Creating A Media Platform in a Sea of Monopoly

Our Bloc’s “Ready2Record” Mentorship Program will allay the widening skill and networking gaps young people face moving into the audio and music industry, providing foundational knowledge to those who will deliver the Australian Music scene from hardship amidst this global recession and carry the professional and artistic torches forward into a diverse future. The program is free, and consists of different focus areas, in audio equipment, radio presentation and production, song creation, and digital-audio work-stations. It will best be delivered in person, in small groups of no more than four, for meaningful connection and optimal learning conditions. It comprises four weekly one-and-a-half-hour sessions. Online contingencies are in place in the result of tighter business restrictions. The program will see new and budding artists have the necessary all-round skills to manage equipment, write, record, mix, and present a song in its complete form. Thus, “Ready2Record” meets great challenges in terms of equity of opportunity for young people of all backgrounds, the timely nature of the project means it will cover gaps in a time of dire need, and it will allow young people the chance to experiment and express themselves freely in new works not seen or heard before!

I have been a practicing artist for 6 years, and am highly proficient in song-writing, recording, mixing and mastering. My greatest achievement thus far would probably be the first album I recorded and produced. It is something I am most proud of. This project was my first creative endeavour, and provided me my first networking experiences with artists and producers, who collaborated with me to create and fulfill my vision of an 18-track long album. It taught me valuable lessons in time management, but I gained greater satisfaction in putting a piece of artwork together and out into the world.

My other key achievement revolves around running my own home recording studio for the last 3 years on the Central Coast, NSW. As a studio operator, I assisted many young people on the Central Coast realise their dreams of recording their first projects. I owe it to those in Inner West Sydney to do so with more experience, resources and programs at my disposal. In this role I managed the business systems, managed audio equipment for bands and solo artists, produced weekly radio programs like Central Coast Hip Hop - to above all provide a service to my local community to help those musicians get their art off the ground and into the public’s ears.

As an Umpires Coach for Aussie Rules AFL I have 7 years experience with invaluable skill sharing and training techniques that I continue to apply throughout all aspects of my personal and professional life. The value of explaining concepts simply and clearly, teaching rules and impartiality is not lost on me and as a diverse learner myself, I am very much invested in different learning styles that facilitate the engagement of all people, of all ages. My roles as an Organiser on the Central Coast and in the Inner West as well as a volunteer Firefighter with my local RFS also developed my confidence and skills in leadership, mentoring and team building. In these positions I learned many prized skills around resolving conflicts through collaboration, advocating holistically for younger people whose voices are not always heard, and negotiating difficult situations within my local RFS and their members. I believe that my abilities in mentorship, training and development will marry well with my creative and technical skills in audio and music to deliver this Our Bloc “Ready2Record” project!

Our Bloc Community Recording Studio and Radio Station is a new, youth-led, safe creative space launching mid-december in the Inner West of Sydney. The aim is to bring access to writing space and music services like practice, recording, mixing, mastering and presentation to those in need, those of all backgrounds, and to incite an excitement around creation of new Australian music during our toughest period economically since WW2.

Australian democracy 'enjoys' some of the highest concentration of news media in the world. According to the Guardian, it ranks tenth in the world for press freedom. We live in a sea of monoplies, News Corp, Seven, Nine/Fairfax.

Our Bloc will allow artists the opportunity to generate inspired complete arts projects at the most affordable rates in Sydney. The studio (with the help of the Australian Council for the Arts) will also boast a first-of-its-kind, entirely free mentorship trial program, entitled “Ready2Record”. The project will see new and budding artists have the necessary all-round skills to manage equipment, write, record, mix, and present a song in its complete form.

The problem area Our Bloc and myself as Development Organiser are tackling is that of professional development in young people. In music and radio, young people are under-represented, under-utilised, and non-diverse in cultural background. According to Mentorloop, “75% of millennials deem mentoring critical to their success” (1), and those organisations which implement effective mentoring improve retention in the business and industry “by up to 72%” (1). The statistics show again “that minorities who advance the furthest share one characteristic: a strong network of mentors.”(1). In effect, this program will assist in remedying key issues, those of skill gaps, diversity, and works of art production, in the music and audio industries. The solution is personable instruction and mentorship. Ready2Record has been subject to months of ideation and consultation with youth organisations. The project’s session plans and agendas have been developed in collaboration with local artists in Sydney. The sessions are 1.5 hrs in length, and are as follows:

Audio Equipment

This session will cover all essential equipment use, and “How?”questions, from best microphone for genre and instrument, to headphones and monitors, audio converters, cable use, instrument and mic placement, and how audio systems communicate and interact with each other to create music!

