director of nz - APRA
director of nz - APRA
director of nz - APRA
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<strong>APRA</strong> is an association <strong>of</strong> composers, authors and publishers <strong>of</strong><br />
music in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific having<br />
affiliations with similarly constituted organisations around the world.<br />
BRANCHES:<br />
WRITER DIRECTORS:<br />
Arthur Baysting [New Zealand]<br />
Eric McCusker<br />
Richard Meale LLD AM MBE<br />
Jenny Morris<br />
Chris Neal<br />
Michael Perjanik [Chairman]<br />
PUBLISHER DIRECTORS:<br />
Robert Aird<br />
Universal Music Publishing Pty Ltd<br />
John Anderson<br />
EMI Songs Australia Pty Ltd<br />
Ian James<br />
Mushroom Music Pty Ltd<br />
Adam Lang<br />
Warner/Chappell Music Australia Pty Ltd<br />
Fifa Riccobono<br />
J Albert & Son<br />
Damian Trotter<br />
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Australia Pty Ltd<br />
CHIEF EXECUTIVE:<br />
Brett Cottle LLB<br />
DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION:<br />
Nicholas Hampton FCA<br />
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE:<br />
Alexander Jeliba Fasa Senior<br />
DIRECTOR OF NZ OPERATIONS:<br />
Mike Chunn<br />
REGISTERED OFFICE:<br />
6-12 Atchison Street<br />
St Leonards NSW 2065<br />
Telephone: 02 9935 7900<br />
Facsimile: 02 9935 7999<br />
Email: apra@apra.com.au<br />
Internet: www.apra.com.au<br />
VICTORIA<br />
3-5 Sanders Place<br />
Richmond VIC 3121<br />
Telephone: 03 9426 5200<br />
Facsimile: 03 9426 5211<br />
QUEENSLAND<br />
168 Barry Parade<br />
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006<br />
Telephone: 07 3257 1007<br />
Facsimile: 07 3257 1113<br />
SOUTH AUSTRALIA<br />
Unit 54, 55 Melbourne Street<br />
North Adelaide SA 5006<br />
Telephone: 08 8239 2222<br />
Facsimile: 08 8239 0744<br />
WESTERN AUSTRALIA<br />
Suite 1, 12-20 Railway Road<br />
Subiaco WA 6008<br />
Telephone: 08 9382 8299<br />
Facsimile: 08 9382 8224<br />
NEW ZEALAND HEAD OFFICE<br />
92 Parnell Road<br />
Auckland, New Zealand<br />
Telephone: 64 9 379 0638<br />
Facsimile: 64 9 379 3205<br />
PO Box 6315<br />
Auckland, New Zealand<br />
APrap EDITOR:<br />
Debbie Kruger<br />
March APrap CONTRIBUTORS:<br />
Marie-Louise Ayers<br />
Terri Janke<br />
Rebecca Moore<br />
APrap EMAIL:<br />
krug@apra.com.au<br />
The opinions expressed in articles<br />
in APrap are not necessarily those<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Australasian Performing<br />
Right Association.<br />
APrap is designed and produced<br />
by Elastik Pty Limited.<br />
Cover photo: Tony Mott<br />
© 2003 Australasian Performing Right<br />
Association Ltd, Sydney, Australia.<br />
Print Post No:<br />
255003/02262<br />
ISSN: 1441-4910<br />
Electronic Banking at <strong>APRA</strong><br />
Would you like immediate access to your royalties?<br />
Sick <strong>of</strong> waiting in endless bank queues just to deposit your royalties?<br />
Electronic Banking Form<br />
You can choose to have your <strong>APRA</strong> royalties paid directly into your nominated bank account. All you have to do is give us your bank<br />
details and we will arrange for all future royalty payments to be directly paid into your nominated account.<br />
Simply fill out the details below and mail to:<br />
<strong>APRA</strong>, Writer Services Department<br />
Locked Bag 3665<br />
St. Leonards NSW 1590<br />
Name <strong>of</strong> Member:<br />
9 digit member ID Number (if known):<br />
Name <strong>of</strong> bank:<br />
Name <strong>of</strong> account:<br />
BSB:<br />
Account number:
WELCOME to APrap<br />
2003 is shaping up to be a busy year for <strong>APRA</strong> and in this issue <strong>of</strong> APrap<br />
we outline some <strong>of</strong> the major events that we’re working on for our<br />
members. As you can see on the opposite page, it’s time to vote for <strong>APRA</strong><br />
Song <strong>of</strong> the Year. The <strong>APRA</strong> Music Awards will take place in Sydney on<br />
May 19 and, as initiated successfully last year, we will also be holding<br />
separate awards nights for our Classical and Screen Music composers in<br />
August and November respectively.<br />
<strong>APRA</strong> will be going on the road in April, June and July with our annual<br />
Member Seminar program, details <strong>of</strong> which you will find on page 4. You can<br />
read the latest important information on member services in Sally<br />
Howland’s Member News update on page 7. We bring you some fascinating<br />
industry information from two experts – on page 3 Terri Janke,<br />
Entertainment, Cultural Heritage and Media Lawyer and Consultant writes<br />
about protocols for working with Indigenous creators <strong>of</strong> music, and on<br />
page 16 Marie-Louise Ayres outlines the Music Australia project being<br />
jointly developed by the National Library and ScreenSound Australia.<br />
APrap contains two new features in this issue which will become regular<br />
items. “What’s My Scene” (with thanks to Dave Faulkner) is a new column<br />
where a songwriter responds on the spot to a series <strong>of</strong> questions<br />
specifically about music. Paul Dempsey is in the hot seat this time on<br />
page 4. And “Let’s Work Together” examines interesting collaborations<br />
between composers who might not ordinarily join forces creatively. Peter<br />
Sculthorpe and Tim Freedman talk about their friendship and co-writing<br />
on pages 5-6.<br />
We are looking to expand our Composer Pr<strong>of</strong>ile features to include<br />
members who work outside the commercial mainstream in pop and rock,<br />
so this issue we talk to Flynn Gower <strong>of</strong> the Bondi-based group Cog about<br />
their songwriting process.<br />
As always at the beginning <strong>of</strong> the year, <strong>APRA</strong> was in attendance at the<br />
Country Music Festival in Tamworth, and we spoke to three rising stars <strong>of</strong><br />
country songwriting on pages 11-13, as well as recapping on the<br />
successful <strong>APRA</strong> workshops that we held during the festival on page 14.<br />
This is the last time you will see my name as editor <strong>of</strong> APrap. It has been<br />
a pleasure bringing you a quality members’ journal and I have thoroughly<br />
enjoyed interviewing the wonderful songwriters and composers whose<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>iles have graced these pages over the past eight issues. APrap will no<br />
doubt continue to be an enjoyable and informative read under its new<br />
editor.<br />
Debbie Kruger<br />
CONTENTS:<br />
1 WELCOME<br />
2 SONG OF THE YEAR VOTING<br />
2 MEMBERS SURVEY<br />
3 INDIGENOUS MUSIC PROTOCOLS<br />
- Terri Janke<br />
4 WHAT’S MY SCENE<br />
- Paul Dempsey<br />
4 <strong>APRA</strong> ROADSHOW<br />
5 LET’S WORK TOGETHER<br />
- Peter Sculthorpe and Tim Freedman<br />
7 MEMBER NEWS<br />
8 MUSIC BUSINESS PROFILE<br />
- The deen<br />
9 HAVE AWARD WILL TRAVEL<br />
- PDA winner Rebecca Moore<br />
10 COMPOSER PROFILE<br />
- Cog<br />
11 SONGWRITERS IN TAMWORTH<br />
14 <strong>APRA</strong> IN TAMWORTH<br />
15 INTERNATIONAL NOTES<br />
15 3MBS COMPOSER COMPETITION<br />
16 AUSTRALIAN MUSIC PROJECT<br />
17 WHAT’S HAPPENING<br />
- Publisher news<br />
18 SCREENRAP<br />
18 VALE<br />
- Eric Jupp<br />
19 WHAT’S HAPPENING<br />
- Writer news<br />
21 NATIONAL UPDATE<br />
<strong>APRA</strong> MUSIC AWARDS<br />
VOTE FOR <strong>APRA</strong> SONG OF THE YEAR<br />
Alex LLoyd<br />
Last year it was Alex Lloyd’s “Amazing” that<br />
was considered by <strong>APRA</strong> members to be the<br />
most memorable and well-crafted song <strong>of</strong> the<br />
previous year.<br />
MEMBERS SURVEY 2003<br />
<strong>APRA</strong> aims to deliver the best in collective rights administration on behalf <strong>of</strong> our<br />
members. The impact <strong>of</strong> technology and legislation domestically and internationally<br />
continues to shape our business in pr<strong>of</strong>ound ways. These influences present many<br />
operational challenges to which we are dedicated to finding appropriate solutions.<br />
<strong>APRA</strong>’s mandate, however, is as much about providing a satisfactory level <strong>of</strong> service to<br />
members as it is about collecting and distributing money. In that sense we’re constantly<br />
looking to improve our business practices and to respond to members’ needs more<br />
effectively. Your input and opinions relating to our performance as a members<br />
association are critical in helping us to develop appropriate services on your behalf.<br />
<strong>APRA</strong> will be conducting a survey <strong>of</strong> members in April 2003. Designed to measure our<br />
performance across a range <strong>of</strong> issues, we encourage all members to have a say by<br />
completing the on-line survey. The survey will be conducted purely on-line and will be<br />
sent to those members who have provided an email address. If you would like to<br />
participate in the survey, please contact your nearest Writer Services <strong>of</strong>fice to ensure we<br />
have your current email address.<br />
Now it’s time for you to look back over<br />
the songs that made an impact in 2002 to<br />
vote again for <strong>APRA</strong> Song <strong>of</strong> the Year –<br />
the highest honour an Australian song<br />
can achieve.<br />
Your choice is not restricted to one genre<br />
<strong>of</strong> music. Enclosed in this issue <strong>of</strong> APrap<br />
with your ballot form are comprehensive<br />
lists <strong>of</strong> songs that featured in the pop,<br />
rock, dance and country charts in 2002.<br />
But these lists are only intended as a<br />
guide to refresh your memory; if there is<br />
a song you believe worthy <strong>of</strong> the award<br />
that is not listed, you are encouraged to<br />
vote for it. The only provisos are that the<br />
song must be composed by an Australian<br />
who is an <strong>APRA</strong> member, and it must have<br />
been released and performed in 2002.<br />
If you would prefer to lodge your vote<br />
electronically, you can go to the <strong>APRA</strong> website<br />
at www.apra.com.au and find both the voting<br />
form and lists <strong>of</strong> eligible songs online.<br />
Voting closes at close <strong>of</strong> business on<br />
Monday March 31. The <strong>APRA</strong> Song <strong>of</strong><br />
the Year will be announced at the <strong>APRA</strong><br />
Music Awards on Monday May 19 in<br />
Sydney.<br />
If you have any queries about voting for<br />
<strong>APRA</strong> Song <strong>of</strong> the Year or about the <strong>APRA</strong><br />
Music Awards in general, please contact<br />
Sally Howland, Director Member Services<br />
at showland@apra.com.au.<br />
2
PROTOCOLS FOR PRODUCING<br />
INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN MUSIC<br />
Terri Janke Entertainment, Cultural Heritage and Media Lawyer and Consultant<br />
A new set <strong>of</strong> protocols booklets for working<br />
with Indigenous creators has been released by<br />
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts<br />
Board <strong>of</strong> the Australia Council. ATSIAB<br />
commissioned Terri Janke and Company to<br />
develop a set <strong>of</strong> Indigenous cultural protocols<br />
for working with Indigenous artists. The kit<br />
includes New Media Cultures, Visual Cultures,<br />
Writing Cultures (written by Terri Janke) and<br />
Performing Cultures and Song Cultures (written<br />
by Robynne Quiggin). Song Cultures and<br />
Performing Cultures contain some useful advice<br />
for people working with Aboriginal and Torres<br />
Strait Islander music and musicians. These<br />
booklets are important tools for the recognition<br />
<strong>of</strong> Indigenous cultural and intellectual property<br />
rights in the music industry.<br />
What are protocols?<br />
Protocols are appropriate ways <strong>of</strong> using<br />
Indigenous music and cultural material, and<br />
interacting with Indigenous musicians<br />
and Indigenous communities. Protocols<br />
encourage ethical conduct and promote<br />
interaction based on good faith and mutual<br />
respect. Protocols can cover issues that the<br />
current law does not cover.<br />
Indigenous music is <strong>of</strong>ten exploited due to<br />
the shortfalls in protection under copyright<br />
law. Indigenous songs, dances, stories and<br />
knowledge were being appropriated and<br />
commercialised without their consent,<br />
knowledge and without them sharing in any<br />
economic benefits. Many Aboriginal and<br />
Torres Strait Islander songs are orally<br />
transmitted and therefore will not meet the<br />
material form requirement for copyright<br />
protection. However, the person who records<br />
that song is recognised as the copyright<br />
holder <strong>of</strong> the recording. In the past<br />
non-Indigenous ethnomusicologists recorded<br />
many Indigenous songs. These tapes and<br />
recordings are commercially used without<br />
proper regard to Indigenous cultural rights.<br />
This was the scenario in 1992 when Deep<br />
Forest released an album that fused digital<br />
samples <strong>of</strong> Indigenous music from Ghana and<br />
the Solomon Islands with techno-dance<br />
rhythms. The band got access to the digital<br />
samples from the recordists who had worked<br />
with these groups for recording the cultural<br />
archive. Permission was not sought and some<br />
<strong>of</strong> the groups were not credited initially.<br />
Similar circumstances have occurred with<br />
Indigenous Australian groups. Recordings <strong>of</strong><br />
Indigenous Australian songs have been licensed<br />
without proper authority and consent.<br />
Even traditional music should<br />
be respected<br />
Seeking consent for use <strong>of</strong> Indigenous music<br />
is important even if the music is old and out<br />
<strong>of</strong> copyright. Under Indigenous laws, the right<br />
to reproduce or use certain clan songs is also<br />
governed by a complex social system. The<br />
songs are owned collectively and held in trust<br />
by the particular custodian who may<br />
determine whether these songs may be<br />
performed, recorded or used in a particular way.<br />
The protocols encourage respect for<br />
Indigenous cultures by seeking the full and<br />
informed consent <strong>of</strong> Indigenous groups for<br />
use <strong>of</strong> their songs and music and allow for<br />
negotiation <strong>of</strong> royalties for commercial uses<br />
<strong>of</strong> Indigenous music.<br />
Royalties and Indigenous music<br />
Indigenous musicians have also complained<br />
that record companies refuse to pay royalties<br />
on the basis that the songs are traditional<br />
and therefore there is no copyright interest<br />
that they can claim. It is arguable that the<br />
individual Indigenous musician does have an<br />
interest as the interpreter and reviser <strong>of</strong> that<br />
culture. They may also have a copyright<br />
interest as he or she has interpreted the preexisting<br />
song, and given it skill, labour and<br />
effort to create a new work or an adaptation<br />
<strong>of</strong> the work. This type <strong>of</strong> reasoning was used<br />
in the Carpets Case (Milpurrurru v Ind<strong>of</strong>urn)<br />
to show copyright ownership in works that<br />
followed pre-existing designs. Based on the<br />
specific facts <strong>of</strong> these cases, the court<br />
considered that there was sufficient scope<br />
for individual artistic interpretation<br />
notwithstanding that the Aboriginal artworks<br />
in question followed pre-existing traditional<br />
designs. It is possible that the same argument<br />
could apply to songs.<br />
Another issue is that many Indigenous<br />
musicians and composers record their own<br />
music. Many <strong>of</strong> these have no knowledge <strong>of</strong><br />
the mechanical copyright statutory licensing<br />
scheme. The notice provisions do not reach<br />
Indigenous composers and they miss out on<br />
royalties for use <strong>of</strong> their songs. The protocols<br />
booklets include information about collecting<br />
societies such as <strong>APRA</strong> and AMCOS and<br />
encourage wider promotion <strong>of</strong> these<br />
