Assembly Program 2011 PDF Print E-mail

18th Annual Assembly of the Music Council of Australia

Among the issues covered by the sessions are:

  • Music and the National Broadband Network
  • Development of the National Cultural Policy, with Richard Eccles, Deputy Secretary for the Arts, Deparment of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
  • The latest developments in online marketing of music
  • MCA’s national strategy for musical development at the community level.
  • Folk music and its role in Australian musical life.
  • The National Curriculum in music: completing a satisfactory curriculum.
  • The National Curriculum in music: who will teach it?!
  • Copyright and improvised music .
  • National cultural institutions: the National Film and Sound Archive, and TROVE at the National Library.
  • The Music Board music sector plan.
  • Careers in music, with the Australian Youth Music Council.

The final program, with links to some presentation materials follows:

Music Council of Australia
18th Annual Assembly

Australian National University School of Music, Canberra, ACT

Saturday September 10th—Monday September 12th, 2011

PROGRAM

NOTE: This program is subject to addition and amendment without notice

NB: THIS ONLINE VERSION OF THE PROGRAM CONTAINS
LINKS TO THE BRIEFING PAPERS AND SPEAKER PRESENTATION MATERIALS


SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10
5:00 Reception
ACT Legislative Assembly Civic Square, Civic.
Minister for the Arts, Joy Burch MLA, is our generous host. She will welcome us officially at 5.30pm. Minister Burch also will launch the 2011 Music in Communities Awards, the MCA Music in Communities Network's recognition of extraordinary achievements by local organisations in building opportunities for music–making. Musical Performances:
ANU DRUMatiX Percussion Group, Gary France Artistic/Educational Director
Music for Pieces of Wood by Steve Reich
Fluffy Ruffles by George H. Green. Arr. Bob Becker/ Christina Hopgood.
Programme Notes

The event will end around 7.00pm.


SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11
8:45 Registration
9:30 Welcome from our venue host
Prof Adrian Walter, Head, ANU School of Music

Musical Performance
Callum Henshaw, guitarist from the ANU School of Music, gives us the morning wake-up call.
9:55 SERVING THE AUDIENCE. SUSTAINING THE CREATORS
Chair: Michael Smellie, Chair; Board Member, MCA; Chair, Australian Film, Radio and Television School, former Global COO for Sony/BMG, Asia Pacific head of Bertelsmann

The Music Industry
Summary of MCA activity
Dr Richard Letts, Executive Director, MCA
Briefing Paper Presentation
MCA supports the 'industry' in a number of ways: providing information through the various publications, doing research, undertaking advocacy through formal submissions to governments and others, and hands-on projects. This introduction gives a round-up of recent activity.
10:00 The new Music Career website
Alex Masso, Australian Youth Music Council, Project Manager of the site build
This site (musiccareer.com.au) was a recommendation from the MCA’s 2009 Digital Distribution Think Tanks. It is an important addition to the resources available to artists and their supporters. Alex will give a brief introduction to its structure and contents.

 

The economic value of music performances in liquor-licensed venues
Dean Ormston, Director of Corporate Affairs, APRA
APRA's research uncovers the value of musical activity in licensed—a conspicuous omission from calculations of the value of the music sector.
10:20 Music, the Internet and Radio
Panel chaired by Michael Smellie
Catherine Gerrard, Executive Director, AMPG; President, Australian Music Publishers Association Ltd
Catherine Haridy, Catherine Haridy Management; President, Association of Artist Managers
11:15 Coffee Break
11:45 MAKING MUSIC, EVERYWHERE
The National Development Strategy for Local Music
Chair: Tina Broad, Manager, MCA Music: Play for Life
MCA supports the 'industry' in a number of ways: providing information through the various publications, doing research, undertaking advocacy through formal submissions to governments and others, and hands-on projects. This introduction gives a round-up of recent activity.

