has been easy.
But the hardest thing of all has been missing the people we love most.
Collectively, we’ve missed the big moments and the small.
Birthdays and barbeques. Special dinners and cups of tea.
Those things we didn’t even know we’d miss – until we realised just how precious they really were.
But we did it. Because staying apart meant keeping each other safe.
Today, because of that sacrifice, our state can be whole again. Families will be whole again too.
From 11:59pm tonight, the boundary between Melbourne and regional Victoria will come down.
The 25-kilometre limit will no longer be in place.
And Victorians will be able to make up for lost time with loved ones.
There’re some other changes too.
The rules that currently apply to regional Victoria will apply to the whole state – wherever you live.
For Melbourne, that means visits to the home will be relaxed – a little.
You can still only have a maximum of two people to visit per day. Going forward though, those two people don’t need to be from the same household, and they’ll be able to come at different times.
It’s really important that people stick within these rules. The data is very clear on this: so many of our recent outbreaks were connected to home visits.
Home is where we relax, where we feel comfortable – which is precisely why it’s so dangerous.
There’ll be other changes for Melbourne too. Restaurants, pubs and cafes will be able to host up to 40 customers indoors and 70 outdoors.
Gyms and indoor sporting facilities can open with up to 20 – subject to strict density limits. Indoor sport for those 18 and under can recommence.
Indoor religious ceremonies will be increased to 20, with 50 allowed outside. The same numbers will apply to funerals, but there’s no change to weddings – for now.
Community spaces like libraries or RSLs and neighbourhood houses can have up to 20 indoors, with groups of up to ten.
And accommodation will be able to open – because frankly, Victorians have earned a break.
There are some other changes that we’ve been able to bring forward.
From tonight, and across the state, indoor entertainment venues will be able to open with 20 people per space.
That means movie theatres, galleries, museums and music halls will now be able to open.
Something that I know will mean a whole lot to a whole lot of families, the rules around visiting aged care and hospitals will also be relaxed.
Instead of a specific number of visitors – a household will be able to visit together. Once per day and limited to two hours.
Those under 16 will also be able to visit hospitals. And the time limit for partners visiting maternity wards will no longer exist.
Individual hospitals and facilities though may continue to have their own policies – reflecting the needs of their patients and whatever the virus might be doing in our community.
Reflecting the progress we’ve made – the State of Disaster will not be renewed. But because the virus is still very much with us, the State of Emergency will be extended until 6 December to allow the Chief Health Officer’s directions to remain in force.
From 22 November – and in line with the public health advice – Victoria is on track to reach the Last Step in our roadmap towards reopening.
Private gatherings will be able to increase to 10 people.
Gatherings for religious services, weddings and funerals will also increase too.
Our hospitality venues will be able to have up to 100 indoors, 200 outside.
There’ll also be increases for other indoor venues like cinemas and gym and galleries.
More detail about other changes will be made available online.
Of course, in getting there – we’ll continue to rely on the advice of our public health experts.
And we’ll continue to rely on the efforts of every Victorian.
By now everyone knows the drill when it comes to keeping safe – so I won’t waste words. But I will say this:
We have worked so hard. We have given up so much. And together, we’ve come so far.
We’ve got to protect it.
So, let’s stay safe, stay open – and keep going.
Click here to download the Third Steps PDF document outlining the full list of current restrictions.
By Jon Perring – co-owner, The Tote Hotel and Bar Open
Under the COVID heath restrictions, many venues are looking to move live music gigs outside because venues can host larger audiences outside than inside. However, this poses the problem of, how do you approach the sound reinforcement of the band without creating tensions with your residential neighbours.
There are many technical solutions such as the JBN sound ceiling or setting up cardioid sub-arrays (gradient array loudspeaker). The latter can be set up with existing speakers and a flexible Loudspeaker management controller unit.
However, a lot can be achieved by approaching the task practically and pragmatically especially for a small audience, of under 50 which is the current capacity limit in Melbourne.
First, consider the outside venue site. Don’t point speakers at your neighbours. Point them away from residences, especially any habitable spaces. If you can position physically solid barriers in the sound transmission path, do so. This can help attenuate the sound.