societies’ services to Indigenous groups.<br />
Attribution<br />
Indigenous groups should be attributed for<br />
their Indigenous songs. Songs identify<br />
Indigenous people with a certain group or<br />
with a certain area. This will have important<br />
implications in terms <strong>of</strong> land ownership and<br />
responsibility for land. For instance, in Mabo<br />
v Queensland, dance and songs showed<br />
evidence <strong>of</strong> the ongoing cultural connection<br />
with the land. It is important to consult on<br />
the form <strong>of</strong> attribution Indigenous people<br />
want such as the proper wording and spelling<br />
<strong>of</strong> names and clans.<br />
Integrity<br />
It is also important to seek permission to<br />
ensure that the cultural integrity <strong>of</strong> the work<br />
is maintained. Under Indigenous law, the<br />
traditional custodians are collectively<br />
responsible for ensuring that important<br />
cultural songs are not reproduced<br />
inappropriately. The context <strong>of</strong> the<br />
performance or recording is an important<br />
consideration to ensure that the music is not<br />
used in a derogatory way. Some suggestions<br />
concerning the context in presentation <strong>of</strong><br />
Indigenous music include:<br />
• Language should only be used where its<br />
proper meaning is known or where it is used<br />
in the proper context.<br />
• Observe gender restrictions. For instance,<br />
the use <strong>of</strong> the didgeridoo is generationally<br />
thought to be restricted to men.<br />
• Respect the authenticity <strong>of</strong> a song.<br />
Authenticity refers to the cultural providence<br />
or source <strong>of</strong> a music work.<br />
The way forward<br />
It is hoped that people working in the<br />
industry, such as musicians, singers,<br />
songwriters, record companies, event<br />
managers, arts organisations and others<br />
working with Indigenous music will apply or<br />
adapt the protocols.<br />
For copies contact the Australia Council’s<br />
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Arts Board<br />
PO Box 788, Strawberry Hills NSW 2012<br />
T: 02 9215 9065 Toll free: 1800 226 912<br />
F: 02 9215 9061 Email: atsia@ozco.gov.au<br />
www.ozco.gov.au<br />
WHAT’S MY SCENE?<br />
Paul Dempsey SOMETHING FOR KATE<br />
What are you currently working on?<br />
Album no. 4. Can't wait to get into the studio<br />
and roll tape.<br />
What are you listening to?<br />
Fiona Apple - When the pawn..., Flaming Lips<br />
- Yoshimi battles the pink robots, Dead Man<br />
Ray - Cago, REM, Springsteen, Dylan...<br />
What is your favourite book about<br />
music?<br />
I've read lots <strong>of</strong> bios but I don't think anyone's<br />
writing about music has ever produced the<br />
same reaction in me as LISTENING to music.<br />
So I can't really say that any book about music<br />
has left an impression on me.<br />
What is your favourite film that is<br />
about music or is a musical?<br />
There's more music in 2001 - A Space Odyssey<br />
than there is dialogue so I'll go with that.<br />
What is your favourite music<br />
website?<br />
www.theonion.com is a great site which <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
has good interviews with different bands.<br />
What is the best live gig you've<br />
ever been to, whether you were on<br />
the bill or not?<br />
It's a tie between Fugazi at the Collingwood<br />
Town Hall, Radiohead at Festival Hall and Jon<br />
Brion at Largo.<br />
<strong>APRA</strong> Roadshow<br />
<strong>APRA</strong>’s ever popular capital city roadshow series <strong>of</strong> Members Seminars kicks <strong>of</strong>f this year<br />
in Melbourne at Chapel <strong>of</strong>f Chapel on Monday April 7. The theme this year will focus on<br />
exporting music overseas and related <strong>APRA</strong> international issues and will also cover in some<br />
detail the various grants funding programs available through bodies such as the Australia<br />
Council, AIR (Association <strong>of</strong> Independent Record Labels) and other government initiatives.<br />
A panel <strong>of</strong> industry experts will be on hand to answer the most enquiring <strong>of</strong> minds.<br />
Where and when<br />
Melbourne April 7<br />
Brisbane April 8<br />
Sydney June 16<br />
Adelaide July 7<br />
Perth July 8<br />
What was the quickest song you<br />
have written and which song took<br />
the longest to write?<br />
Quickest was probably “Monsters”, took about<br />
half an hour, and the longest was probably “20<br />
Years” which I messed around with for about<br />
six months. There are songs on our new album<br />
that I've spent 18 months on though...<br />
Who have been your greatest<br />
musical influences?<br />
I can never answer this question as I believe<br />
that I am influenced by everything to an<br />
indefinable degree, music I don't like as much<br />
as music I like, ad jingles, nursery rhymes,<br />
windscreen wipers, politicians...<br />
What do you enjoy the most about<br />
co-writing?<br />
I've never written with anybody other than<br />
Clint and Steph, we have a mutual trust and<br />
instinct that we all get a lot <strong>of</strong> excitement<br />
from and I like being in our exclusive little club.<br />
Who would you most like to<br />
collaborate with and why?<br />
I really enjoy what our band does and how we<br />
do it and although there are endless writers<br />
that I admire, I prefer to do what I do and let<br />
them do what they do. It's an intensely<br />
personal thing for me. I can only express myself.<br />
What is your favourite song that<br />
you've written?<br />
I couldn't say, it changes all the time<br />
depending on my mood.<br />
At the time <strong>of</strong> writing, all venues had not yet been locked in so keep your eye on the <strong>APRA</strong><br />
website for further updates. To register your attendance get in touch your nearest Writer<br />
Services <strong>of</strong>fice. Contact details are on the back cover <strong>of</strong> this issue <strong>of</strong> APrap.<br />
What song by another writer do you<br />
wish you'd written and why?<br />
I've fallen in love with millions <strong>of</strong> songs that I<br />
didn't write, I want to fall in love with<br />
something I DID write. That is the reward I<br />
look for in writing in the first place.<br />
What is a lyric that you can't get<br />
out <strong>of</strong> your head?<br />
Usually the most banal ones.<br />
What is the best career advice you<br />
were ever given?<br />
"If you want to seize the sound, you don't<br />
need a reservation" – “Target” by Fugazi.<br />
If you were not a songwriter, what<br />
might you have ended up doing?<br />
This question always sends me into a<br />
psychological tailspin that can take up to four or<br />
five days to fully recover from. We'll never know...<br />
Paul Dempsey<br />
4
Debbie Kruger finds out how a classical music icon and a rock raconteur<br />
found each other and made beautiful music together.<br />
Tim Freedman’s knowledge <strong>of</strong> contemporary<br />
Australian classical music was limited until<br />
recently.<br />
“I didn’t learn the piano classically. I had a<br />
lady on the other side <strong>of</strong> the suburb who gave<br />
lessons and she taught by giving me a<br />
piece <strong>of</strong> music that I enjoyed playing. So<br />
consequently I’m a black stump musician, and<br />
it wasn’t until I did some formal classes at<br />
high school that I became aware <strong>of</strong> Peter’s<br />
work. The music teacher played us some <strong>of</strong><br />
his compositions that reflected the sounds <strong>of</strong><br />
the Australian bush. I think that’s generally<br />
where Peter gets talked about at high schools.<br />
I had only one album before I met him. And<br />
then when I started hearing some <strong>of</strong> his work<br />
with the ACO I bought three or four CDs so<br />
I was aware <strong>of</strong> the Laments and “Port<br />
Essington” and his String Quartets. So I came<br />
to Peter late in life.”<br />
Now Freedman has just completed a tour with<br />
the Australian Chamber Orchestra, in a program<br />
that featured not only new arrangements <strong>of</strong><br />
songs made famous by his band The Whitlams,<br />
arranged by Richard Tognetti, Daniel Denholm<br />
and Peter Sculthorpe, but also works by John<br />
Adams, Nicolò Paganini and Arvo Pärt. For<br />
someone whose only experience <strong>of</strong> a classical<br />
concert was occasionally taking overseas<br />
visitors to the Opera House, it’s been quite an<br />
evolution for Freedman, and he has his<br />
friendship with Sculthorpe to thank for it.<br />
Prior to meeting Freedman, Sculthorpe’s only<br />
serious forays into the world <strong>of</strong> pop and rock<br />
music were music theatre pieces he wrote in<br />
the 1950s for the Phillip Street Theatre in<br />
Sydney, and an interesting collaboration with<br />
rock group Tully in 1970, for whom he wrote<br />
“Love 200.”<br />
“That was for rock group and orchestra, words<br />
by Tony Morphett,” says Sculthorpe. “We had<br />
LSD fog and smoke in the Town Hall. And<br />
that was really exciting because a lot <strong>of</strong> the<br />
kids slept on the Town Hall steps the night<br />
before to make sure they could get tickets for<br />
the concerts.”<br />
The vast number <strong>of</strong> works Sculthorpe has<br />
composed and/or arranged in his lengthy<br />
career is breathtaking, and he shows no signs<br />
<strong>of</strong> slowing down. He is also working on a<br />
book – on the history <strong>of</strong> music in Tasmania<br />
encompassing classical, rock and everything<br />
in between – and then there is his work with<br />
Freedman. Which is much more than just<br />
work. The legendary classical composer and<br />
the rock songsmith have forged a relationship<br />
that is as natural as their musical<br />
backgrounds are diverse.<br />
They met at the 2001 <strong>APRA</strong> Music Awards.<br />
Sculthorpe had won Most Performed Classical<br />
Work for his composition “Between Five<br />
Bells”. He kept leaving the glass-framed<br />
award lying around – under tables, behind<br />
other people’s chairs – and Freedman took it<br />
upon himself to salvage it and carry it and<br />
himself along with Sculthorpe through the<br />
night to various watering holes. So what<br />
did Sculthorpe think <strong>of</strong> Freedman on first<br />
meeting?<br />
“Well, I’d probably had too much to drink and<br />
I loved the world. I mean, I love the world<br />
even when I’m sober. But I thought he was<br />
great. It’s as simple as that.” Sculthorpe’s<br />
assistant had a collection <strong>of</strong> Whitlams<br />
albums. “I was certainly familiar with the<br />
music. I was thrilled to meet him because I<br />
admired his work so much. I like his tunes, his<br />
melodies are wonderful. I tend to be a<br />
melodist myself. And I especially like the fact<br />
that you can hear the words and the words<br />
are so good, too.”<br />
“I was just surprised that this name from my<br />
past education was at the <strong>APRA</strong> Awards,”<br />
says Freedman <strong>of</strong> his own impressions. “So I<br />
was thrilled to meet Peter.”<br />
What began as a cheerful drinking<br />
companionship inevitably turned into a<br />
mutually inspiring working partnership.<br />
Photo Tony Mott<br />
“Some <strong>of</strong> the Whitlams’ songs have attempted<br />
and sometimes managed to display an<br />
Australian flavour,” Freedman says. “And<br />
Peter had been doing the same thing in a<br />
completely different world and so when he<br />
said he would be open to a collaboration I<br />
just thought it could be serendipitous<br />
because we both try to do the same thing in<br />
different ways. I think we first started<br />
thinking about it seriously when Peter had to<br />
do a piece <strong>of</strong> music about the ocean for that<br />
Sun painting down in Canberra. So he rang<br />
me and said, ‘Do you have any words?’<br />
It was for the John Olsen painting “Sydney<br />
Sun” and Sculthorpe had been asked to write<br />
a piece about it for the National Gallery’s<br />
19th birthday. “I thought it would be good if<br />
I could do a laid-back poppy piece combined<br />
with my own kind <strong>of</strong> music for that,”<br />
relates Sculthorpe. “And that’s where our<br />
collaboration began, with a real object.”<br />
“I was half way through writing this tune<br />
about getting back into the water,” says<br />
Freedman, who has arrived at this interview<br />
straight from a day’s surfing. “So I brought it<br />
over and said, ‘This is what I’ve got at the<br />
moment, which fits your purpose.’ And I left it<br />
with Peter. And he went to town. He wrote a<br />
beautiful introduction and then he wrote<br />
about four movements in the middle <strong>of</strong> the<br />
song, which are very sultry and different for<br />
Peter, in fact. And so that’s where that came<br />
from, a sort <strong>of</strong> commission he had.”<br />
“But as it happened, I had so much other<br />
work on I couldn’t finish the piece for the<br />
Gallery, so they played something else<br />
instead,” Sculthorpe admits.<br />
“But then he finished it for the album,” says<br />
Freedman, speaking <strong>of</strong> The Whitlams’ Torch<br />
The Moon. The song in question was “Out the<br />
Back.”<br />
“I based my harmonies on Tim’s harmonies in<br />
order to give it some kind <strong>of</strong> connection,”<br />
Sculthorpe explains. “Tim’s first harmonic<br />
progression is from a C major chord to a B flat<br />
7 chord. And ‘Out The Back’ oscillates a lot<br />
between those, so so does my piece.<br />
Otherwise I didn’t try to relate too much to<br />
Tim’s piece. But Tim’s piece is in there.”<br />
The result is not so much two separate works<br />
glued together – even though Sculthorpe and<br />
Freedman describe it that way – but one<br />
seamless piece that carries the listener<br />
through a series <strong>of</strong> moods. Ironically,<br />
Freedman says he was trying to decrease the<br />
use <strong>of</strong> strings when he was writing for Torch<br />
the Moon. “I was actually on this album trying<br />
to make it a bit simpler, just the four-piece<br />
band. But that particular song was suited to<br />
the dreamy strings that he could have written<br />
so well, so there are lush moments in an<br />
otherwise bit broader record, I think.”<br />
“Ease <strong>of</strong> the Midnight Visit,” was instantly<br />
Sculthorpe’s favourite, so when the opportunity<br />
came up to write orchestrations for two <strong>of</strong><br />
Freedman’s songs for the ACO tour, that was<br />
an obvious choice after “Out the Back.” While<br />
their work together is actually done separately<br />
– Sculthorpe taking Freedman’s finished song<br />
and embellishing it– there is plenty <strong>of</strong> dialogue<br />
and feedback. Sculthorpe, for instance, was<br />
discussing his intention to have the first third<br />
<strong>of</strong> “Ease <strong>of</strong> the Midnight Visit” as a duet for<br />
ACO artistic <strong>director</strong> and lead violinist Richard<br />
Tognetti, and Freedman has some thoughts<br />
about what he wanted to follow.<br />
“I asked for some buttressing in the chorus. I<br />
always imagined there would be a slight swell<br />
in the chorus. So I respectfully asked Peter if<br />
he could do a bit more work.”<br />
“I’m really pleased about what Tim said,”<br />
Sculthorpe responds. “I think I can really do<br />
something beautiful there, because it’s such a<br />
lovely chord.”<br />
Beyond exchanging ideas for the work in<br />
hand, Sculthorpe and Freedman have not<br />
talked together about their individual writing<br />
methods. “I think what it is, is that you look<br />
up from the piano and you put your pencil in<br />
your mouth,” says Freedman. “You can’t really<br />
dissect that. You just imagine the sounds.<br />
Peter has such a magnificent ear that he<br />
probably thinks – like a good chess player –12<br />
moves ahead. Peter is probably thinking eight<br />
bars ahead, whereas I go two beats at a time.<br />
I go that far and then I try and put another<br />
brick on the melody.”<br />
So will the two work on a larger project<br />