Song Creation

This session will cover different types of song structures, in instrumentation and lyrics, lyric writing styles, safe vocal styles for all genres, from rock to hip-hop, to where and how to get creative inspiration and strategies to manage time and burnout.

Upon completion of the program, professionals will have the opportunity to take up 1-free hour of recording at Our Bloc, to jet-start the artistic and creative careers.

Digital-Audio-Workstations

This session will cover in depth the foundational knowledge in using DAW’s to mix and master vocals, instrumentation and compositions. From EQ, to Compression, software manipulation and workflow shortcuts

Radio Production and Presentation

This session covers the roles and base skills involved in production of radio programs, from writers to audio-editors and their responsibilities, to skills in public speaking and communication required to present segments (or ‘bits’) live on radio waves. Each professional will be guided and encouraged to endeavour to write, produce and/or present a 2-5 minute radio segment for showcase at the end of the session.

Targeted networking has already taken place with organisations like the Multicultural Youth Advisory Network, Youth Action, and others to create training materials available in languages other than English, to provide referrals for interested and prospective young Technical and Creative professionals - as a means to bridge not only the skill gaps between young and old, but between those of different backgrounds and ability. Further partnership inquiries are a required step to ensure maximum participation in the mentorship program, and will be contacted over the coming weeks.

Our Bloc has also contacted our local council, the Inner West Council and is working with them to obtain radio licensing for launch too in July. Community licensing is an essential step in launching Our Bloc and key to its aims in improving media and music diversification. Our Bloc prides itself on safety and well-thought contingency planning. All in person interactions will be had at Covid-safe, with correct distance measures, deep cleans of equipment and shared spaces each session, and in the event of tighter restrictions, online workshops will be held until physical interactions are viable again.

We are aiming to trial this program, and cover 24 participants a week. Meaning 6 sessions and 12 hours of delivery work, for approximately 6 months (28 weeks). By July 2021, we estimate we will carry a maximum of 168 young people through the program. That’s 168 young lives given foundational knowledge and opportunity to support networks within the industry. 168 young professionals armed with the confidence to create new Australian music.

If financial modelling pans out successfully, Our Bloc may also have the opportunity to hire professionals who have finished the program. Our Bloc is happy to write letters of recommendation for participants in any case.

Thus, “Ready2Record” meets great challenges in terms of equity of opportunity for young people of all backgrounds, the timely nature of the project means it will cover gaps in a time of dire need, and it will allow young people the chance to experiment and express themselves freely in new works not seen or heard before!

“Our Art Reflects Us”

As evidenced by Media Diversity Australia’s recent landmark study “Who Gets To Tell Australian Stories?” (2), it revealed the extreme under-representation of voice in media in proportion to the diverse nature of Australian population - “It is clear that Australian television news and current affairs media does not represent all Australians and this affects the way stories are told” The broader issues of barriers to entry for people of CALD backgrounds into media and arts, and barriers to platforming have been thrust into public scrutiny. A free mentorship program created to assist the youth population with materials in multiple languages could not come at a greater time for those from diverse backgrounds. In bridging gaps of equity with education and networking opportunities in the music and media industry, Our Bloc can help facilitate the remedy our arts and media landscapes desperately need; proportionate representation for people of diverse backgrounds to present and express their views.

Young People are calling for mentorship, and strong support networks - and our solution echoes studies conducted by government and corporate alike. At this time of great economic hardship for young people, a subsidised mentorship program would build youth confidence, build industry confidence, spur a flurry of new creative works, and provide young and diverse Australians with an experience of goodwill that could be hard to come by in this traditionally exclusionary industry. According to Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS) (3), “less than 1 out of 10 Australian arts leaders are from a CALD background”. The future of our talent pool can be bright if we invest in our diverse youth. The flow on effects of knowledge sharing are staggering. It is on recommendation of DARTS that to increase CALD participation in the music industry “...Australia’s major cultural organisations, government agencies and investors (should) create more funded mentoring and pathways which are linked to career progression for CALD Australian creatives.'’ Imagine, by July 2021, that the 168 young creatives who have completed the program pass on the practicable skills they have learned to just one other person. That is a doubling of the amount of people positively impacted by this program, and it could go on indefinitely!

Our Bloc will with the backing of Vocal Media, facilitate the advancement of youth in music and media industries, and fashion a platform for creatives to be inspired to produce new Australian art. As a Facilitator and IT Developer who lives life with mental conditions of depression and anxiety, the Ready2Record program will have compassion and understanding underpinning every interaction. This pilot program will also involve a research component before completion - to deepdive mentorship and on DARTS recommendation, the “participation of artists from different geopolitical regions or backgrounds, and migration status”, not just the broad umbrella term of CALD. If funded with Vocal Media's support, this deepdive research component will be the first-of-its-kind in any Australian industry.