WAM announces 2018 board, CEO Mike Harris on “punching above its weight” in 2017

WAM (West Australian Music) has unveiled its 2018 board, which sees the arrival of three new faces from 14 nominees.

They are singer Aysha Amani (CEO, ARTISTICSOUL) for two years, with Kylie Thompson (owner of financial and taxation firm Sorrento Strategic Music) and Sam Cutri (lecturer, SAE) for a year each.

They replace Louise Scott, Jacob Snell and Mark Spillane.

The full board consists of:

Al Taylor (chairman, 303 Mullenlowe) – president

Noah Shilkin (owner, Sonic Lolly) – vice president

Bel Skinner (owner, RedRock Music) – secretary

Steven McCabe (director, KPMG’s Restructuring Services Team) – treasurer

Anton Mazandarani (marketing manager, WAAPA; co-founder Death Disco)

Chris Edmondson (presenter and producer, ABC Local Radio – Albany and Great Southern; lecturer Music Industry Studies, South Regional TAFE)

Toby Browne-Cooper (managing director, Oryx Consolidated)

Aysha Amani (CEO, ARTISTICSOUL)

Kylie Thompson (owner, Sorrento Strategic Music)

Sam Cutri (lecturer, SAE)

WAM CEO Mike Harris said, “I’m excited to be working with this new board to deliver great outcomes for WA music.

“Thanks to outgoing members and all those that stood for nominations in a very highly competitive process.

“The next couple of years will be an exciting time for the local sector.”

At the annual general meeting, WAM also released its 2017 report, which showed a year of breaking new ground and a surplus of $71,690.

Harris said, “Last year I alluded to 2017 having a focus on projects more aligned to actual participation in music: specifically, work on audience development and gender representation.

“I am pleased that significant work was undertaken in both these areas, as well as many other achievements.

“It’s fair to say that for a small organisation, WAM punches above its weight.”

WAM engaged artist and PR manager and government consultant Rachael Davidson to research and deliver Australia’s first Audience Development Plan.

Funding was sought to deliver on its outcomes and recommendations.

By the end of the year, musician, broadcaster and writer Em Burrows was hired to start work one day a week to further develop and deliver some priority recommendations.

As for gender representation in the music sector, a couple of open industry meetings were held.

Harris recalls, “These started out with an agenda and a naïve thought of achieving structured outcomes.

“In the first meeting the full three hours was taken up with each person in attendance discussing their experiences as a woman in the music sector: just the introductions, really.

“This was emotional, raw and cathartic.”

From this comes a report into gender equity in the contemporary music sector in WA to be delivered this year.

Of its other achievements:

WAM lobbied the WA government to ensure the promise of a Contemporary Music Fund was delivered, which can be tied back to earlier research work WAM did with ECU to the billion-dollar value of the WA music industry.

Much-needed IT upgrades were made through grants from DLGSC and Lotterywest.

WAMFest and other programs were expanded, delivering more development opportunities for WA artists and drawing more people out to support WA music. 

WAMFest drew 40,000 to see 304 acts showcase on 57 stages.

Of these, 96 were female-fronted and 187 were regional.

Outcomes from the WAMCon conference included the setting up of a Chinese touring path via Eight / Unknown Art Productions, and Tangled Thoughts of Leaving receiving a multi-year China touring and market development deal from New Noise China.

Demon Days signed to New World Artists while Helen Marcou (Bakehouse Studios, Melbourne) held networking and mentoring for 11 female music industry practitioners, and Ziggy Ramo worked with two conference attendees with Indigenous heritage.

The song of the year competition drew 893a songs from 740 songwriters, 70 of them from regionals.

Full report can be found here.