together? An album <strong>of</strong> collaborations a la<br />
Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello, perhaps?<br />
“We haven’t got any plans at the moment<br />
but I’d love to develop my ear and my<br />
writing for the knowledge that Peter has and<br />
do some stuff in the future,” says Freedman.<br />
“I don’t see us doing a whole album – I’d have<br />
to move in for a year.”<br />
Sculthorpe recoils. “Oh my god, I’m moving out.”<br />
Freedman suggests a project in reverse could<br />
be stimulating – if he were to take one <strong>of</strong><br />
Sculthorpe’s completed pieces and do<br />
something with it. He suggests “Djilile,”<br />
which he heard performed last December in<br />
Canberra when Sculthorpe gave his extensive<br />
archive <strong>of</strong> papers to the National Library.<br />
“‘Djilile’ arranged for percussion. I think you<br />
could easily do something with that,” the<br />
elder composer says approvingly.<br />
Sculthorpe is happy to acknowledge some<br />
tangible effect <strong>of</strong> his experience <strong>of</strong> working<br />
with Freedman. “I had to write a piece for<br />
oboe and piano for the Cheltenham Festival<br />
last year. And that was very influenced in<br />
style by ‘Out the Back.’ Harmonically,<br />
melodically and so on. It’s just a very relaxed<br />
piece. There’s one part in the middle called ‘At<br />
Circular Quay’ where we begin with the<br />
sounds at night in Circular Quay and then an<br />
aria starts drifting across the water from the<br />
Opera House. Well, I don’t think I would ever<br />
have written a piece like that if it hadn’t been<br />
for Tim or just working with Tim.”<br />
Freedman beams. “It makes me feel glad that<br />
we’ve been able to bump each other sideways<br />
and move along different tangents than we<br />
may otherwise.”<br />
So what <strong>of</strong> Sculthorpe’s effect on the rock<br />
songwriter? “Peter’s total spectrum is much<br />
broader than mine so I just try and digest<br />
these strange dissonant sounds. Because<br />
Peter’s not trying to make things palatable to<br />
a mainstream audience he merely answers to<br />
his own aesthetic. And that makes for very<br />
interesting tonal flavour and colours which I<br />
need to develop so that my writing keeps<br />
interesting me.”<br />
Sculthorpe then looks at his young friend<br />
just a little sheepishly. “I don’t plan to be<br />
unfaithful to you, Tim, but at the last <strong>APRA</strong><br />
Awards Bruce Rowland and I were carrying<br />
on that we’re going to collaborate with some<br />
country music.”<br />
Look out Kasey Chambers.<br />
6
MEMBER NEWS<br />
Sally Howland, Director Member Services, <strong>APRA</strong><br />
THE DEEN<br />
MUSIC BUSINESS PROFILE<br />
Dean Ormston, Director, General Performance Licensing, <strong>APRA</strong><br />
On-line cue-sheet facility<br />
The ability to submit cue-sheet information<br />
electronically to <strong>APRA</strong> is now a reality. Developed<br />
in-house by <strong>APRA</strong>, the on-line cue-sheet facility,<br />
created specifically for members working in film and<br />
television as well as broadcasters and producers <strong>of</strong><br />
audio visual product, is the latest on-line service<br />
available to members via the <strong>APRA</strong> website.<br />
The new system has twin aims:<br />
• to provide members and music users with an<br />
accessible and efficient system <strong>of</strong> capturing cuesheet<br />
related data electronically by access to a<br />
web based system, and<br />
• to enable <strong>APRA</strong> to make significant efficiencies<br />
in cue-sheet data management<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the principle features <strong>of</strong> the system which<br />
will deliver resource efficiencies is its integration<br />
capabilities with <strong>APRA</strong>’s proprietary computer<br />
system, CMS (Copyright Management System).<br />
Live Performance – ALERT!<br />
Most members will be familiar with <strong>APRA</strong>’s<br />
LPR (Live Performance Return) system, which<br />
relies on members’ self reporting <strong>of</strong> gigs for<br />
distribution purposes. As such, the system is<br />
wholly dependant upon the honesty and<br />
accuracy <strong>of</strong> members’ claims. Sadly, it<br />
appears that some members have been<br />
overstating their submissions. The effect <strong>of</strong><br />
this is that, ultimately, the LPR distribution<br />
pool is diminished by inaccurate claims with<br />
lower royalty returns to members.<br />
Because <strong>of</strong> the increasing number <strong>of</strong><br />
inaccurate claims, <strong>APRA</strong> has stepped up its<br />
verification program <strong>of</strong> LPR claims to ensure<br />
fair and equitable distributions to all<br />
members. For the benefit <strong>of</strong> members, the<br />
verification program will centre on the<br />
NZ Pay TV<br />
Whilst the web-based system quite simply provides<br />
an alternative to the traditional paper based cuesheet<br />
by enabling users to lodge data on-line, the<br />
resultant administrative benefits will be realised<br />
through much <strong>of</strong> the back-end processing<br />
functionality, previously undertaken manually.<br />
At the forefront <strong>of</strong> international best practice and one<br />
<strong>of</strong> only few such applications available around<br />
the world, features <strong>of</strong> the new system include:<br />
• on-line search facility<br />
• cloning functionality<br />
• secure members/client log-on<br />
• automatic production & works matching<br />
• collation <strong>of</strong> multiple work entries<br />
Members wishing to use the new system should<br />
contact Michelle O’Donnell on 02 9935 7959 or<br />
email modonnell@apra.com.au.<br />
following three-point plan:<br />
1) Gig tracking – <strong>APRA</strong>’s General Performing<br />
Licensing Department maintains a “gig-track”<br />
data base which records all advertised gigs<br />
nationally.<br />
2) Compliance Officers - will attend specified<br />
gigs to determine;<br />
a. The number <strong>of</strong> works performed<br />
b. The ratio <strong>of</strong> original works to cover<br />
versions performed<br />
3) Venue check – Verification <strong>of</strong> actual<br />
performances will be sought from licensees.<br />
Information collected from the above three<br />
sources will then be matched against claims<br />
from members to determine accuracy. <strong>APRA</strong><br />
cannot accept LPRs which are inaccurate and<br />
will not distribute on the basis <strong>of</strong> false<br />
information. In the event <strong>of</strong> conflicting details,<br />
members will be asked to submit a Statutory<br />
Declaration to accompany their claims.<br />
The importance <strong>of</strong> maintaining the integrity<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>APRA</strong> system is critical to its success.<br />
The verification program is an important part<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>APRA</strong> system, and just because you are<br />
asked to submit a statutory declaration does<br />
not mean that <strong>APRA</strong> believes you have<br />
deliberately submitted incorrect information.<br />
As many LPRs as practical will be verified.<br />
Please note that <strong>APRA</strong> takes a particularly strong<br />
view against fraudulent claims and will have no<br />
hesitation in initiating legal proceedings should<br />
the circumstances warrant it.<br />
<strong>APRA</strong>’s distribution analysis <strong>of</strong> New Zealand Pay TV has undergone a significant review with the result that an additional eight channels,<br />
including two dedicated music channels J2 and Juice are now subject to a census (100%) analysis. The new scheme comes into effect from<br />
D40A; that is the performance period commencing 1 July 2002. The New Zealand channels included for distribution are:<br />
Cartoon Network, Discovery, Hallmark, Juice, J2, Movie Max, National Geographic, Nickelodeon, Sky 1, Sky Movie, TCM<br />
Important: Statements covering New Zealand earnings<br />
Trans-Tasman fiscal and governance requirements have necessitated<br />
the incorporation by <strong>APRA</strong> <strong>of</strong> a New Zealand subsidiary company.<br />
One important result <strong>of</strong> the change is that members' earnings will in<br />
future be separated into Australian-sourced income, which will<br />
appear in the normal statement, and New Zealand-sourced income,<br />
which will appear in a second statement under the heading <strong>APRA</strong> NZ Ltd.<br />
If any members have queries, or experience difficulties with the new<br />
arrangements, please contact our Member Services Department.<br />
In the November 2000 edition <strong>of</strong> APrap<br />
we presented the research <strong>APRA</strong> had<br />
undertaken in evaluating the use <strong>of</strong> music<br />
to market your business. In terms <strong>of</strong><br />
understanding the benefits <strong>of</strong> using music<br />
and implementing appropriate strategies<br />
to exploit such benefits, few venues in<br />
Australia can match the level <strong>of</strong> insight,<br />
strategy and innovation demonstrated by<br />
a particular Perth venue. The Aberdeen<br />
Hotel or The deen, as it is more<br />
commonly known in Perth, is not only<br />
a local institution but an evolving<br />
entertainment venue success story.<br />
The deen does it so well that we invited<br />
the owner, John Boucaut, and Manager,<br />
Tim Caporn, to join us at the Australian<br />
Hotels Association National Conference in<br />
Melbourne in 2001, where we presented<br />
<strong>APRA</strong>’s research to date. John starred as a<br />
panelist, describing how his venue worked<br />
and taking questions from the floor.<br />
What’s unique about The deen is the<br />
strategy behind the use <strong>of</strong> music. There<br />
is an amazing attention to detail<br />
designed to focus on the experience <strong>of</strong><br />
the visitor (punter) and which reflects<br />
management’s understanding <strong>of</strong> their<br />
target market. As a result they have<br />
created a venue that generates<br />
movement and demands investigation.<br />
The space is divided into clearly defined<br />
zones, each with its own characteristic<br />
form <strong>of</strong> music, entertainment and fitout.<br />
From the moment you enter the<br />
venue you are drawn to its diversity.<br />
Zone 1 is the first contact with the<br />
venue and tends to be the busiest bar as<br />
punters pick up their first drink to<br />
“cruise” the venue. The artwork behind<br />
the bar is constantly changing and<br />
provides an added visual. From here,<br />
punters can move between Zone 3’s live<br />
bands and DJs, playing ‘80s & ‘90s party<br />
classics, to the Zone 2 dance arena with<br />
DJs spinning commercial dance tunes.<br />
Upstairs is Zone 5 with its “transit<br />
lounge” vibe; punters can retreat to this<br />
area for a break, relaxing to the rotation<br />
<strong>of</strong> DJs playing down temp lounge<br />
grooves, French house and French hip<br />
hop. Zone 6 is used predominantly for<br />
functions until 10pm and then opens to<br />
the public. Punters in this area look over<br />
Zone 3 to bands and DJs and via<br />
monitors can also watch what is<br />
happening in all other Zones, including<br />
zones which provide concept pool tables<br />
(round, Y-shaped and L-shaped varieties),<br />
airy balconies and the ability to bar-hop<br />
without leaving the building.<br />
In ensuring a memorable experience for<br />
those inside, the venue boasts state <strong>of</strong><br />
the art lighting (6,000 lighting effects)<br />
and sound and a full-time Audio-Visual<br />
(AV) technician who oversees the $2M<br />
AV investment. For those outside, a 6.3m<br />
TV attached to the outside <strong>of</strong> the venue<br />
creates huge interest and is used to<br />
advertise weekly functions, competitions<br />
and most importantly images <strong>of</strong> what<br />
you’re missing out on inside.<br />
What’s really impressive is the extent to<br />
which The deen manages the music<br />
performed at the venue. DJs are used to<br />
provide context for live bands, entertain<br />
in band breaks and most impressively<br />
use the music to move punters between<br />
bars to keep things busy. Bands and DJs<br />
compare playlists on the night to ensure<br />
that there is no cross-over and that the<br />
same music is not played in the different<br />
Zones <strong>of</strong> the venue.<br />
The deen's website (www.thedeen.com.au)<br />
reflects the interactive nature <strong>of</strong> the<br />
venue and a desire to develop an<br />
ongoing relationship with punters.<br />
Margot Stafford, The deen’s Functions<br />
and Promotions Manager, says the<br />
website is proving to be a vital tool in<br />
promoting the venue and has contributed<br />
to the compounding customer loyalty<br />
since opening the doors back in May<br />
1998. How do they know this? They’ve<br />
asked their target market – Perth’s 18-45<br />
social set – who have happily handed<br />
over their email addresses and taken part<br />
in online surveys. And how do they know<br />
it’s working? Prior to the current<br />
management taking hold, the Aberdeen<br />
Hotel had 1000 punters a week. This has<br />
grown to and now holds at over 12,000<br />
each week.<br />
On the website you can join The deen's<br />
mailing list, complete an online survey,<br />
enter weekly competitions on the<br />
"compzone" and view The deen's own<br />
movie. The photo page is updated twice<br />
a week and proves to be the most<br />
popular area <strong>of</strong> the site. The site also<br />
covers information on The deen's bands<br />
(covers and originals), DJs, dancers and<br />
an up to the minute gig guide. The intent is to create a<br />
one stop shop for all you need to know about the venue.<br />
The deen has a clear mission, to be market leader in<br />
providing entertainment at the highest level. In this<br />
it succeeds.<br />
Thanks to John Boucaut and Margot Stafford for<br />
providing reference material.<br />
8
won the <strong>APRA</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
Development Award grant for rock music<br />
composing in 2001. Late last year she headed<br />
overseas and reports here for APrap.<br />
The <strong>APRA</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development Award changed my life greatly<br />
because it allowed me to move further forward with music, and create<br />
greater space for it along side motherhood. Travelling to Ireland for<br />
music had been a goal <strong>of</strong> mine for many years. It was amazing to finally<br />
be in the hills and in the jam sessions I had dreamed <strong>of</strong>! I spent the first<br />
few weeks <strong>of</strong> the trip in London with the focus on networking and<br />
following up contacts I had made in Australia before I left. Many new<br />
doorways opened up for me while I was there. It was an awesome feeling<br />
to be amongst so many people. I absolutely loved London! I connected<br />
with affiliated writer societies who had branches there such as ASCAP<br />
and BMI. I found I was well supported by them and explored contacts at<br />
Sony, EMI, Warner Chappell and Windswept Pacific. I am looking forward<br />
to connecting further with people there when I return, with the view to<br />
recording and publishing deals, both in the UK and here in Australia.<br />
Through songwriter Cathy Ogden, who I met with also in London, I<br />
secured a booking agent named Joe Mahon for my tour <strong>of</strong> Ireland. He<br />
and I spent several weeks organising and promoting these Ireland shows<br />
and they seemed well received by the Irish press with newspaper articles<br />
and a radio show in Belfast!<br />
The Federation <strong>of</strong> Music Collectives in Dublin put me in contact with a<br />
songwriting group and the band Rikmandu. Rikmandu are a group from<br />
Northern Ireland organising shows with many bands, and I played two<br />
separate nights with them. At the Belfast performance I found myself<br />
amongst some hardcore young punk, ska and metal crew! I found this<br />
experience pretty amusing and inspiringly daunting as I was playing<br />