Summary of MCA/Music in Communities Network Activity
Tony Breese, Coordinator, Music in Communities Network
The Network has been coming into its own in the past twelve months, with new services to its members, the establishment of local music councils in several communities, and big plans which are about to be discussed.

Strategies for the Future
Tony Breese, Coordinator, Music in Communities Network
Jon Hawkes, Cultural commentator and author of the influential The Fourth Pillar of Sustainability: culture's essential role in public planning
Prof Huib Schippers, Dean, Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University
Susan West, Convenor, Music Education Program, School of Music, Australian National University
Vivienne Winther, Director, Music for Everyone, ACT
MCA, through Music: Play for Life and the Music in Communities Network, hopes to embark on an ambitious strategy to bring together community music people and local and regional government in the development of musical opportunities in communities. The plan will be described and your input invited. There will be further discussion in a breakout session on Monday.
1:00 Lunch
1:45 TOWARDS UNIVERSAL MUSIC EDUCATION
Chair: Dr Helen Lancaster, Chair, MCA
Summary of MCA Activity
Dr Richard Letts, Executive Director, MCA
Tina Broad, Manager, Music: Play for Life
Briefing Paper Presentation
MCA has been involved in advocacy for music education virtually since its inception. The MCA main office advocates directly to government via submissions and engagement with Ministers and the bureaucracy. Music: Play for Life is an ongoing MCA campaign directed more to the general public and the schools. It provides information through a number of websites, has a special Education Officer, and some very important advocacy programs such as Music: Count Us In. MCA research has been extremely important to advocacy. Advocacy has supported each level of music education. This introduction paints the picture.
1:55 Summary of the situation with the National Curriculum
MCA was influential both in the instigation of the National Review of School Music Education and the inclusion of music in the National Curriculum. The development of the National Curriculum is moving through stages and at present, the final version of the "Shape Paper" has been published and is guiding the writing of the actual curriculum. But so far, it seems that nobody is coming to grips with the realities of delivering this curriculum to the students.
2:05 Strategies for completion and implementation of the National Curriculum in music
Jason Aldworth, principal of The Civic Group. Jason has a background of high level political, public affairs and media experience Frances Dennis, Manager Music Programs, School and Regional Operations, Department of Education and Community Services, SA Dr Anne Lierse, Chair, Victorian School Music Action Group Mike Tyler, Principal Education Officer (The Arts), Queensland Department of Education
Broadly, there are two matters for discussion.
Firstly, what is our assessment of the Shape Paper, intended to instruct or guide in the formulation of the curriculum?
Secondly, how is this curriculum to be taught, especially in primary school, given the very minimal training given to those who in most states will have that responsibility – the primary school generalist classroom teachers? The main value of the publication of the National Curriculum is that it shines a light on those inadequacies and gives strong reason for a major upgrade in musical provision in schools.
The discussion begun here will continue in breakout groups on Monday.
3:15 Coffee Break
3:45 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AT THE AUSTRALIA COUNCIL
Paul Mason, Director
The Australia Council for the Arts is the Australian Government’s arts funding and advisory body. Paul Mason, Director of Music, will report on recent developments, new initiatives, and the Music Board’s sector plan, and will answer your questions here and perhaps in between sessions.
4:05 ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE
The Music in Australia Knowledge Base
Hans Hoegh-Guldberg, Editor
Briefing Paper 1 Briefing Paper 2 Presentation
This is an ambitious Music Council project to establish a comprehensive online description of the Australian music sector. It is being reconstructed as a ‘wiki’ resource to enable direct contributions from expert people beyond those already involved with MCA. Hans will give a brief tour to show progress with the new structure.

The National Film and Sound Archive
Matthew Davies, Senior Curator of Sound, Broadcast and New Media, National Film & Sound Archive of Australia
This is an ambitious Music Council project to establish a comprehensive online description of the Australian music sector. It is being reconstructed as a ‘wiki’ resource to enable direct contributions from expert people beyond those already involved with MCA. Hans will give a brief tour to show progress with the new structure.