It’s important to ensure that instrument amplifiers are sized to the audience size so a 20 Watt amp is ideal for guitar and keys. Bass amps typically are larger and care is need with bass as it’s the usual culprit in terms of noise complaints. Bass under 100Hz is not directional and can penetrate through lightweight walls into your neighbour's habitable rooms.
The first consideration is to balance the volume of the amplified instruments to the loudest acoustic instrument. This is usually the drum kit. Set the levels of the guitar amp and keyboard amp so they sit together nicely. Then add the bass. None of these instruments needs to go through the PA to be heard for a small gig.
Now mic up the acoustic instruments through the PA that require amplification and balance them accordingly. Typically, this will be the vocals and maybe some other acoustic instruments. If the band has trumpets, they don’t need to be in PA.
In terms of a PA, you can get away with 2 self-powered full-range boxes, a 31 band equaliser and a small mixing desk preferable with inbuild reverb. Some self-powered PA speaker have a low cut switch, if so, use it. Don’t use a sub with the PA.
With such a simple setup, the band can self-mix. The PA speakers, if positioned to cover the band, can double as foldback. As long as the microphones (Dynamic cardioid type mics such as SM 58s) are not pointed directly at the speakers and are at least 45 degrees off-axis, feedback can be easily managed.
We have done thousands of gigs successfully using this configuration in the front bars of both The Tote and Bar Open. It’s no panacea but the idea of finding the balance between the acoustic instruments and the amplified instruments is a practical way of facilitating the mix discussion between the musicians and the venue. Agreeing on sound levels is half the battle.
Ultimately, in Victoria, we have to adhere to the State Environment Protection Policy (SEPP N2). There is no getting around this.
If you are licensed premises, that’s no louder than LA90 + 5 dB(A) before 11 pm (10 pm operating longer than 5 hours), measured outside the nearest resident where LA90 is A-weighted sound pressure level that is exceeded for 90 per cent of the time interval considered.
If that is nonsense to you, the best way to check is to go have a listen. If you think it’s unreasonable, it probably is, so go back to your setup and make adjustments.
Finally, talk to your neighbours. The best protection against noise complaints is dialogue. Chances are, they like music too.
Resources:
Dear members and subscribers,
It was music to Victoria’s ears when Premier Dan Andrews this week announced ‘’Live Music is back’’.
So what exactly does this mean? It’s a gradual opening, and they are small steps, but if the numbers stay down, we are hopeful that more and more musicians will be able to return to rehearse, record, live stream, and perform - initially to small outdoor audiences, and then increasing to larger outdoor events and indoor shows.
Music Victoria has been consulting with various government departments on the easing of restrictions, and will continue to advocate for the sector in the lead up to the Premier’s next announcement regarding the lifting of restrictions on November 8. We have been also liaising with the Environmental Protection Agency and councils on working closely with the venues and musicians to establish good practice guidelines and messaging to encourage co-operation and minimalise adverse amenity.
Clearly live music is part of the State Government’s plan for the state’s recovery, but it’s important to remember that we have a responsibility to ensure we consider residents and the rest of the community – so consult your council and neighbours, don’t play too late, and put away the Marshall stack and downsize your equipment for the initial outdoor shows performing to small crowds.
Here’s a summary of the new rules:
- Live seated outdoor shows can take place in hospitality venues such as pubs, bars and restaurants in metro Melbourne (50) and regional Victoria (70). Band members must be included in the venue cap.
- Venues don’t have to serve food with the live music
- If you have an existing liquor license and are planning on hosting outdoor events, you need to apply through your council first, and then apply for a Temporary Limited Licence through the VCGLR
- Musicians need to stand 2 metres apart on stage
- Performers need to be 5 metres from the audience
- Band members (except singers and woodwind and brass instrumentalists) must wear a face mask while they perform
- Nightclubs can open for seated service of food or beverages only
- You can live-stream from a venue but only essential people can be on site – ie band members, filming crew and a venue representative with the keys to the building
- You can rehearse and record at studios, but must adhere to 1 per 4 square metre distancing requirements (so smaller bands in the smaller rooms) - ensure you have a COVIDSafe plan
- Set building can take place, but you need to comply with construction guidelines
- You can attend an outdoor music lesson, class or practice with up to ten people
Keep an eye out on Music Victoria and Creative Victoria websites for further updates as they come to hand.