them Aussie Celtic (as they described it) Folk Rock. They turned out to<br />
be one <strong>of</strong> the most enjoyable crowds I’ve ever played to!<br />
The gigs in Ireland sent me all over the countryside. It was a gift to<br />
finally just be there. I spent much time learning the Irish guitar<br />
technique, which is a revelation for me in guitar playing. I love it. I<br />
played in as many traditional jams as I could, as well as performing my<br />
own sets. I visited and jammed in The Charlatans pub and in towns such<br />
as Galway, Portlaoise, Portstewart and the musicians’ town <strong>of</strong> Doolin. I<br />
also played at the Dublin Ruby Sessions and the Kashmir Klub in London.<br />
Whilst in Ireland I met with producer Jerome Rimson. He is keen to send<br />
my music to Germany where he believes there is a good market for it.<br />
Performing live at my “welcome home” show<br />
in Sydney at the Cat & Fiddle<br />
The trip greatly inspired my love <strong>of</strong> art and I visited the National Gallery<br />
in London and many pre-historic art sites and castles. I also visited<br />
Stonehenge and Glastonbury as specific research for my writing and to<br />
find greater understanding <strong>of</strong> the depth <strong>of</strong> our history.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the greatest musical highlights <strong>of</strong> the trip was meeting Martin<br />
Russell <strong>of</strong> the Afro Celt Sound System. He heard me play in London and<br />
invited me to his studio. I was so happy to be back in a studio again! A<br />
familiar place in the mad London world! I was awed to find out that this<br />
studio in another form had been the recording place <strong>of</strong> the Pink Floyd<br />
album The Wall! Some real English rock history! It was an honour to<br />
meet Martin and hear the Afro Celts music again. The Celts have worked<br />
with amazing people like Peter Gabriel <strong>of</strong> Real World Records, Sinead<br />
O’Connor, Robert Plant and many others. I gained so much from my time<br />
there and it was good to experience the pr<strong>of</strong>essional sounds and<br />
production <strong>of</strong> such amazing music. Martin has put forward my recent<br />
CD for consideration in the WOMAD touring program and I can see this<br />
as a great place for me to play and meet people.<br />
I was also happy to have the chance to co-write with Brian Nash, or<br />
Nasher (<strong>of</strong> Frankie Goes to Hollywood) in his London studio. This was a<br />
fun and inspiring experience.<br />
I spent my final evening in London at the Dominion Theatre in<br />
Tottenham Court Rd. I was hypnotised into seeing the rock musical We<br />
Will Rock You (written by Queen and Ben Elton) by their giant billboard<br />
advertising which had the word ROCK about four metres high!!!<br />
This Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development Award has provided me with many great<br />
opportunities. The chance to take a short break from motherhood has<br />
allowed me to stay in touch with what I want to achieve in my life and<br />
through music. Thanks to this award I was also able to finance the<br />
recording and production <strong>of</strong> my recent EP titled Butterfly Catcher, for<br />
which I also did the cover artwork. I am so grateful to <strong>APRA</strong>, The Push<br />
Victoria and all those involved, for their support <strong>of</strong> my work. It has been<br />
an amazing and rewarding experience and I am looking forward to the<br />
next step <strong>of</strong> establishing a band and management in Sydney this year<br />
and continuing to write.<br />
Winning my PDA grant in Sydney 2001<br />
Cover artwork<br />
for Butterfly Catcher<br />
COMPOSER PROFILE<br />
COG<br />
Debbie Kruger talks to Flynn<br />
Gower <strong>of</strong> Bondi’s award-winning<br />
nu-metal band and discovers<br />
these songwriters are not a cog<br />
in any conventional wheel.<br />
Flynn Gower works a day job as a<br />
construction worker. His co-writer Lucius<br />
Borich supplements his income working in a<br />
café. It’s no easy route to success for these<br />
musical voyagers as they steadfastly remain<br />
outside the square while keeping their sights<br />
firmly fixed on long-term success.<br />
Named Best Emerging Live NSW Band at the<br />
Australian Live Music Awards last December,<br />
Cog has a major following on the east coast<br />
and appearances at recent Big Day Out<br />
concerts continued their assault on the ears<br />
and minds <strong>of</strong> enthusiasts who seek<br />
something challenging in their music.<br />
“I felt what I was hearing on the radio was<br />
predominantly a load <strong>of</strong> crap and I thought it<br />
was totally uninspiring and I thought, I can<br />
do better than that,” says Gower, the 30-year<br />
old guitarist and lead vocalist, about his<br />
impetus. “What was coming to my ears was<br />
lacking, it was sloppy, it was lazy, apathetic.<br />
I thought there was a lot <strong>of</strong> music that was<br />
like they deliberately didn’t take it seriously<br />
because they were afraid <strong>of</strong> truly trying.”<br />
The music that most inspired Gower as a<br />
teenager was 1970s hard rock and pulsating<br />
pop, from AC/DC and Led Zeppelin to the<br />
Saturday Night Fever and The War <strong>of</strong> The<br />
Worlds soundtracks. And Ram Jam. “’Black<br />
Betty’ used to get played a lot, that was a big<br />
favourite,” Gower recalls. Later, when<br />
songwriting became an occupation, Jeff<br />
Buckley became an instructive force. A late<br />
Photo Karen Blackall<br />
bloomer musically, Gower started playing guitar<br />
at 21 and a year later started writing music with<br />
friend Rohan Mellick, with whom he went on to<br />
form The Hanging Tree with Lucius Borich,<br />
Daniel Parkinson and Emmy Walters.<br />
“Back then if you called a song a song you<br />
were being a dickhead. You didn’t want to<br />
take it too seriously. If anyone started<br />
calling things verses and choruses… It was<br />
just about writing music and riffs and<br />
sections that were just going to make people<br />
lose it and go crazy in a good way.”<br />
While writing music was a collaborative<br />
effort, lyric writing was always the domain<br />
<strong>of</strong> the lead singer, in that case Walters.<br />
When The Hanging Tree dissolved and Gower<br />
teamed up again down the track with Borich<br />
to form Cog, the same practice held.<br />
Between them they had accumulated a<br />
wealth <strong>of</strong> riffs and parts <strong>of</strong> songs which<br />
combined became the works that make up<br />
their two EPs Just Visiting Part 1 and Part 2.<br />
Because neither saw himself as a singer,<br />
their writing was limited to the music. They<br />
believed adding lyrics at that stage would<br />
have been presumptuous.<br />
“We were conscious <strong>of</strong> which parts we were<br />
considering verses and middle-eights and<br />
choruses and whatever else. But we were<br />
thinking that we don’t want to tread on<br />
anyone’s toes and give them ideas and prevent<br />
them from exploring the music themselves<br />
and perhaps coming up with something else<br />
that we wouldn’t have come up with.”<br />
When Gower finally decided to take on the<br />
vocal duties himself, the lyrics came. Essentially,<br />
the words were borne from the music.<br />
“I didn’t care if it made sense or not. What I<br />
was primarily concerned with was the<br />
melody, the phrasing especially and the<br />
phonetics. I used to make stuff up that<br />
wasn’t words at all, it was just funny sounds<br />
and stuff, and the start <strong>of</strong> ‘Bondi’ for<br />
instance is ‘I ain’t got a head on ahead.’ It<br />
doesn’t make any sense and I don’t care, it<br />
doesn’t bother me in the slightest.”<br />
The songs were given titles before lyrics were<br />
added, and even if the content had nothing to<br />
do with the title, the title always stuck.<br />
“’Bondi’ has got nothing to do with Bondi. We<br />
just wanted to call one <strong>of</strong> our songs ‘Bondi’<br />
because that’s where we came from. And the<br />
funny thing is we’d name a song ‘Stretch’ or<br />
‘Paris, Texas’ – two songs <strong>of</strong>f Part II. We called<br />
‘Paris, Texas’ after the movie Paris Texas,<br />
which blew us away, we thought it was an<br />
unbelievable film, we just loved the story and<br />
the ideas. But what happened there was we<br />
were hoping to write a song along those lines,<br />
expressing the same thoughts and ideas. But<br />
that ended up being ‘Stretch’. And ‘Paris,<br />
Texas’ became something totally different. It<br />
didn’t matter. ‘Stretch’ is about ‘Paris, Texas.’<br />
But we didn’t care.”<br />
The song “Moschiach” was named because<br />
Gower and Borich had seen many signs on<br />
cars and in windows <strong>of</strong> homes around Bondi<br />
referring to the cult Jewish messiah figure,<br />
but the song ended up being about<br />
Aborigines and Reconciliation. “1010011010”<br />
was titled because <strong>of</strong> Gower’s fascination<br />
with binary codes. “I thought, that’s really<br />
interesting, imagine if you wrote a song<br />
with just two notes, one representing the<br />
one and the other representing the zero. So<br />
I wrote a riff which is exactly like that, it<br />
was two notes.”<br />
Gower’s younger brother Luke plays bass, and<br />
the trio are focusing on writing after a twoyear<br />
period <strong>of</strong> playing live and working day<br />
jobs to sustain themselves. Eschewing the<br />
mainstream is their key to retaining creative<br />
control. “For the entire duration <strong>of</strong> our<br />
existence as Cog it’s been an extremely<br />
pragmatic journey, and as much as we’ve<br />
planned and wished and surmised about<br />
certain things in the future, what we’ve<br />
always done is do what we can do at any one<br />
point in time. Whether that be to go into a<br />
rehearsal room and put a demo down or<br />
whether it means that we borrow $200 <strong>of</strong>f my<br />
old man and go to Melbourne to do a gig<br />
down there, it’s whatever we could do we<br />
would do. It’s very hard to be so certain about<br />
anything in the future. We want to retain<br />
control but we don’t want to rule out<br />
everything.<br />
“We’re just experiencing things on a very<br />
small scale and if we were to become an<br />
international act and play to people around<br />
the world and release product around the<br />
world then I think it could be a completely<br />
different ball game.”<br />
10
The Country Music Festival in<br />
Tamworth is becoming more and more an<br />
Australian songwriting festival, according<br />
to Debbie Kruger, who spoke to three <strong>of</strong><br />
Australian country music’s songwriting<br />
stars about how they started writing, their<br />
inspirations, co-writing, the lure <strong>of</strong> Nashville,<br />
and their most successful songs to date.<br />
Catherine Britt<br />
People <strong>of</strong>ten tell Catherine Britt that she has an<br />
old soul. The 18-year old takes that as a great<br />
compliment, showing <strong>of</strong>f the tattoo on her right<br />
hip which bears one word: Hank. “I’m a huge fan<br />
<strong>of</strong> Hank Williams – he’s my all time favourite<br />
singer-songwriter.”<br />
She grew up in Newcastle with an obsession for traditional American<br />
country music. “I was a huge fan <strong>of</strong> Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn,”<br />
says Britt. Her parents’ love <strong>of</strong> music brought classical, rock and blues<br />
influences into the home, but country was the family passion, from<br />
Hank Williams and Merle Haggard to the Louvin Brothers. She was<br />
singing from an early age and at 12 she met Bill Chambers, who took<br />
her under his wing.<br />
“When I first met Bill I hadn’t really written too much; I was really just<br />
doing all his songs and Kasey’s songs, and Dolly and Loretta, that sort<br />
<strong>of</strong> stuff. I didn’t really have too much <strong>of</strong> a drive to write. It wasn’t like,<br />
‘Oh, I’ve got to write songs or I’m not going to make it!’ But I just<br />
remember writing songs. I just did it. I started writing, I guess, because<br />
everyone else did, the people I looked up to.”<br />
As artless as her songwriting vocation was, so too is the process <strong>of</strong> crafting<br />
her songs <strong>of</strong> heartbreak and despair. “The way I write songs is a bit strange,”<br />
she says. “I just sit down and it’ll be five minutes, and the song will just<br />
come out on paper, and then I’ll have to look back on it and go, ‘Right, does<br />
this make sense?’” I hardly ever change my words, ever, I always just write<br />
them down and that’s it. That real five minute rush, I guess.”<br />
The title track from her album Dusty Smiles and Heartbreak Cures was<br />
written when she was only 15, a tender age to be writing a line like<br />
“Dusty smiles and heartbreak cures / cannot fix what you endure.”. “I<br />
actually thought <strong>of</strong> the title the day before and once again it just came<br />
to me, and I really didn’t even know what it meant. And that happens<br />
a lot <strong>of</strong> the time for me, I have to go to Mum and Dad and say, ‘Does<br />
this make sense?’ And every time it does. But I mean – ‘endure’ – I<br />
didn’t even know what that meant, to be honest, I had no idea.”<br />
“46 Miles From Alice,” the first single from the album, was written on<br />
a road trip to the Katherine Country Music Muster, again when Britt<br />
was 15. She was camping in the Northern Territory with her parents<br />
and her boyfriend Ben. They were fighting, and Britt was homesick for<br />
her friends in Newcastle.<br />
“We were actually at a place called Mataranka, approximately 200<br />
miles from Alice. We were sitting around the campfire and I was<br />
talking to Ben about this film about the [Granville] train crash, The Day<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Roses, and he hadn’t seen it or heard <strong>of</strong> it. So I explained what<br />
it was about. And he said, ‘The Day <strong>of</strong> the Roses – that doesn’t sound<br />
like a train wreck. It should be called 46 Miles from Texas.’ And I<br />
thought, hang on a minute, ‘46 Miles from Texas.’ And I went to the<br />
car and wrote this song, and <strong>of</strong> course we’d been fighting, so I guess<br />
just using that title – and I changed it to Alice <strong>of</strong> course – and the<br />
story about that song is basically what happened out there.”<br />
Britt’s songs have attracted a fan base that famously includes Elton<br />
John, who will record a duet with her on her next album. “I’ve never<br />
really had my heart broken, where somebody’s really cheated on me or<br />
done anything really horrible like that,” Britt admits. “I can feel<br />
heartbroken when I’m writing a song and I can cry and do anything,<br />
without it actually happening to me. Some <strong>of</strong> the best songwriters in<br />
the world have written songs from a different perspective.”<br />
Last year Britt went to Nashville on the obligatory co-writing trip and<br />
was the youngest ever Australian to perform on stage at the Grand Ole<br />
Oprey. Co-writing was initially an alien concept to the teenage<br />
songwriter who prefers to write in isolation.<br />
“I hated co-writing at first, I really did not like it. I tried to avoid it,<br />
even called in sick a few times. Ever since I was 12 all I’d done was on<br />
my own. And if I was to co-write with someone, the only person was<br />
Kasey because we were such great friends, and we knew each other<br />
and we knew we both were coming from the same place when it came<br />
to music. But there were a few songs I got out <strong>of</strong> Nashville that I’m<br />
really happy with. It was a good experience; you’ve got to do that<br />
stuff. I learned so much from it, too. I now concentrate a little bit more<br />
on my words and they’re a lot more grown-up. But I probably wouldn’t<br />
want to do it all the time.”<br />
Because Britt lives and breathes the traditional country music she<br />
writes and plays, there is an authenticity to her work that is<br />
