Tracee Hutchison to chair Music Victoria’s Women’s Advisory Panel

Media and arts identity, author and current head of journalism at the Australian College of Arts (Collarts), Tracee Hutchison, is named the chair of music Victoria’s Women’s Advisory Panel.

The association has been active in gender representation issues in the music industry.

These have included implementing the 40:40:20 gender quotas to all MV events and organisational activities.

Women’s Advisory Panel, Music Victoria says it “provides a platform to represent the broad range of cultural and economic perspectives of women and people who identify as women who are working in music-related professions as part of Music Victoria’s leadership and advocacy on societal issues in the creative sector.”

Hutchinson has been CEO of the Human Rights Arts & Film Festival, network executive producer at ABC International and Program Director and board member at influential Melbourne community radio station 3RRR.FM.

Others on the panel are:

* Rita Khayat, a Lebanese-Australian female identifying musician, music programmer, program manager and broadcaster.

She has a background in venue, stage & production management at major Australian festivals including Sydney Festival, Darwin Festival, WOMAD, BIGSOUND, Adelaide Festival and St Kilda festival.

Khayat is currently program manager at the Foundation for Young Australians.

* Siobhan Kranz, digital communications manager at the Mushroom Group, is deeply passionate about the relationship between music and technology, and the changing way in which tech can benefit artists and creators.

* Jessie Lloyd, originally from north Queensland, is an award-winning performer, producer and creative entrepreneur.

She is dedicated to the strength and progress of modern Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through music and song, as well as preserving the stories of First Australians in music and performance.

* Danielle ‘Mz’ Rizk is a DJ, broadcaster, curator and advocate for women and people of colour.

With 15 years’ experience in various areas of Melbourne’s music scene, she produces a weekly event that prioritises women of colour for performance opportunities, as Melbourne does not provide regular spaces for these artists.

* Dr Catherine Strong is an academic in the popular music field, with a particular emphasis and expertise in gender issues.

Her research has focused and highlighted how women are left out of historical records of popular music and has worked closely with APRA/AMCOS to produce its report on women screen writers in Australia and the career barriers they face, which informed APRA’s gender equity initiatives.

* Samantha Wass is a musician (with the band Swim Team), broadcaster and online content manager at The Push.

She launched a recording initiative for young female, trans and non-binary artists to record at Audrey Studios.

* Diana Wolfe is a jazz/blues singer, writer and publicist with a special interest in supporting and advocating for women in music.

She is the co-founder/Producer of ‘the Play Like A Girl series and a publicist and media advocate for the National Folk Festival, VicHealth/Quit, Call this Home and indigenous singer/songwriter Jessie Lloyd.

* Al Parkinson (Secretary) performs her own music regularly, has curated boutique events such as Sofar Sounds, worked in community radio, tour managed, is a mentor for The Push and worked at creative industries College, Collarts for three years.

Parkinson works at Music Victoria as the office & membership coordinator.

* Siobhan McGinnity a research audiologist undertaking her PhD to investigate ways to prevent music-induced hearing loss amongst sound engineers.

Her studies are part of the research that underpins HEARsmart, the HEARing CRC’s campaign to promote hearing health and prevent noise-induced tinnitus and hearing loss – focused around the music industry.

McGinnity also works casually for Academic Hearing specialising in rehabilitation and tinnitus management.

* Dr. Nat Grant makes music and sound art with percussion and electronics.

She is a performer and composer who plays drums and percussion and sometimes computers.

She writes music for other people to perform, and creates soundtracks and sound art for theatre, live art, and exhibitions.

* Fiona Duncan has close to three decades experience as an artist manager, tour manager, publicist, event co-ordinator and managed Spiderbait for 25 years.

She is currently the arts events officer at Geelong City Council and is a strong advocate for regional artists.

Duncan is also a member of Creative Victoria’s Advisory Panel for the Music Works Program.

*Shannon Driscoll is the co-founder of the registered charity Girls Rock! Melbourne (GR!M)

Its primary aim is to address gender inequity in the music industry from the bottom up through education and empowerment of female, trans and gender diverse youth aged 10-17.

She is s gigging musician, university researcher and educator.

* Rebecca Barnard has been an integral part of the Australian music scene for over 30 years, across the pop, jazz and rock scenes and with her band Rebecca’s Empire.

A mentor and educator, Barnard runs songwriting workshops and records with a diverse mix of women including women with mental health issues, social isolation and diverse cultural backgrounds.

She is a founding member of The Mirabel Foundation and has been an assessor on music grant panels for Melbourne City Council and Creative Victoria.

* Sophie Koh has released four independent albums and won awards such as Best Female Artist (The Age Music Victoria Awards) and Best Contemporary Song at IMA (Independent Music Awards USA).

She was Unearthed by triple j in Darwin in 2003 and has since toured and collaborated with many, such as Ben Lee, The Eels and The Go-Betweens.

Born in New Zealand, to Malaysian Chinese parents she spent her childhood in Singapore.

Her latest album Book Of Songs sees her divert course from pop into the classical-crossover world, revisiting her classical piano training and her ethnicity.