Brian Ritchie, Violent Femmes and The Break bass player, will address the Australasian Worldwide Music Expo in Melbourne today about “his other job”m the curator of MONA FOMA in Hobart.
Brian Ritchie - Photo By Ros O'Gorman
Brian and his wife Dr. Varuni Kulasekera moved to Hobart, Tasmania from Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2008. He curated his first Mona Foma in 2009.
Then in 2010 Brian formed The Break with former Midnight Oil members Rob Hirst, Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey.
He is now an Australian citizen.
Brian will be the Keynote Speaker at AWME this afternoon at 2:30pm at the Arts Centre.
The Australasian Worldwide Music Expo program today is:
Saturday 17 November 2012
Spotlight on Asia
Presented by AWME, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade & Music Victoria
In July this year, Music Services Asia announced the launch of MSA Distribution: ‘the first global digital distribution service specially dedicated to musicians, artists and independent labels from South-East Asia’. With local and worldwide festivals such as Laneway Festival playing in Singapore and Future Music Festival in Kuala Lumpur, the world is recognising Asia as a key music region.
Moderators: Millie Millgate | Export Music Producer, Sounds Australia
Speakers: Shen Lihui | Founder and Director, Modern Sky, China
Maria Chiu | Deputy Artistic Director, National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Centre, Taiwan
Mahesh Mathai | Co-Founder, Blue Frog Media, India
Tom Mattessi | Director, This Town Touring, China
Date: Saturday 17th November, 2012
Time: 10.00am – 11.00am
Location: Arts Centre Melbourne, Amcor Lounge
AWME Registered Delegates and Daytime Conference Pass holders
Has Roots Music Gone Mainstream?
Presented by AWME
Over the last few years, roots music has exploded into the mainstream, with roots artists playing all over the world and at major festivals such as Glastonbury, Sziget and Roskilde. What has prompted this sudden surge of excitement from the public – an interest in diverse styles or a boredom of the generic mainstream?
Moderator: Paula Henderson | Artistic Programmer, WOMAD Festivals, UK
Speakers: Fruzsina Szép | Program Director, Sziget Festival, Hungary
Kerry Clarke | Artistic Director, Calgary Folk Music Festival, Canada
Malcolm Haynes | Promoter / Talent Buyer, Glastonbury / Big Chill, UK
Parvyn Kaur Singh | Artist, The Bombay Royale
Date: Saturday 17th November , 2012
Time: 11.00am – 12.00pm
Location: Arts Centre Melbourne, Amcor Lounge
AWME Registered Delegates and Daytime Conference Pass holders
The Culture of Contemporary Indigenous Music
Presented by AWME & Songlines
With the increased involvement of Indigenous performers at Australian festivals, how do we ensure this cultural artform is in context and reflects the true voice of modern Indigenous Australia?
Moderator: Jessie Lloyd | Artistic Director, Songlines
Speakers: Rhoda Roberts | Artistic Director, Boomerang Festival / Head of Indigenous Programming, Sydney Opera House
Peter Rotumah | Singer, Songwriter and Aboriginal Activist
Matty Weeberg | Traditional dancer and Didgeridoo player
Date: Saturday 17th November, 2012
Time: 12.00pm – 1.00pm
Location: Arts Centre Melbourne, Amcor Lounge
AWME Registered Delegates and Daytime Conference Pass holders
On the Road – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Touring
Presented by AWME
From booking a rehearsal space to planning an international tour, Indigenous artists and industry workers look at the challenges presented to remote and Indigenous artists, and explore new ways to get heard across Australia and beyond.·
Moderator: Michael Hutchings | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island National Representative, APRA|AMCOS
Speakers: Vanessa Hutchins | Music Touring Manager, Artback NT
Mark Smerdon | Manager, PY Media Music
Leah Flanagan | Artist
Lee-Ann Tjunypa Buckskin | Chair, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board, Australia Council for the Arts
Date: Saturday 17th November, 2012
Time: 1.00pm – 2.00pm
Location: Arts Centre Melbourne, Amcor Lounge
AWME Registered Delegates and Daytime Conference Pass holders
#WhatPublicityWhereintheCurrentMarket?
Presented by AWME
Music PR – what works where in the swiftly shifting online and offline global marketplace? Is social media pre-eminent and the role of traditional print media presence disappearing before our eyes? Must the modern publicist blog, tweet and Facebook their artists to global recognition? This panel explores one of the most rapidly changing aspects of the music industry.
Moderator: Alison Pearl | Director, Alison Pearl Presents
Speakers: Chryss Carr | Director, AUM Marketing & PR
Namila Benson | MC / Broadcaster / Producer, ABC Radio
Jane Cornwell | Journalist / Broadcaster / World Music Critic, Daily Telegraph, London Evening Standard, Songlines, BBC (UK) / The Australian (AUS)
Chrissie Vincent | Director, Chrissie Vincent Publicity
Date: Saturday 17th November, 2012
Time: 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Location: Arts Centre Melbourne, Amcor Lounge
AWME Registered Delegates and Daytime Conference Pass holders
Artist in Conversation: Stani Goma talks to Seun Kuti
Presented by AWME
Son of Nigerian Afrobeat luminary, Fela Kuti, Seun has proven himself to be a dynamic bandleader, standing strong in front of an ensemble of veteran musicians the Egypt 80, who continue to lay down their version of hard-hitting Afrobeat. He talks to Stani Goma, host of Australia’s most popular African Music radio programmes ‘Flight 1067 to Africa’ on PBSfm about his long-spanning career as one of the finest Afrobeat performers in the world.
Date: Saturday 17th November, 2012
Time: 2.00pm – 2.45pm
Location: Arts Centre Melbourne, AWME Delegates Lounge
AWME Registered Delegates and Daytime Conference Pass holders
Keynote Speaker: Brian Ritchie, MONA FOMA, Tasmania
Presented by AWME
As bassist for the Violent Femmes, Ritchie was part of an alternative rock movement that defined the post-punk generation – releasing eight studio albums and fifteen singles over the course of 20-years. Today he is celebrated for founding and curating one of Australia’s most respected festivals, MONA FOMA, which recently received the Helpmann Award for Best Contemporary Music Festival. Ritchie is also a master of the Shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute), a member of Australia’s own surf rock powerhouse band, The Break, and carries with him an unwavering passion for music.
Date: Saturday 17th November, 2012
Time: 2.30pm – 4.00pm
Location: Clemenger Auditorium, NGV International
AWME Registered Delegates and Daytime Conference Pass holders
Weddings Parties Anything: Spotlight on The Age EG Awards 2012 Hall of Fame Inductees
Presented by Music Victoria & The Age EG Awards
The Age EG’s Martin Boulton and key members of Weddings Parties Anything band members take a trip down memory lane ahead of their EG Hall Of Fame
Induction performance on Tuesday night, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of Scorn of the Women. They will discuss their career and craft, highlights and lowlights, and perform a couple of songs, while playwright Ross Mueller will explain how he wrote the play A Party in Fitzroy from a fan’s perspective of their temporary break-up.
Moderator: Martin Boulton | Editor, The Age EG
Speakers: Mick Thomas | Artist, Weddings Parties Anything
Mark Wallace | Artist, Weddings Parties Anything
Michael Barclay | Artist, Weddings Parties Anything
Paul Thomas | Artist, Weddings Parties Anything
Ross Mueller | Playwright, Artistic Director of Geelong’s Courthouse ARTS & long-time fan
Date: Saturday 17th November, 2012
Time: 4.00pm – 5.00pm
Location: Riverside Mezzanine, Hamer Hall (Level 5)