compelling. She is aware, however, <strong>of</strong> a resistance to what she does in<br />
Australia. “A lot <strong>of</strong> people here are really against it,” she says. “They’re<br />
really into their bush ballads and traditional Australian country. But<br />
I’m going at it from a different approach. I’m where my roots are.”<br />
Melinda Schneider pays homage to her roots –<br />
the “policeman dad and yodelling mum” in her<br />
autobiographical hit song “The Story <strong>of</strong> My Life”.<br />
It’s a song so open and honest that people<br />
constantly comment on how brave she is to<br />
perform it. For Schneider, it has been a journey <strong>of</strong><br />
discovery to reach this point <strong>of</strong> being completely<br />
herself in her music.<br />
She was on stage at the age <strong>of</strong> three with her mother Mary and Aunt Rita<br />
– the famous singing and yodelling Schneider Sisters. Singing and looking<br />
cute came naturally, but from early on she sought more depth in her artistry.<br />
“I knew that writing my own material was the way I was going to find<br />
myself. Because growing up in a showbiz family, I was so into going<br />
on stage and performing and the pizzaziness <strong>of</strong> it all. Even though my<br />
mum and my aunty have always been into writing original stuff, too,<br />
I used to just sing covers in Mum’s act. And I could sing anything. I<br />
could sing a big ballad, a country song, a musical theatre song. I was<br />
very versatile. And that actually was going to go against me, because<br />
where was I going to go, what was my direction? Who was I? So I<br />
knew deep down that I had to work on my writing to find myself, to<br />
find who I was, and not just who Mary’s daughter was or Melinda the<br />
singer/dancer/club performer or whatever I was then. I knew that that<br />
was the secret to finding me.”<br />
Schneider and friend Michael Carr teamed up for a prolific<br />
songwriting partnership in the early 1990s. “The first song that we’d<br />
written was inspired by my first broken heart, called ‘Not Worth a<br />
Tear’, and it was a real big ballad Celine Dion/country song.”<br />
With a wide range <strong>of</strong> musical influences – from her mother to Stevie<br />
Wonder, from Ricky Scaggs to Whitney Houston and Nancy Wilson –<br />
Schneider’s writing developed tentatively. “It was fairly instinctive,”<br />
she says. “I used to just go with my gut. I’d come up with things and<br />
not quite know how to finish them, or even lyrics that I didn’t know<br />
what they meant. It was in a very raw state and it was only going to<br />
get better with practice and just keep writing, keep writing, keep<br />
writing. And polish it. The more you do it the more polished it gets.<br />
But I wasn’t an analytical person in my writing.”<br />
After a foray into the fashion design business – a lonely existence, she<br />
says, confessing, “I’d sit there for hours sewing late into the night,<br />
listening to Celine Dion and Michael Bolton” – she had her first taste<br />
<strong>of</strong> musical success co-writing and yodelling on the Audio Murphy<br />
dance hit “Tighten Up Your Pants.” Then she started making trips to<br />
Nashville to write. She recorded her first album there, but admits that<br />
while she is proud <strong>of</strong> those songs, she hadn’t yet reached the level <strong>of</strong><br />
maturity that her second album, Happy Tears, clearly exudes. “The Story<br />
<strong>of</strong> My Life” was co-written with the successful songwriting team <strong>of</strong><br />
Paul Begaud and Vanessa Corish in an emotionally draining, creatively<br />
inspiring three-hour session. Schneider had the opening lines about her<br />
birth in 1971 to the policeman and the yodeller, Begaud and Corish<br />
drew out <strong>of</strong> her the other key events <strong>of</strong> her life such as her<br />
grandmother’s death and her wedding day, and the song took form.<br />
“When I left, I felt like they thought I was an absolute nutcase because<br />
I’d been so honest, like visiting my therapist. I thought ‘God, they are<br />
going to think I am a freak, I’ve just told them every little piece about<br />
my life, and so honestly and didn’t hold anything back.’ But I knew that<br />
I had something special.”<br />
From there the album was bound to have a personal thrust<br />
throughout. Her collaboration with Billy Thorpe, “When the Last Child<br />
Leaves Home,” was initiated by Schneider and instantly struck a chord<br />
with Thorpe, who told her that he and his wife had felt empty when<br />
their daughters grew up and moved out. “We wrote a real traditional<br />
country song like a George Jones type thing.”<br />
The most exuberant song on her album, “Can You Hear Me Down the<br />
Hillside,” was written with Nashville-based Jim Lauderdale, who came<br />
to Tamworth in 2002. The song features some very spirited yodelling.<br />
“I love the Dixie Chicks and bluegrass music so it was easy for me to<br />
write a song like that. But the decision was do I want to put a yodel<br />
in it or not. And I was ready to. All my life I’ve been compared to my<br />
mother. It was a very big decision for me to come to, I guess. And I<br />
thought, well, why not? I can do it in my own way, I’m not the same<br />
as my mother, I’m me.”<br />
Schneider’s confidence is at an all-time high right now. A song she<br />
wrote with Bachelor Girl’s James Roche, “Eternally” was recorded by<br />
John Farhnam on his The Last Time album and she has just won the<br />
Golden Guitar for Female Vocalist <strong>of</strong> the Year.<br />
She loves to collaborate with writers both in Australia and the US.<br />
“Probably the only difference is Nashville songwriters are a lot quicker.<br />
They’re quick because they do it full-time, nine to five. And the more<br />
you do it, the better you get at doing it. But a songwriter is a songwriter<br />
no matter where they are, really, anywhere in the world. And as long as<br />
you connect with them you’re going to get a good song.”<br />
Melinda Schneider<br />
Continued over...<br />
12
Family influence is at the heart<br />
<strong>of</strong> Michael Carr’s songwriting<br />
impetus. His father, Warren Carr,<br />
was an established figure in<br />
country and rock and roll (he<br />
played piano on the TV show Six<br />
O’Clock Rock) as well as being<br />
musical <strong>director</strong> at Sydney’s St<br />
George Leagues Club for 32<br />
years before his death in 1993.<br />
His son, Michael, was “thrashing<br />
around” on the piano from an<br />
early age.<br />
“When I was growing up in the ‘70s country<br />
music was pop music so I was singing and<br />
playing whatever I liked. I don’t think I was<br />
ever particularly into one performer or one<br />
songwriter. I just think the biggest influence<br />
on my music was my father. He got me<br />
interested in all sorts <strong>of</strong> music and basically<br />
taught me everything.”<br />
Michael Carr<br />
Carr started putting his own songs together<br />
from the age <strong>of</strong> seven and the notion <strong>of</strong> a<br />
career as a songwriter came quite early. “I<br />
saw Simon Gallaher on the Mike Walsh Show.<br />
He had a song called ‘Australia Be Proud.’ I<br />
really got into songs after I saw that. Because<br />
I found out that he was a songwriter and he’d<br />
written songs for other people, too. And I was<br />
always really into Burt Bacharach songs. I had<br />
more respect for the guys writing the songs<br />
than those actually performing them.”<br />
Like his early songwriting partner, Melinda<br />
Schneider, Carr has a preference for big lush<br />
ballads. He also has two strong themes<br />
working through his writing, which are not<br />
mutually exclusive – Australian national pride<br />
and unabashed sentiment, <strong>of</strong>ten linked to his<br />
family. His self-titled debut album is laden<br />
with such songs, but his two most successful<br />
works so far were in fact recorded by Adam<br />
Brand last year. One, “The A<strong>nz</strong>ac,” won Best<br />
Heritage Song at the Golden Guitar Awards in<br />
January.<br />
“All <strong>of</strong> my relatives live in Newcastle and the<br />
Cessnock area, and I spent a lot <strong>of</strong> time<br />
growing up there and they’re all mad footy<br />
supporters, mad pie eaters, mad Australians.<br />
And my Dad was a real down to earth Aussie<br />
bloke. I’ve spent a lot <strong>of</strong> time in RSL clubs in<br />
my life and I’ve spoken to many diggers. Just<br />
being in the entertainment industry you get<br />
to meet all these guys. And I’ve played twoup<br />
with the best <strong>of</strong> them on A<strong>nz</strong>ac Day. Dawn<br />
service, we used to go into Martin Place as<br />
kids. I think it’s important to keep that alive,<br />
keep it going through the generations.” Carr<br />
laboured over the song for around six months.<br />
Brand then augmented it before recording it,<br />
as he did with another Carr composition,<br />
“New England Highway,” a song about going<br />
to Tamworth for the Country Music Festival.<br />
“I had the melody and the song and the song<br />
was [originally] about something else,” says<br />
Carr. “It was called ‘It Ain’t Over ‘Til We’re<br />
Done’ or something. It was really corny.” On<br />
the drive up to Tamworth in 2001 the lyrics<br />
suddenly came to him and by the time he<br />
played his shows up there – an unknown<br />
playing to “two men and a dog,” he says –<br />
that song and “The A<strong>nz</strong>ac” were good enough<br />
to attract the attention <strong>of</strong> Brand’s manager<br />
Graham Thompson.<br />
Carr is more than happy for his two biggest<br />
songs so far to have been recorded by an<br />
artist <strong>of</strong> Brand’s prominence. “Most <strong>of</strong> the<br />
time I get more pleasure out <strong>of</strong> hearing other<br />
people singing my songs than me doing them.<br />
There are some songs which there’d be no<br />
way I’d let anyone else have them because<br />
they’re too personal.”<br />
Those that he keeps are <strong>of</strong>ten about his<br />
family. Usually they are so close to his heart<br />
that they write themselves. “When I wrote<br />
‘The Greatest Man’ about my father, that was<br />
it. I wrote that very quickly. It’s like ‘Wearing<br />
White’ – I wrote that very fast, too. I didn’t<br />
even pick up the guitar or sit at the piano to<br />
write those.”<br />
Yet sometimes the most personal songs need<br />
an outsider’s contribution. Finishing “Up On<br />
His Shoulders,” about his grandfather, was<br />
proving too difficult, so reliable collaborator<br />
Colin Buchanan was called in.<br />
While he partakes in the co-writing<br />
experience regularly, here and in Nashville, he<br />
finds it an <strong>of</strong>ten difficult process. “You can<br />
get two really good songwriters together that<br />
are really talented in their own right but it<br />
doesn’t work together for all different<br />
reasons. I’ve written with lots <strong>of</strong> people over<br />
the last 12 months but there are only a<br />
handful <strong>of</strong> those people that we jelled and<br />
got something good. I could write every day<br />
with Melinda, because she’s a brilliant<br />
songwriter, she’s got so much talent.”<br />
He writes so much he can’t even keep track <strong>of</strong><br />
his work. He certainly doesn’t remember the first<br />
song he wrote. “I suppose most people do but I<br />
don’t remember some songs I wrote last week.”<br />
In Nashville he has met some <strong>of</strong> his heroes –<br />
Jeffrey Steele, Craig Wiseman, Bill Luther –<br />
and hopes to write with them in the future.<br />
Carr also hopes for a career that extends to<br />
the United States and beyond. He is<br />
ambitious and optimistic. But one <strong>of</strong> his<br />
greatest wishes is to be as revered as one <strong>of</strong><br />
Australia’s greatest country songwriters. Ask<br />
him if he’d like to be Australia’s Burt<br />
Bacharach and he replies “I’d rather be<br />
Australia’s next Graeme Connors.”<br />
<strong>APRA</strong> held five workshops again this year on Wednesday<br />
22 and Thursday 23 January at The Quality Hotel<br />
Powerhouse.<br />
These workshops were open to all<br />
songwriters, members and nonmembers,<br />
allowing songwriters the<br />
opportunity to meet with well known<br />
Australian artists Tamara Stewart,<br />
Adam Brand, Melinda Schneider and<br />
Nash Chambers.<br />
Fred Eaglesmith<br />
In conjunction with CCMC<br />
(Contemporary Country Music<br />
Coalition), <strong>APRA</strong> was given the<br />
opportunity to present Steve<br />
Wilkinson, Jason McCoy and Fred<br />
Eaglesmith from Canada for two <strong>of</strong><br />
these workshops. Melinda Schneider<br />
joined the workshop with Fred<br />
Eaglesmith and this is what she had to<br />
say about the experience:<br />
“When Milly Petriella approached me<br />
to speak at the <strong>APRA</strong> workshops in<br />
Tamworth, I jumped at the chance. It<br />
was a real pleasure to be able to share<br />
my songwriting and music business<br />
experiences with other writers. I was<br />
enlightened, too; sharing the stage<br />
with Fred Eaglesmith and hearing his<br />
take on everything was just awesome.<br />
If this great new initiative introduced<br />
L-R: Lyn Connors, Graeme Connors, Meryl Gross<br />
by <strong>APRA</strong> can help to make any<br />
songwriter’s journey in this business a<br />
little easier, I'm all for it.”<br />
As an added bonus for the group<br />
attending Fred and Melinda’s<br />
workshop, Publisher Adam Lang<br />
(Warner Chappell) joined the workshop<br />
and gave some great advice and<br />
general publishing information.<br />
Everyone agreed that the workshops<br />
were fantastic and here is some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
feedback we received from attendees:<br />
Just a note to thank you and your<br />
team for the Cocktail Party and the<br />
seminars you arranged at the<br />
Powerhouse. Once again you<br />
brought together the movers and<br />
shakers <strong>of</strong> the industry and the<br />
unknowns and up and comers. All<br />
benefited from the networking<br />
and the social interaction. I look<br />
forward to being with you again<br />
next year. – John Couzens<br />
Garth Porter and Bruce Rowland<br />
Thanks so much for facilitating the<br />
workshops at Tamworth. I really<br />
enjoyed being there and gained<br />
some valuable insights. – Zia<br />
Moreauic<br />
Thank you for those workshops you<br />
held in Tamworth. Fantastic and so<br />
informative! – Janine Le Clair<br />
The <strong>APRA</strong>-CCMC cocktail party held on<br />
January 23 was also a great success,<br />
with a full house <strong>of</strong> songwriters and<br />
music industry players.<br />
Tamara Stewart<br />
L-R: Rob Potts-Allied Artists, Sally Howland - <strong>APRA</strong>, Ray<br />
Stark - Canadian Country Music Association<br />
Sandra Nori - Minister for Small Buisness, Tourism and<br />
Women and Melinda Schneider<br />
We had a great time and we look<br />
forward to doing it all again. We will<br />
return in 2004 with more workshops<br />
and with new and exciting<br />
songwriters. Please put these dates in<br />
your diaries: Wednesday 21 and<br />
Thursday 22 January.<br />
If you would like to register your<br />
interest in participating in these<br />
sessions please email Milly Petriella<br />
milly@apra.com.au<br />
Congratulations to Troy Cassar-Daley for winning <strong>APRA</strong> Song <strong>of</strong> the Year at this<br />
year’s Golden Guitar Awards with his song “Born to Survive”. For a list <strong>of</strong> all the<br />
winners head over to the CMAA website at www.country.com.au.<br />
Milly Petriella, Manager Writer Services General, <strong>APRA</strong><br />
14
INTERNATIONAL NOTES<br />
Scot Morris, Director International Relations, <strong>APRA</strong><br />
Cooperation in the Asia Pacific Region.<br />
The international body coordinating the activities <strong>of</strong> authors and<br />
composers societies, CISAC, has a number <strong>of</strong> regional committees,<br />
including one in the Asia Pacific. <strong>APRA</strong> is an active member and we<br />
assist in many <strong>of</strong> its developmental activities.<br />