Additional official guidance can be found here and here.
Recently, Music Victoria launched the inaugural Artist Consultancy Program, a program to support independent artists/bands with artist development and tailored advice that will enrich and empower their future. This opportunity was available to Musician members of MV, and open to all levels of experience; emerging, established and mid-career.
The lucky group of participating artists will have a unique, one-on-one, hands-on experience with 3 x expert Artist Managers that will assist them in recalibrating for their COVID-normal future, and empower them beyond this program. The following Artist Managers are on the Artist Consultancy Program roster:
Michael Parisi – Michael Parisi Management Michael is a household name to the Australian music industry; he has decades of experience in developing artists from the likes of Regurgitator, Dan Sultan and Stonefield, and has extensive experience in major labels like Warner Music and Mushroom Group.
Alastair Burns – Heartstop Music Alastair is the Director of Heartstop Music, a Melbourne based artist management company that represents Marlon Williams, Julia Jacklin and Phantastic Ferniture. He focuses on building long-term, global touring and recording careers.
Amy Laidlaw – I Hear Django Amy has spent 20 years in the music industry and has a wealth of knowledge in working with both national and international clients. Her expertise spans artist management, tour bookings, visa consultancy and project & event management.
The successful 15 artists who will participate in the program are as follows:
This year’s pilot program is the first of its kind which will return in 2021 for another cohort of Victorian artists.
Music Victoria are looking to hire an Accountant!
This role is 3 days a week and is responsible for the bookkeeping and financial management for Music Victoria and the Victorian Music Development Office. This includes payroll, super, weekly payments, invoicing, recording receipts, financial reporting/analysis, budgeting, BAS, general ledger entries and assisting with the annual audit.
The position is a 24-month contract with a salary of $75,000 per annum pro rata (plus superannuation)
Position Description can be downloaded here.
Applications close: Monday 16 November, 2020
Please send a cover letter and CV to info@musicvictoria.com.au
Zero.
The last time Victoria had zero cases was 9 June, 139 days ago.
Even more incredibly, it’s zero cases off the back of a huge testing drive.
Over the course of this weekend, we asked Victorians living in our northern suburbs to get tested. They did just that.
In 24 hours, we have been able to process an additional 14,024 tests – 3196 of them from these communities. This morning we’ve processed an extra 1157.
And not a single new case has been found.
I want to thank everyone who did the right thing by their community and our state in getting tested. I also want to thank the nurses, lab technicians, collectors, couriers – everyone who has been working around the clock to process these tests.
Because of that effort, we’ve been able to get the results faster than we thought. These results give us confidence – confidence that even if we do identify positive cases in any further tests – we are firmly on top of this virus.
It’s why today I can confirm what we’ve long waited for: Melbourne will move out of lockdown and into the Third Step. Before we get to the bit that almost everyone will be waiting for, an ask:
As we take these steady steps towards reopening, the message remains the same: please, stay safe. And if you have symptoms, you must get tested.
Under the Third Step, and from 11:59pm on Tuesday, Melbourne will move from “stay home” to “stay safe”, with no more restrictions on the reasons to leave home.
The 25-kilometre limit though, will remain in place. I know it’s frustrating, but this is about making sure that even as we ease restrictions, we’re limiting the virus’s ability to travel.
It’s why the border between regional Victoria and Melbourne will also remain in place – for just a bit longer.
Under the Third Step, Melbourne’s cafes, restaurants and pubs can reopen. Outdoors with a limit of up to 50, indoors up to 20. Density limits, record keeping and COVIDSafe Plans also apply.
Remaining retail will also open. Beauty and personal care services can resume. And for those businesses who need to get ready for their reopening – staff will be able to attend onsite straight away.
Outdoor contact sport for those aged 18 and under will also begin again – so too can non-contact sport for adults. PT, fitness and dance classes can also be held outdoors with up to ten people, and the number of people at outdoor pools can increase to 50, subject to density limits.
Libraries and community venues will be able to open for outdoor events. Outdoor entertainment venues can also begin hosting visitors.
And faith communities will be able to meet for outdoor religious ceremonies with up to 20 people, in addition to those required for the service. Indoor services can be held with up to 10.
