MusicACT appoints Billy Bianchini as program manager

Canberra-based music association MusicACT has appointed artist manager and label owner Billy Bianchini as its program manager.

Bianchini will drive the growth of ACT music through professional development events and workshops for musicians and industry workers.

Bianchini’s first initiative was to deliver the inaugural State of the Territory last Sunday at aMBUSH gallery in the Kambri Cultural Precinct at Australian National University (ANU).

“My vision for MusicACT’s professional program is to focus on strengthening our scene’s capabilities, while continually fostering connections between the ACT, national and international scenes, always building our industry’s people and their unique culture of creativity and collaboration,” Bianchini said in a statement.

“Above all, I’m honoured to work closely with our industry’s astonishing artists and passionate music industry workers.”

Bianchini already went down this path by setting up artist services and management company Warm Water in 2018.

Then 21, he was still a student at ANU’s School of Music and helping bands record at its recording studio and giving them advice on growing their careers.

Warm Water oversaw the rise of Canberra bands ARCHIE and Sputnik Sweetheart and issued recordings by Slow Dial, Groovy Daughter and Hope Wilkins.

Over 4,000 people have attended MusicACT professional development workshops and events since the program kicked off in 2019.

MusicACT said it helped inject $1 million into the music sector since the pandemic began and is working on new strategies to grow the territory’s night-time economy.

It is also involved in the ACT government’s $700,000 Amp It Up! initiative to provide funds of up to $60,000 each to small to medium local live music and performance venues to assist them to recover after the impacts of COVID-19.