In 1980 there were only six authors' societies throughout the region.<br />
At the end <strong>of</strong> 2000 this number has reached twenty. More<br />
significantly, the gross revenues <strong>of</strong> societies grew from some US$500<br />
million in 1990 to reach more than US$900 million in 2000.<br />
Traditionally, the lion's share <strong>of</strong> collections is contributed by Japan.<br />
However, the growth <strong>of</strong> gross revenues <strong>of</strong> the other Asian societies<br />
was significantly higher. Excluding Japan, Hong Kong and Australia,<br />
the income <strong>of</strong> the other Asian authors' societies rose from<br />
approximately US$9 million to almost US$40 million, a percentage<br />
increase <strong>of</strong> over 340% over the last decade.<br />
Copyright law in many <strong>of</strong> these territories has been slow to develop.<br />
China's recent accession to WTO is now a primary focus <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Committee. Many Asian countries, for example Pakistan, Bangladesh<br />
and Brunei, do not yet have a society. In a number <strong>of</strong> other countries<br />
authors' societies do exist, but it is a huge battle to change the<br />
mindset <strong>of</strong> music users to get them to pay!<br />
<strong>APRA</strong> is the oldest society in the region and we put our experience to<br />
good use in hosting many regional training workshops and visits. In<br />
particular our CMS documentation and distribution system is a world<br />
leader. In March we will be training two <strong>of</strong>ficers from the Music<br />
Copyright Society <strong>of</strong> China. JASRAC in Japan also is very active in<br />
supporting developing societies in the region and is sharing some <strong>of</strong><br />
its IT and on-line licensing initiatives through the DAWN-ACT project.<br />
The committee has facilitated many useful cooperation projects,<br />
including the development <strong>of</strong> MIS@Asia by COMPASS in Singapore<br />
for the societies in Singapore, Malaysia (MACP), India (IPRS), Thailand<br />
(MCT), Philippines (FILSCAP), Indonesia (KCI) and the new society<br />
created by CISAC in Taiwan MÜST. There is also a cooperative project<br />
between CASH in Hong Kong and MCSC in China to create a Chinese<br />
musical works database, known as “DIVA”. The Committee is also<br />
assisting KOMCA in Korea in updating its distribution systems.<br />
The AP Committee also organises exchange <strong>of</strong> information on<br />
important issues such as regional satellite broadcasting, ringtone<br />
licensing, harmonising tariff parameters in general licensing (there<br />
was a meeting this month in Bali) and documentation and distribution<br />
issues. It also assists societies in its negotiations or litigation with<br />
large users, such as television broadcasters in the Philippines.<br />
The work <strong>of</strong> the Committee is driven by our Regional Director, Mr K T<br />
Ang, based in Singapore, who has unflagging energy and boundless<br />
regional knowledge. Much <strong>of</strong> the work involves meetings with trade and<br />
IP government <strong>of</strong>ficials in the countries as well as dealings with the<br />
societies. We also work closely with the World Intellectual Property<br />
Organisation (WIPO – part <strong>of</strong> the UN) in its developmental activities. The<br />
current Chair <strong>of</strong> the AP Committee is Mr Edmund Lam <strong>of</strong> COMPASS,<br />
with Mr Mamoru Kato the MD <strong>of</strong> JASRAC and myself as Vice Chairs.<br />
It is certainly a dynamic cooperation, aimed at strengthening the<br />
protection <strong>of</strong> creators in this part <strong>of</strong> the world in the “Pacific Century”.<br />
Get the High Score 3MBS Readings National Composer Award<br />
3MBS FM <strong>of</strong>fers you a chance to receive $6000 and the chance to<br />
have your music heard. Melbourne’s premier classical music radio<br />
station invites composers from around the country to send in<br />
orchestral scores for the 3MBS Readings National Composer Award.<br />
The unique award has been developed by 3MBS in association with<br />
Orchestra Victoria and Readings Books to promote and develop<br />
Australian composers and showcase their orchestral works.<br />
Starting as a Victorian-based competition in 2000, the Award is<br />
now a national event, and has so far received over 150<br />
composition entries during its first three years.<br />
Entries are now being accepted for the 2003 Award, and event<br />
organiser Adrian Basso is anticipating an enthusiastic response<br />
from <strong>APRA</strong> members. “3MBS is dedicated to supporting emerging<br />
artists, and we are delighted to <strong>of</strong>fer our talented composers the<br />
opportunity to have their music performed by a large pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
CISAC Asia-Pacific Committee meet up for the first time in Mumbai last year<br />
orchestra in a large concert venue to an appreciative audience.<br />
What could be better?”<br />
Entry is open to Australian residents <strong>of</strong> all ages and the judges are<br />
looking for scores not previously performed in public.<br />
3MBS FM calls upon the talents <strong>of</strong> accomplished industry<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals to judge the entries. Previous judges have included<br />
conductor Richard Divall, and composer Richard Mills.<br />
The winning piece is performed in a spectacular concert<br />
presentation by Orchestra Victoria on Thursday 25 September 2003<br />
at the Melbourne Concert Hall. The concert is recorded by 3MBS<br />
FM and later broadcast.<br />
Closing date for entries in the 2003 3MBS Readings National<br />
Composer Award is Friday July 25.<br />
For further information contact Adrian Basso at 3MBS FM on 03 9816 9355 or email business@3mbs.org.au.<br />
Entry forms and competition conditions are at www.3mbs.org.au<br />
MUSIC AUSTRALIA<br />
Marie-Louise Ayres Project Manager, MusicAustralia<br />
MusicAustralia is a new service being jointly<br />
developed by the National Library and<br />
ScreenSound Australia, National Screen and<br />
Sound Archive, and a number <strong>of</strong> content<br />
partners including state and university<br />
libraries and specialist music archives.<br />
MusicAustralia aims to provide users with a<br />
rich online experience <strong>of</strong> Australia’s music<br />
heritage – wherever and in whatever format<br />
it is held.<br />
MusicAustralia will first develop a federated<br />
resource discovery service, based on the very<br />
successful PictureAustralia model. The free<br />
resource discovery service will allow users to<br />
locate and use contemporary and heritage<br />
digital music and music related resources in a<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> formats and from a range <strong>of</strong><br />
institutions and sectors, via a single web<br />
interface.<br />
While users will enjoy viewing and listening<br />
to music resources through the central<br />
MusicAustralia interface, these resources will<br />
continue to be collected, described, stored,<br />
managed and delivered by the contributing<br />
organisations. Each organisation will also<br />
have responsibility for the selection, rights<br />
management and permission clearances for<br />
content. For example, digitised audio<br />
recordings may be delivered for online<br />
listening: for works without copyright<br />
restrictions; where rights owners have<br />
declared their works available for free use (eg.<br />
Open Audio Licence); or where rights owners<br />
have granted specific permission for a<br />
particular form <strong>of</strong> dissemination <strong>of</strong> their<br />
works by custodial organisations. This might<br />
include delivery <strong>of</strong> “samples” backed up by<br />
audio e-business services, or delivery<br />
involving collecting agencies such as <strong>APRA</strong>.<br />
A pilot service is now available, with the<br />
production service due to commence in the<br />
second half <strong>of</strong> 2003. The pilot content base is<br />
small – just 170 items from four institutions–<br />
and was carefully selected to test<br />
requirements for delivering music related<br />
items in a wide range <strong>of</strong> formats and to<br />
explore and demonstrate the rich<br />
relationships between printed and performed<br />
music materials held by different institutions.<br />
The MusicAustralia pilot allows users to<br />
discover digitised printed music, digitised<br />
audio recordings, “born digital” scores and<br />
pdf derivatives, text, pictures and manuscript<br />
items. Users can:<br />
• simultaneously view a piece <strong>of</strong> digitised<br />
sheet music being delivered from the<br />
National Library’s web server, while<br />
listening to one or more digitised sound<br />
recordings <strong>of</strong> the same work being<br />
delivered from the ScreenSound web server,<br />
or from the National Library’s website. For<br />
example, users can compare the original<br />
manuscript version <strong>of</strong> “Waltzing Matilda”<br />
with four different print editions, two<br />
folklore recordings, and three audio<br />
recordings (a formal version featuring<br />
baritone Peter Dawson and full orchestra in<br />
1938, the first known jazz recording<br />
featuring Don Burrows in 1945, and a<br />
recording <strong>of</strong> the Franklin B. Paverty Bush<br />
Band at the <strong>of</strong>ficial opening <strong>of</strong> the new<br />
Parliament House in 1988);<br />
• navigate between related music<br />
materials, including multiple printed<br />
editions and versions <strong>of</strong> musical works. For<br />
example, users can experience various<br />
interpretations by different performers <strong>of</strong><br />
the same musical score. Other historical<br />
relationships are also exposed, such as the<br />
relationship between a 1970 folklore<br />
recording in which Alex Hood interviews<br />
and records elderly bushman Tim<br />
McMahon singing “Farewell to Greta”<br />
(attributed to Ned Kelly), and Alex Hood’s<br />
own recording <strong>of</strong> this song in April 2002;<br />
• use and manipulate contemporary “born<br />
digital” scores, which are produced by<br />
composers using the music notation<br />
s<strong>of</strong>twares Finale and Sibelius. Users can<br />
simultaneously view the digital score and<br />
listen to the integrated MIDI file <strong>of</strong> Ann<br />
Carr-Boyd’s “Moonbeams kiss the sea” or<br />
simultaneously view the digital score and<br />
listen to a performance recording, or<br />
interact with a score by changing the<br />
tempo or the key signature for practice and<br />
performance purposes;<br />
• print high quality copies <strong>of</strong> out <strong>of</strong><br />
copyright or copyright cleared sheet music<br />
for research or personal use;<br />
• enjoy a small sample <strong>of</strong> music<br />
multimedia presentations, where digital<br />
print music and related digitised audio<br />
recordings are ‘synchronised’ to allow even<br />
non music-literate users to “follow” the<br />
sheet music and audio.<br />
Information on system requirements<br />
– including the need for an audio player to<br />
play sound recordings and special plug-ins to<br />
experience born digital scores – is available<br />
through the MusicAustralia help page.<br />
Alongside work on the resource discovery<br />
service, the MusicAustralia team is also<br />
modelling <strong>director</strong>y and interactive services<br />
for future development. MusicAustralia users<br />
will ultimately be able to access and navigate<br />
a rich store <strong>of</strong> information on Australian<br />
music, musicians, organisations and services<br />
from a single access point.<br />
More information at:<br />
www.musicaustralia.org<br />
www.pictureaustralia.org<br />
Email: musaust@nla.gov.au<br />
16
Michelle O’Donnell, Manager Writer Services – Film & TV, <strong>APRA</strong><br />
J ALBERT & SON<br />
Monday March 10 is the date for the<br />
Rock and Roll Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame ceremony in<br />
New York and J Albert & Son Chief<br />
Executive Fifa Riccobono will be on hand<br />
to witness the induction <strong>of</strong> AC/DC<br />
members ANGUS YOUNG, MALCOLM<br />
YOUNG, BON SCOTT (posthumously),<br />
Brian Johnson, Cliff Williams and Phil<br />
Rudd. AC/DC is the only Australian band<br />
to receive this honour – the highest in<br />
American rock music – and will be<br />
inducted alongside The Clash, The Police,<br />
Elvis Costello and the Righteous Brothers.<br />
According to RIAA the legendary<br />
Australian band currently reigns as the<br />
fifth highest certified band in American<br />
music history with actual sales in excess<br />
<strong>of</strong> 85 million albums in the United States.<br />
Their historic recording career consists <strong>of</strong><br />
one <strong>of</strong> the best selling catalogues in<br />
music history and in January 2001 they<br />
saw a further 15 titles awarded gold,<br />
platinum, and multi-platinum certification<br />
by the RIAA. In 1999 the band also<br />
received the rare and prestigious RIAA<br />
Diamond Award for sales in excess <strong>of</strong> 10<br />
million copies <strong>of</strong> Back In Black which has<br />
been recently certified at 19 million<br />
copies in the USA and is recognised as the<br />
sixth highest certified album <strong>of</strong> all time.<br />
AC/DC<br />
RHYTHMSCAPE PUBLISHING<br />
Australia's largest specialist percussion<br />
publisher, Brisbane-based Rhythmscape<br />
Publishing, is proud to announce recent<br />
distribution deals with Alfonce<br />
Production (France), Herbert Brandt<br />
(Germany) and P'hil Publications (France).<br />
These deals come on the back <strong>of</strong> a<br />
very successful year that saw the<br />
Rhythmscape catalogue grow to more<br />
than 35 titles for percussion from the<br />
output <strong>of</strong> more than a dozen Australian<br />
composers. 2003 will see a CD <strong>of</strong> current<br />
works produced, continued development<br />
<strong>of</strong> Australia/New Zealand and overseas<br />
distribution networks and the release <strong>of</strong><br />
at least six new titles. For more information<br />
see www.rhythmscape.com.au or email<br />
info@rhythmscape.com.au<br />
L-R: Byron Tart, Phil Burton and Kieran Tart<br />
(Song Shed) with Peter Hebbes<br />
HEBBES MUSIC GROUP<br />
In the two years since the Hebbes Music<br />
Group was established, it has built a<br />
respectable reputation both domestically<br />
and overseas as one <strong>of</strong> Australia’s newest<br />
and most active independent music<br />
publishers and to date has signed over<br />
25 international catalogues for<br />
sub-publishing. Now Hebbes Music<br />
Group has entered into an exclusive<br />
agreement with Song Shed Australia<br />
to administer their music publishing<br />
interests worldwide. Song Shed’s<br />
<strong>director</strong>s are Byron Tart, Kieran Tart and<br />
Phil Burton (from Human Nature). They<br />
represent a number <strong>of</strong> Australian writers<br />
and producers including MICHAEL<br />
D’ARCY, VIC MAURO and KATE AKHURST<br />
and have had songs recorded by Bardot<br />
and The Robertson Brothers.<br />
Hebbes Music Group has also announced<br />
the signing <strong>of</strong> a long term subagreement<br />
with the publishing arm <strong>of</strong><br />
Trevor Horn’s record company ZTT (SPZ<br />
Holdings) – Perfect Songs Ltd and<br />
Unforgettable Songs Ltd. The catalogue<br />
includes classic songs by writers such as<br />
Seal (“Kiss from a Rose” and “Crazy”),<br />
Gabrielle (“Dreams” and “Out <strong>of</strong> Reach”),<br />
Art <strong>of</strong> Noise (“Moments in Love” and<br />
Return <strong>of</strong> the Mack”) and Frankie<br />
Goes to Hollywood (“Relax,” “Two<br />
Tribes” and “Power <strong>of</strong> Love”), as well as<br />
songs by Shane McGowan <strong>of</strong> the Pogues,<br />
Rhianna, Marsha Ambrosius, Donal Lunny<br />
and Sharon Shannon. The Perfect and<br />
Unforgettable Songs catalogues are two<br />
<strong>of</strong> the most commercial, active and<br />
successful catalogues in the world <strong>of</strong><br />