Weddings will increase to ten people, and funerals up to 20.
Workplaces will no longer need to be on the permitted work list to open and the ability to work will change to “if you can work from home you must work from home”.
While the boundary is in place, work permits will still be required for workers from Melbourne travelling into regional Victoria – and vice versa.
I know the thing many people are missing is having people over to visit – but as we’ve seen, this virus is at its most dangerous when we’re indoors and relaxed and comfortable.
It’s why we’re going to take the next 24 hours to understand how we might be able to make this work – safely – and I’ll have more to say about this tomorrow.
From 8 November, and if we can continue driving case numbers down, the 25km limit will come off and Melbourne will be able to meet regional Victoria at the same level.
That means the same eased restrictions that apply to regional Victoria will also apply to Melbourne.
The capacity of pubs and restaurants will increase, with up to 40 inside and 70 outside.
Religious gatherings will expand with up 20 people and a faith leader indoors, and 50 outside.
Gyms and indoor fitness will be able to reopen – with some strict safety precautions in place.
And because Melburnians will have well and truly earnt a holiday, accommodation will also reopen.
The border between the city and the rest of our state will also fall away.
I know personally – deeply – just how much this will mean for thousands of Victorians who haven’t been able to see loved ones for far too long.
It will mean families are whole again. Our state is whole again.
I understand there'll be questions, “what about X?” or “when can I do Y?”. And I promise, we’ll also have an update on 8 November on the timelines and thresholds for taking the Last Step.
We want to reach COVID Normal by Christmas and right now, we’re on track to do that.
It’s why we’ve got to keep going – all of us. Understanding that even though restrictions may ease, our personal responsibility in all this doesn’t.
We have come so far and given so much.
Getting here – and staying here – relies on the efforts of every Victorian.
Keep going.
Documents detailing the easing of Metro Melbourne's restrictions can be found at the bottom of this webpage here.
Bonnie Dalton, the inaugural General Manager of the Victorian Music Development Office, has resigned to take up the role as Creative Victoria’s Senior Manager of Contemporary Music.
Bonnie was first employed by Music Victoria in 2017 as Professional Conference Organiser to deliver the Music Cities Conference with Music Victoria, Creative Victoria and Sound Diplomacy, and after shining in that role, was employed as General Manager of the Victorian Music Development Office in 2018.
In partnership with Creative Victoria, the VMDO quickly established the office’s reputation for providing innovative support to the industry, and new opportunities through strategic partnerships with complementary industries such as games and film and international markets such as China.
During the Covid pandemic, Music Victoria seconded Bonnie to Creative Victoria in a part time Industry Liaison role where she helped design funding and strategic programs including the Victorian Live Music Venues Program.
Music Victoria CEO Patrick Donovan thanked Bonnie for her important work for Music Victoria:
‘’Bonnie has been a force since she joined Music Victoria in 2017. She threw her energy, verve and strategic thinking into the role and after hiring her gun team, they quickly put the VMDO on the map in a short space of time.
‘’This is a very exciting opportunity for Bonnie, and fantastic news for the industry to have someone with such an intricate knowledge of the sector representing their interests in government during this critical time as the government prepares its Creative Industries strategy for the next 4 years.’’
Music Victoria Chair Sally Howland added: “From zero to hero. That’s what Bonnie has achieved with the VMDO during her relatively short tenure. She dreamt up ideas, conceptualised them, then delivered. Always seeking to add value. She has done that in spades for the Victorian Music industry. She is absolutely well placed to continue her fantastic work with Creative Victoria and we wish her all the best”
Bonnie said: ‘’It’s been an incredible two and a half years here and I’m so proud of the VMDO and everything it’s achieved so far. I’ve had the privilege of working with an exceptional team and with the support of the sector, Music Victoria and Creative Victoria.
‘’Thank you so much to the incredible people who have been a part of everything – presenters, panellists and participants. The VMDO is in great hands with Katie Stewart as the new General Manager and First Peoples projects being delivered in partnership with Songlines Aboriginal Music, the peak body for First Peoples Music.’’
Bonnie finishes up with the VMDO today and commences her new role at Creative Victoria on Monday.
VMDO Music Business Manager Katie Stewart will be acting as temporary VMDO General Manager from Monday October 26, until December 31.