The National Library, Music Australia and Trove
Robyn Holmes, Curator of Music, NLA; Deputy Chair, Music Council of Australia
Presentation overview Presentation
The National Library supports music in Australia not just through its rich collections of music, historical to contemporary, but through providing search, discovery and access to resources across more than 1000 institutions. The Library is currently integrating its Music Australia service fully into Trove (trove.nla.gov.au), recent winner of the Excellence in eGovernment award. Robyn poses some questions and ideas about how the music sector can actively engage with the service and help shape future developments for the benefit of the wider music community and industry.
5:00 Close
5:15 MCA ANNUAL ADDRESS
Introduction: Robyn Holmes, Deputy Chair, MCA
Musing on Museums and Music
Andrew Sayers, Director, National Museum of Australia
The etymologies of the words 'museum' and 'music' are similar. And there are a great many similarities in the present challenges faced by the world of museums and the world of music. I will talk about museums, their role in society and the importance of cultural literacy in Australian contemporary life.
Andrew Sayers has a visual arts background, with a BA (Hons) in Fine Arts at Sydney University. He has held positions at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Newcastle Regional Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Australia. He was appointed Director of the National Portrait Gallery in April 1998 and during his tenure, oversaw the construction of its new and much lauded lakeside building and its transformation into a significant national cultural institution. Following upon this achievement, in 2010 he was appointed as Director of the National Museum of Australia.
6:15 End of Sunday Session
7:45 MCA Annual Dinner
Teatro Vivaldi Restaurant ANU Arts Centre, University Avenue, Canberra
Phone: (02) 6257 2718
The Dinner includes canapes on arrival, then main course, dessert, wine and coffee at the table. Guests pay for additional wine if needed.
The Music John Shortis and Moya Simpson will perform excerpts from their award-winning show,"Tin Pan Aussie", about the history of songwriting and the music industry in Australia, and from John’s individual take on Australian Prime Ministers through song.
6:15 End of Sunday Session


MONDAY SEPTEMBER 12
8:45 Registration
9:00 THE NBN AND MUSIC
Chair: Dr Richard Letts, Executive Director, MCA

NBN and new opportunities in music
Kirsty Guster, ANU School of Music
The ANU School of Music is a leader in Australia in the use of the internet for music education, with a number of services reaching to the regions and internationally.

The MCA policy paper
Dr Richard Letts, for the NBN Working Group
An MCA working group has produced a policy paper on the use of the NBN in music education. It includes a set of recommendations to bring teachers and school administrations up to speed on technical and policy requirements and curricular opportunities.

Discussion 1
From the floor

Manhattan School of Music
Prof Christianne Orto, Dean
The Manhattan School of Music is one of the most prestigious in the USA and is a national leader in the use of the internet. Manhattan School and the ANU have a partnership which will be demonstrated in this interactive session with a presentation by a Manhattan School jazz ensemble, introduced and moderated by Christianne Orto.

Applications and services possible in an NBN-enabled digital economy
Emmanuel Njuguna, Director, Digital Economy Policy and Analysis, Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
Presentation
In May this year, the Australian Government released the National Digital Economy Strategy. The strategy outlines the government’s vision for Australia’s NBN-enabled digital economy.

New curricular opportunities
Steve Dillon, Queensland University of Technology, Gold Coast

 