music publishing today.<br />
WARNER/CHAPPELL<br />
MUSIC AUSTRALIA<br />
Warner/Chappell Music Australia has<br />
signed Paul "DC" Di Giacomo for a World<br />
Wide Publishing Deal. DC has co-written<br />
with BMG artist Duncan James (EP Love<br />
Is A Dog From Hell and debut album),<br />
Tiffany Wood (ex-Bardot) and Adel<br />
Dahdal (Tom Bone Music Sweden<br />
writer/producer). DC has also co-written<br />
and produced on Rob Hirst's latest<br />
Ghostwriters project.<br />
Adam Lang (Managing Director, Warner /Chappell Music<br />
Australia) and Paul “DC” Di Giacomo<br />
UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING<br />
Universal Music Publishing Group<br />
Australia and Alsi Music New Zealand<br />
have entered into a global, long-term<br />
joint publishing deal. Alsi is the<br />
publishing arm <strong>of</strong> Joy Records (Sony), the<br />
label owned by Simon Grigg, and ALAN<br />
JANSSON, the co-writer and producer <strong>of</strong><br />
(among others) the multi-million selling<br />
OMC single “How Bizarre.” Jansson is<br />
currently co-writing and producing new<br />
Joy Records/Alsi signings 3 The Hard Way,<br />
whose single, “Hip Hop Holiday” was an<br />
Australian Top 5 and New Zealand<br />
number 1 hit, and R&B artist, Bobbie Joe<br />
White. Both artists will have releases in<br />
the first half <strong>of</strong> 2003.<br />
Submissions for the next Publisher<br />
News should be made by May 30<br />
to showland@apra.com.au<br />
Photo courtesy The Examiner Launceston<br />
BRIAN MAY SCHOLARSHIP<br />
The Trustees <strong>of</strong> the BRIAN MAY Trust have announced the inaugural<br />
Brian May Scholarship to provide a study opportunity for promising<br />
Australian film composers at the University <strong>of</strong> Southern California. The<br />
Scholarship is valued at $80,000 and the course commences at the<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Southern California (USC) in August 2003.The Brian May<br />
Scholarship will contribute up to $80,000 every two years towards travel,<br />
tuition and accommodation costs for a promising Australian film<br />
composer to attend a Film Scoring Certificate course at the Thornton<br />
School <strong>of</strong> Music. Brian May passed away in 1997 and is generally<br />
considered to be one <strong>of</strong> Australia’s finest film composers. He rose from<br />
leader <strong>of</strong> the highly successful ABC Melbourne Show band to compose the<br />
score for many films both locally and overseas including Mad Max 1 and<br />
2 and Gallipoli.<br />
This is an opportunity to receive tuition at a leading music school in<br />
the heart <strong>of</strong> America’s film industry. The course not only provides<br />
first-class skills but also contact with present and future film<br />
industry luminaries. The scholarship is open to applicants who are<br />
ordinarily resident in Australia and who satisfy the entrance<br />
requirements at USC. For the application form and more details go<br />
to www.brianmayscholarship.org or contact Mr. Robert Ffrench,<br />
Trustee for the Brian May Trust. Phone: 07 55917 555 Fax: 07 55917<br />
450 email rffrench@ffcomlaw.com.au<br />
A FUTURE FILM AND TV INDUSTRY<br />
FOR THE NORTHERN TERRITORY<br />
Members <strong>of</strong> the Film, Television and New Media industries are being<br />
called on to help the Government develop future opportunities to<br />
sell the Northern Territory as the place to make and produce films<br />
and television. Already the world has seen the Territory’s talents and<br />
landscapes in films such as Yolngu Boy, Priscilla Queen <strong>of</strong> the Desert<br />
and Crocodile Dundee. Developing film and television productions<br />
will also help to boost the NT tourism industry by featuring some <strong>of</strong><br />
the Territory’s most picturesque locations. They are calling for<br />
written responses to the Discussion Paper, which is available at their<br />
website address www.dbird.nt.gov.au<br />
VALE<br />
ERIC JUPP, most famous for his music for the<br />
Michelle O’Donnell<br />
television series Skippy The Bush Kangaroo, has<br />
died in Launceston at the age <strong>of</strong> 80.<br />
British born Eric started his musical career at<br />
the age <strong>of</strong> 14 in a nightclub band called the<br />
Dark Town Strutters in his hometown <strong>of</strong><br />
Brighton. After the Second World War he began<br />
writing arrangements for top orchestras such as<br />
Stanley Black and Ted Heath and in 1951 he<br />
formed his own orchestra at the request <strong>of</strong> the<br />
BBC and began doing regular broadcasts.<br />
ON THE COUCH<br />
The AGSC series <strong>of</strong> “On the Couch”<br />
interviews hosted by composer GUY GROSS<br />
at his Sydney home just keeps getting better<br />
with two well known overseas composers<br />
taking the chair late last year. First was<br />
CHARLIE MOLE who has composed the<br />
scores for such films as An Ideal Husband,<br />
Othello, High Heels and Low Lifes and his<br />
latest, The Importance <strong>of</strong> Being Earnest. The<br />
second composer, while strictly speaking not<br />
film and television was HAL DAVID, the<br />
legendary co-writer <strong>of</strong> BURT BACHARACH.<br />
Hal gave an interesting insight into some <strong>of</strong><br />
his experiences working on the film Butch<br />
Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and the<br />
unusual placement <strong>of</strong> their song “Raindrops<br />
Keep Falling on my Head.”<br />
WHO IS DOING WHAT?<br />
COLIN BAYLEY is starting work on the new<br />
series <strong>of</strong> Hot Auctions and Hot Properties…<br />
MURRAY BURNS is continuing with the<br />
new series <strong>of</strong> All Saints… CLIVE HARRISON<br />
is working on the children’s series The Fairy<br />
Tale Police… CLIFF GUY has just finished<br />
writing and recording the new theme for<br />
Escape with ET… BRENTON WHITE has<br />
completed two pilot shows for Southern<br />
Star Endemol… ROSS MCLENNAN has<br />
composed the score for an Asian short film<br />
Death and the Fisherman and is still working<br />
on ANDREW GOODE’s animated film Love<br />
Tricycle… MARTIN ARMIGER, composer and<br />
head <strong>of</strong> Screen Composition at AFTRS has<br />
been re elected to the board <strong>of</strong> the audiovisual<br />
copyright society Screenrights.<br />
VALE ERIC JUPP 1922-2003<br />
Hal David with <strong>APRA</strong> Chairman<br />
Mike Perjanik<br />
Hal David with <strong>APRA</strong> member<br />
Guy Gross<br />
Cliff Guy<br />
Eric worked with some <strong>of</strong> the biggest names in<br />
the business including Frank Sinatra, Shirley<br />
Bassey and Vera Lynn. He also released<br />
numerous vinyl recordings including The<br />
Romantic Magic, No Strings Attached and The<br />
Modern Magic.<br />
As well as the Skippy series, which is still<br />
broadcast in numerous countries around the<br />
world, Eric also composed the score for the film<br />
Tim (one <strong>of</strong> Mel Gibson’s first roles), The<br />
Intruders and the music for the Australian<br />
television series This is Your Life.<br />
Eric moved to Australia in 1961 at the invitation<br />
<strong>of</strong> the ABC as its musical advisor and led the<br />
ABC series The Magic <strong>of</strong> Music which ran from<br />
1961 to 1975.<br />
Eric was a true gentleman, a pleasure to work<br />
with and he will be missed. Our thoughts are<br />
with his wife Anita and their family.<br />
18
Compiled by Milly Petriella and Alana Ganderton, Writer Services, <strong>APRA</strong><br />
milly@apra.com.au<br />
From The Ocean is the new release from Australian singer<br />
songwriter JOHN WIBBERLEY. The album was produced by<br />
Mark Punch, and contains a collection <strong>of</strong> 11 deeply personal<br />
songs that will take you on a journey through the composer’s<br />
mind. For more information visit www.johnwibberley.com or<br />
call LSP Management 0418 733 526.<br />
The new single for Melbourne based band THINMAN is<br />
“American Lapdog.” The song is a short, punchy rock tune that<br />
comes straight to the point outlining a frustration with those<br />
that hold power in this country and who refuse to listen to the<br />
voices <strong>of</strong> the people that they claim to represent. The group is<br />
comprised <strong>of</strong> four accomplished musicians, who are currently<br />
in the process <strong>of</strong> recording their debut album which is to be<br />
released around mid 2003. The band is currently playing live<br />
around Melbourne. Visit www.ThinMan.info for more detailed<br />
information.<br />
ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI released their four track debut<br />
single Like a Call in December 2002. This song is available as a<br />
CD single or on limited edition 10” vinyl. The title track was<br />
mixed by Tony Espie, whose mixing credits include THE<br />
AVALANCHES and Robert Palmer, and this EP gives insight<br />
into how the band straddle a number <strong>of</strong> genres, touching on<br />
indie, electronica and pop, and all <strong>of</strong>ten within the one song.<br />
Contact Trifekta Records for details, Email<br />
trifekta@bigpond.com or phone 03 9489 7711.<br />
Country/Folk act ROUGH RED decided that they would help<br />
the Red Cross Farmhand appeal in the best way they could -<br />
“…our rainmaking skills aren’t all that flash, so we thought the<br />
only way we can help Australia’s farmers was to sing a few<br />
songs instead.” The four tracks featured on the CD Four The<br />
Farmers are heartfelt expressions <strong>of</strong> the connection the band<br />
feels with their brothers and sisters on the land and the band<br />
has been supported by Australia’s largest credit union, Credit<br />
Union Australia, who will be selling the CD for only $10<br />
through their extensive network <strong>of</strong> branches. All the money<br />
raised will be donated directly to the Red Cross Farmhand<br />
appeal.<br />
“Woomera” is lifted from the yet to be titled debut release by<br />
NOKTURNL. The work is described as a “militaristic marching<br />
rhythm,” with “crunching guitars and layered textures,”<br />
and has already hit the airwaves around Australia. The<br />
album is to be released in March with a tour to follow.<br />
www.nokturnl.com<br />
THE BEAUTIFUL FEW have just released their third album<br />
entitled Metal For Melbourne and Other Stories on Adelaide<br />
label Big Rig Records. Produced by AUGIE MARCH guitarist<br />
Adam Donovan, the album is a wildly eclectic excursion <strong>of</strong><br />
driving pop to country-metal. The band will be touring<br />
interstate soon after. Further information can be obtained at<br />
www.bigrigrecords.net or 03 9553 6887<br />
Congratulations to singer/songwriter NATTASHA CRESTANI<br />
who won the 2002 Best Country Artist at the Music Oz<br />
National Music Competition, held late last year. Crestani has<br />
just released her new single “Look My Way Cowboy” with a full<br />
length album to follow.<br />
THE RHYMES have always been called Murphy’s Law, however<br />
due to ongoing confusion the band are now releasing albums<br />
under The Rhymes. The new album, The Universe Conspires<br />
features 15 new songs, and is available from the gigs and<br />
through selected outlets in Perth. For behind the scenes<br />
footage and more visit www.murphyslore.com<br />
SHEVA's smooth, quirky<br />
style has come alive in<br />
their debut EP release Still<br />
Moving. Formed at the<br />
Academy <strong>of</strong> Performing<br />
Arts (WAAPA) in Western<br />
Austalia, SHEVA have<br />
Sheva<br />
drawn on their varied<br />
influences to make what Paul Bevan, presenter at ABC<br />
Newcastle, described as "complex music – well produced, well<br />
sung and well played; its got all the ingredients". The EP features<br />
the strong songwriting and vocal skills <strong>of</strong> Sharon Bailey and<br />
sisters, Georgina and Victoria van der Kuil, and will be<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficially launched in Perth in early March. For more<br />
details, email shevamusic@yahoo.co.uk or phone 0409 371 314.<br />
www.shevamusic.iinet.net.au<br />
SEAN SENNETT’s EP Lost<br />
and Found was released<br />
last year to many glowing<br />
reviews. Revolver stated<br />
the song to be “one <strong>of</strong><br />
the finest pieces <strong>of</strong> pop<br />
songwriting heard this<br />
year,” and local songwriter<br />
DAVID BRIDIE says it is “a<br />
Sean Sennett signs with ABC Music<br />
fantastic song reminiscent<br />
<strong>of</strong> Stephen Cummings and Lloyd Cole.” Sean has just signed a<br />
deal with ABC Music for the Lost and Found album to be<br />
released on March 29. The first single, “My Love is a Kite,”<br />
features george’s KATIE NOONAN on guest vocals. To see and<br />
hear what all the fuss is about visit www.seansennett.com.au<br />
GERSEY have released their second single from the album<br />
Storms Dressed as Stars, the sparkling pop anthem “Baby,<br />
You’re a Strange Girl.” The album has had an amazing response<br />
in Australia, with Triple J announcing it feature album in<br />
December, and the Courier Mail, Drum Media and Beat<br />
Magazine all made it their “album <strong>of</strong> the week.” The band<br />
recently toured North America and had sell out shows in<br />
Los Angeles and New York, and supported Mercury Rev<br />
and Preston School <strong>of</strong> Industry when they were back in<br />
Australia. A national tour is planned for April. Email<br />
trifekta@bigpond.com or visit www.gersey.com<br />
Kingpin<br />
KINGPIN is a four-piece rock band<br />
whose influences range from The<br />
Beatles, The Stones, AC/DC, KISS<br />
and The Ramones, which ensures<br />
that the rock quotient is readily<br />
present but not at the expense <strong>of</strong> a<br />
strong melody. The band pride<br />
themselves on having a high<br />
impact live rock show, and they toured the UK featuring as<br />
the only unsigned act on the inaugural Fierce Festival in<br />
London, alongside other major Australian artists. They<br />
recently played alongside their heroes The Foo Fighters and<br />
Queens <strong>of</strong> The Stone Age at the Perth Big Day Out this year.<br />
www.kingpinband.com<br />
FROST was formed in 1997. Since then they have recorded<br />
songs with PETER “REGGIE” BOWMAN (Southern Sons),<br />
JERRY SPEISER (Men At Work) and have had material<br />
recorded by the Brian Canham (Pseudo Echo) and Darren<br />
Danielson (Chocolate Starfish) band BRILL, on their selftitled<br />
debut album. Frost recently recorded material for<br />
SBS-New Media, who have just finished an animation clip<br />
to one <strong>of</strong> their songs. Frost will be performing at the<br />
Federation Square in March 2003. For more details email<br />
cheryl@bigpond.net.au<br />
Australian indie rock act BROTHER landed a theme song on<br />
an episode <strong>of</strong> the network TV show, Twilight Zone, which aired<br />
across the US last October. The show’s Executive Producer, Ira<br />
Behr, says the Australian band’s unusual instrumentation<br />
proved a perfect fit for the boundary pushing show. The song<br />
titled “Bitch (inside <strong>of</strong> me)” was featured throughout the 30<br />
minute episode. For more information contact Tona Broad at<br />
tina@brothermusic.com<br />
JOHN SIMMONS is a composer,<br />
musician and technology zealot<br />
who has worked in music, film and<br />
television in London, California,<br />
Tokyo, Sydney and Paris. John<br />
was the winner <strong>of</strong> the Best<br />
Instrumental category in the 2002<br />
John Simmons<br />
Johnny Dennis Awards, and the<br />
track for which he won is now being used in the<br />
soundtrack <strong>of</strong> new Australian film Moneyshot. Other<br />
projects coming up include a commission to do an hour <strong>of</strong><br />
music for the Russian Tai Chi Shool INBI World.<br />
ANDY CLOCKWISE launched his EP Song Exhibition in<br />
Sydney last January. The songwriter, who admits he<br />
“cannot be tied down to one style,” has released a record<br />
full <strong>of</strong> brassy funk works, highway ballads and hands in the<br />
air rock songs. At 22, Andy is one <strong>of</strong> the most popular<br />
young songwriters and performers on the independent<br />
inner city scene, and has regularly packed theatres, pubs<br />
and university halls with his wildly energetic live<br />
performances. www.andyclockwise.live.com.au<br />
Whisper My Name is a superb collection <strong>of</strong> finely<br />
crafted, award-winning R&B from one <strong>of</strong> Australia’s<br />
most versatile and energetic performers, LOUISE<br />
PERRYMAN. The album combines Louise’s pure vocals<br />
with Australia’s finest musicians. For those that have<br />
not seen Perryman live, this recording captures her<br />
vibrant essence and electrifying stage presence.<br />
Contact Trilby Productions on 0419 622 251 or email<br />
trilby@ozemail.com.au<br />
SOPHIE SERAFINO has released a<br />
debut album independently, an<br />
unusual combination <strong>of</strong> pop,<br />
opera and violin including remakes<br />
<strong>of</strong> Madam Butterfly, Casta Diva,<br />
and a collection <strong>of</strong> her own<br />
compositions. Influenced by her<br />
upbringing in a family <strong>of</strong> classical<br />
musicians, Ravel and Adriano<br />
Sophie Serafino<br />
Celentano are her favourite<br />
inspirations. Available from Red Eye Records, Reachin'<br />
Records, and www.sophieserafino.com<br />
AUDREY AULD has released her second album<br />
Losing Faith after receiving critical acclaim for her<br />
ARIA-nominated debut in 2000 The Fallen. There<br />
are 13 tracks on this deeply personal album by Auld<br />
and it features duets with three <strong>of</strong> the biggest<br />
names in alternative country – Fred Eaglesmith,<br />
Mary Gauthier and Kieran Kane. For a copy <strong>of</strong> the<br />
album or to find out more about Audrey Auld<br />
phone 0418 972 019, email mail@recklessrecords.com<br />
or visit www.audreyauld.com<br />
Australian singer/songwriter KAREN JACOBSEN is a<br />
recipient <strong>of</strong> the Abe Olman Award for Excellence in<br />
Songwriting, a US$1200 grant given to one artist from<br />
each United States performing rights organization, BMI,<br />
ASCAP and SESAC. A member <strong>of</strong> <strong>APRA</strong> since 1991, Karen is<br />
administered by SESAC in the U.S. The award will be<br />
presented at the Songwriters Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame Induction<br />
Ceremonies on June 12, when Phil Collins, Queen, Van<br />
Morrison and Little Richard are inducted at the Marriott<br />
Marquis Hotel in New York City. Subsequently, Karen has<br />
been selected to perform at the SHOF Showcase in New<br />
York City this March. Living in New York since 2000, Karen<br />
has performed live all over Manhattan, been featured on<br />
US Network television, and was also the winner <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Dallas Songwriting Contest in the singer/songwriter<br />
category. For more information on<br />
Karen's inroads in the US go to<br />
www.karenjacobsen.com<br />
Audrey Auld<br />
Karen Jacobsen<br />
20
NATIONAL UPDATE NATIONAL UPDATE<br />
NSW<br />
Alana Ganderton - apra@apra.com.au<br />
351 Camp is three days, five elements, one<br />
camp. <strong>APRA</strong> member and songwriter DOMINIC<br />
KELSALL took the risky plunge which turned<br />
into a roaring success, running a three day<br />
camp for young upcoming songwriters from<br />
the inner city area. The camp was held over the<br />
Australia Day long weekend at a venue in<br />
Silverwater. The program included live<br />
recording sessions; a talk with Mark Pollard,<br />
creator <strong>of</strong> Stealth magazine, on self promotion<br />
and misconceptions in the music industry; a<br />
talk by local <strong>APRA</strong> representatives on royalties<br />
and copyright; evening concerts showcasing<br />
the raw talents <strong>of</strong> the participants and many<br />
other activities. Aim <strong>of</strong> the camp is to help train<br />
the young<br />
Dominic Kelsall<br />
songwriters <strong>of</strong><br />
tomorrow today, to provide encouragement<br />
and help to build self-esteem, as well as<br />
providing access to networks and connections<br />
within the music industry. The songwriting<br />
elements <strong>of</strong> the camp are focused on local<br />
issues within the songwriters’ communities,<br />
encouraging the writers to look at what is<br />
happening directly around them rather than<br />
popular overseas cultures. Dominic has been a<br />
songwriter for over nine years with success in<br />
songwriting competitions including being<br />
runner-up in the Smash Hits Search for a Star<br />
2000 for his co-written work “Rain.” He hopes<br />
to see his camp expand and excel in creating<br />
new and distinguished songwriters in Australia,<br />
as well as helping young people turn to their<br />
songwriting gifts instead <strong>of</strong> to crime, drugs and<br />
other negative avenues. For more information<br />
visit www.triligy.com, and for news on the<br />
people and music label behind Triligy, visit<br />
www.true-l.com or phone 02 4739 8590.<br />
Milly Petriella and Alana Ganderton from<br />
Writer Services, NSW presented an award at<br />
the MusicOz 2002 Awards night, which was<br />
held at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre in<br />
Wollongong last November. The <strong>APRA</strong><br />
Songwriters Award was won by up and<br />
coming band, IKEY MO. There were 20<br />
categories, and other winners on the night<br />
included; FREYJA, FORTIUS, VISNJA, ULTRA<br />
VIVID CURVE, TJ BLANCH, HELEN MOTTEE,<br />
NATTASHA CRESTANI, JENNE, LUCID, US<br />
NOT THEM, PLATFORM SIX, BENT,<br />
ELEVENLIVE and THE BEATFIENDS. All the<br />
details are at www.musicoz.org.<br />
QLD<br />
Sean O’Sullivan - qld@apra.com.au<br />
After returning from an almost completely<br />
sold-out Post Christmas/Falls Festival tour in<br />
Victoria, THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT is back in<br />
the rehearsal and recording studio laying<br />
more tracks for the greatly anticipated debut<br />
album due for release later in 2003.<br />
Congratulations to Brisbane band GEORGE<br />
who recently had two songs feature in Triple J’s<br />
Hot 100 for “Release” and “Breaking it<br />
Slowly.” george are <strong>of</strong>f to the UK in April for<br />
shows in Glasgow, Dublin and London. The<br />
band tested the water late last year and return<br />
in support <strong>of</strong> their debut album Polyserena,<br />
released across Europe in late March.<br />
The Rapid Festival 2003 is set to kick <strong>of</strong>f on<br />
Saturday June 28. The Rapid Festival is an all<br />
ages, drug and alcohol free event that is held<br />
in Pine Rivers, Strathpine, Queensland. The<br />
annual event is organised by a group <strong>of</strong> young<br />
people aged between 16 and 21 with<br />
organisational support from Catalyst Youth<br />
Arts. Rapid is supported by the State<br />
Government through Arts Queensland and<br />
Queensland Health and other valuable<br />
sponsors. In 2002, headlining acts RHUBARB<br />
and THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT assisted in the<br />
growing popularity <strong>of</strong> the Rapid Festival. In<br />
addition, there was great support at all three<br />
stages for the 33 local Queensland bands,<br />
with crowd numbers surging to an estimated<br />
4500 throughout the day. To participate in<br />
the 2003 Rapid Festival, all applications<br />
can be downloaded from the website<br />
www.rapidfestival.com. For further info email<br />
info@rapidfestival.com or phone 07 3864 4712.<br />
The Metro Arts Complex in Brisbane is working<br />
in conjunction with Demo Pro to present a<br />
monthly showcase <strong>of</strong> new music talent. LIVE<br />
AT THE METRO will run Thursday evenings. If<br />
you would like to perform please call Alan<br />
Buchan on 0438 386 237 or send your demos<br />
to PO Box 3623, South Brisbane Q 4101.<br />
The Summer Fret Fest will be held on Saturday<br />
March 22 at the Vinery. Songwriters are<br />
welcome to partake in the annual event and<br />
should email demopro@optusnet.com.au for<br />
any further information.<br />
SA/NT<br />
Paula Rosenbauer - sa@apra.com.au<br />
NT members – start getting all your live<br />
performance information together because I<br />
will be visiting Darwin and Alice Springs<br />
around June/July this year to help you submit<br />
your Live Performance Returns on line. I hope<br />
to hold meetings in local internet cafes so we<br />
can have access to a number <strong>of</strong> computers<br />
and teach you the ins and outs <strong>of</strong> the <strong>APRA</strong><br />
website. So, start collecting all the<br />
information about your live gigs from July 1<br />
2002 – June 30 2003, including dates <strong>of</strong><br />
performances, venue names and addresses<br />
and what songs you sang at each gig. Keep<br />
your eye on the Membership Calendar <strong>of</strong><br />
Events on our website for further info about<br />
exact dates for these meetings or keep in<br />
touch with your local MIDI <strong>of</strong>fice who will be<br />
co-hosting the meetings with me. Don’t miss<br />
out on live performance royalties this year just<br />
because it sounds a little too hard or too<br />
much work – I’ll make it easier for you!<br />
MIDI is thrilled to announce that it has<br />
received funding to operate in Alice Springs<br />
for another year and will be writing a business<br />
plan to properly address issues concerning<br />
musicians and industry groups. A public forum<br />
is being held mid-March as an opportunity for<br />
local interested persons to express any issues<br />
or concerns they may have that need to be<br />
addressed. To attend the forum or find out<br />
more information, contact Rosie Dwyer at<br />
MIDI Alice Springs on 08 8953 6111 or email<br />
midialice@octa4.net.au.<br />
SA contemporary musicians have only a short<br />
time to submit their applications to Arts SA<br />
for the next round <strong>of</strong> Recording Assistance<br />
Grants. Grants <strong>of</strong> up to $7500 are allocated to<br />
assist musicians in either Early Recording<br />
Assistance, CD For Release or CD Marketing<br />
and Distribution. The deadline is March 21. For<br />
further info contact Paul Rees on 08 8463 5447<br />
or rees.paul@sau.sa.gov.au. There are various<br />
other grants also available and these can be<br />
found at www.arts.sa.gov.au.<br />
Congratulations to 17-year old KRISTY COX<br />
who has won a few awards recently,<br />
including $20,000 in the Nescafe Big Break<br />
Competition. Kristy intends putting some <strong>of</strong><br />
her winnings towards a recording <strong>of</strong> her own<br />
original songs. Kristy was also recently named<br />
SA Champion <strong>of</strong> Champions for 2002. She also<br />
won the SA Junior Champion <strong>of</strong> Champions in<br />
2000 and is the only person ever to have won<br />
both awards. The prize for this award was a<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development package to assist<br />
her in her musical career.<br />
More wins for country music performers with<br />
GRAEME HUGO winning the Industry Award<br />
for services to Country Music at the SA<br />
Council <strong>of</strong> Country Music Showcase Well<br />
done also to TRAVIS LIST who won the Rocky<br />
Page Memorial Award <strong>of</strong> two weeks at the<br />
CMAA College <strong>of</strong> Country Music in Tamworth<br />
during January. Fellow performer ANDREW<br />
SELLARS also attended the College and we<br />
hope both <strong>of</strong> them enjoyed their time in<br />
Tamworth.<br />
VIC/TAS<br />
Helen Aldridge - victas@apra.com.au<br />
The <strong>APRA</strong> Peoples Stage at the Falls Festival in<br />
Lorne was a big success in its second year. The<br />
initiative <strong>of</strong> the <strong>APRA</strong> Peoples Stage is to<br />
provide festival punters with a forum to perform<br />
their music to a potential crowd <strong>of</strong> 13,000, as<br />
well as to make these young musicians aware<br />
that <strong>APRA</strong> exists and what we can do for them.<br />
The stage was situated at the bus drop-<strong>of</strong>f<br />
point, therefore the attendees queuing to get<br />
into the main arena were treated to a variety <strong>of</strong><br />
entertainment; solo artists, metal bands and<br />
country through to MCs and rappers. Of the 19<br />
acts that performed, highlights included THE<br />
TALL POPPIES, KRISTI BENNETT, SAM<br />
NARDO and T-B (Travis Banko). Con Kalamaris<br />
from the Melbourne <strong>APRA</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice did a fantastic<br />
job <strong>of</strong> pulling the whole thing together. Look<br />
out for your chance to play the <strong>APRA</strong> Peoples<br />
Stage in 2003.<br />
Writer Services Representatives from <strong>APRA</strong><br />
will once again be attending the annual Port<br />
Fairy Folk Festival March 7-10. We will be<br />
Tall Poppies at the Falls Festival<br />
there to collect set lists from performers as<br />
well as meet our many members who perform<br />
at the festival each year. Watch out for<br />
further information. Don’t be a stranger, come<br />
and say hello.<br />
In response to the needs <strong>of</strong> the Victorian<br />
Music Scene, VicMUSIC has been formed as a<br />
non-pr<strong>of</strong>it representative membership based<br />
organization. The VicMUSIC vision is to<br />
promote the growth and development <strong>of</strong><br />
Victorian original music across all genres. Get<br />
involved! Visit www.vicmusic.com.<br />
There seems to be a lot happening in the<br />
world <strong>of</strong> jazz in Tasmania at the moment,<br />
including the Sounds <strong>of</strong> Tasmania concert<br />
being held in the Launceston City Park on<br />
March 23. For more information visit<br />
www.tased.edu.au/tasonline/tasjazz.<br />
On another note regarding Tasmania, don't<br />
forget that there are resources for all<br />
musicians on the island. Tasmusic is a great<br />
way <strong>of</strong> keeping up to date with what is<br />
happening www.tasmusic.com.au, as is<br />
the The Naked Dwarf Newsletter<br />
www.nakeddwarf.com.au.<br />
Kool Skools is a national recording and<br />
multimedia project, which has been running<br />
annually for six years. Kool Skools is a great<br />
way for secondary school students to be<br />
involved in the album making process – from<br />
writing and recording songs to developing<br />
artwork and video clips. For further<br />
information visit www.koolskools.com.au.<br />
WA<br />
Tenille Elkins - wa@apra.com.au<br />
For those <strong>of</strong> you who weren’t already aware,<br />
the Perth <strong>APRA</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice relocated over the<br />
Christmas period. After a little chaos we are<br />
now very much settled in to our new premises<br />
which are still in Subiaco. Our contact<br />
numbers remain the same and you’ll find our<br />
new address on the back cover <strong>of</strong> APrap.<br />
Please feel free to drop by and check out the<br />
new premises when you’re next in the area.<br />
WAM are once again looking to all those<br />
grassroots West Australian songwriters with<br />
their WAM Song <strong>of</strong> the Year contest. With<br />
over $30,000 in cash and prizes, a stack <strong>of</strong><br />
new categories and past winners who include<br />
LASH (then known as Exteria), BEAVERLOOP,<br />
CARTMAN, IVAN ZAR and HALOGEN there’s<br />
no reason to delay getting those entries in.<br />
The competition closes March 14 with<br />
winners announced in April. To find out more<br />
contact WAM on 08 9227 7962, email<br />
song<strong>of</strong>theyear@wam.asn.au or check out<br />
their website www.wam.asn.au.<br />
Local bands have been busy over the summer<br />
playing at the Perth Big Day Out, releasing<br />
new music and winning WA comps. YUNYU<br />
was one <strong>of</strong> WA’s recent Triple J unearthed<br />
winners along with AMBER SUITE and THE<br />
FUZZ.<br />
JOSIVAC are continuing their success after<br />
they took out last years Next Big Thing<br />
competition title. They recently supported PJ<br />
Harvey at the Concert Hall and as well as<br />
playing the Perth Big Day Out. The end <strong>of</strong><br />
February saw them travel up to Broome to<br />
support THE CRUEL SEA.<br />
22