Discussion 2
From the floor
Further discussion will be possible at a breakout session beginning at noon.
10:30 Coffee Break
DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS TO THE MCA BOARD
Please hand nominations to Sara Hood, Administrator
11:00 THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL CULTURAL POLICY
Richard Eccles, Deputy Secretary for the Arts, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
Speaking notes
Arts Minister Simon Crean has stated that he has two major interests at this stage in his conduct of the arts portfolio: the development of a National Cultural Policy, and the application of the NBN in the arts. Associated with these two matters is regional development in the arts, an aspect of his responsibilities for regional development.
The Minister has released a discussion paper for the National Cultural Policy and has invited submissions for consideration.
As Deputy Secretary, Richard Eccles is responsible for the development of the National Cultural Policy and will bring the Assembly up-to- date on the current thinking. The session will include questions and discussion from the floor.
12:00 Breakout Groups
Following upon a survey of delegates’ wishes, breakout groups will form to discuss the following topics:
  • The national community music development strategy
  • Implementation of the National Curriculum in music Briefing Paper
  • Issues for the music industry. Briefing Paper
  • Classical music development, following from the 2010 national Classical Music Summit.     Briefing Paper
  • The NBN and music.     Briefing Paper
1:00 Lunch
1:45 Annual General Meeting of the Music Council of Australia
Dr Helen Lancaster, Chair

Minutes of the 2010 AGM

2010 Financial report

2011 Annual Report

Special business

Election of Councillors

Election of Board Members
2:15 FOLK MUSIC: A GENRE OR A MOVEMENT?
Sebastian Flynn, Managing Director, National Folk Festival and MCA Councillor
Speaking notes
Looking at the meaning and future of folk—in the context of ethnic, traditional and world music— including the view of folk music as a both a ‘revivalist’ expression of the past and a contemporary expression of the present—as well as its influence on other genres of music and its relevance in the presentation of contemporary arts festivals and education.
2:45 KOOKABURRAS IN AFRICA?
The Application of Copyright Law to Improvised Music and Community Cultural Practice
Nathan Shepherd, with musical illustrations. Nathan is a Councillor of the MCA, chair of its Legal and Copyright Committee, lawyer with Allens Arthur Robinson, and a musician.
As African and other Indigenous music becomes more influential on Western society, problems in the application of Western copyright law to this music become more pronounced. Often, such music does not qualify for copyright protection under Western legal principles. On the other hand, it often depends upon quoting/ referencing/developing musical ideas which may contravene Western copyright law. The recent Full Court decision in the Kookaburra case is relevant, both as an illustration of the problems and because of Justice Emmett's reference to a possible solution. Is it time for the introduction of a fair use regime in Australia? And how do we address the important issue of copyright protection?
3:15 Coffee Break
3:45 CAREERS IN MUSIC
From the Saturday AYMC Careers Workshop Australian Youth Music Council, Michael Sollis, Chair
Presentation
AYMC is conducting a workshop on Saturday the 10th with speakers covering many important issues around career-building in music. Today we discover the fruits of their labours. Note that the MusicCareer website, revealed in the Sunday morning session, is a joint MCA/AYMC project and is another contribution to these matters.
3:45 THE POINTY END
Breakout Group Reports and Final Discussion
Dr Helen Lancaster, Chair, MCA
Your last chance to make your points. This discussion will result in recommendations for MCA action.
5:00 CLOSE OF ASSEMBLY

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Music Council is grateful to Prof Adrian Walter, Head of the ANU School of Music, Kirsty Guster, Deanna Riddell and all those at the School of Music who have given generous assistance in hosting the Assembly.

Thanks to the musical performers: Callum Henshaw (guitar) Krystle Innes (soprano), Gary France and ANU DRUMatiX Percussion Group (Charles Martin, Yvonne Lam, Jonathan Griffiths, Stephen Fitzgerald).

The Music Council also thanks all of our speakers for their contributions, without which there would be no Assembly. In particular we thank the Manhattan School of Music and their Dean, Prof Christianne Orto, for their cooperation in the NBN session.

Thanks to Minister for the Arts, Joy Burch MLA, and the ACT Government through artsACT for hosting the reception at the ACT Legislative Assembly.

The Music Council would be far less effective without the core support received from the Music Board of the Australia Council for the Arts, the Commonwealth’s arts funding and advisory body. Thank you to the Music Board and all of our other supporters.

Printed Program (Final) (PDF document).