Report by Thematic Group Convenors, Ben Green, Sam Whiting, Catherine Strong, Andy Bennett, 10 July 2024
The MusicLIVES symposium was held on Wednesday, 26 June 2024 at The Tivoli in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. This was the first event staged by TASA’s Sociology of Music thematic group, since its founding in 2023. The symposium also sought to connect researchers and educators with industry and government stakeholders.
The symposium attracted 40 registered delegates, including TASA members, other scholars of music and creative industries, and representatives from music industry peak bodies and government agencies.
MusicLIVES comprised two halves:
- ‘Sociology of music today’: TASA Sociology of Music members presented on topics including music careers, digitalisation, gender, migration, genre, and substance use.
- ‘Crisis and reinvention for live music’: academic, industry and government stakeholders presented on issues facing the live music sector, with a focus on the role of research. This included a keynote presentation by Dr Catherine Hoad (Massey University, Wellington; Chair of IASPM-ANZ) on how research findings may be taken back to university classrooms to support transformative music industry outcomes.
MusicLIVES was organised by Sociology of Music thematic group convenors Ben Green, Sam Whiting, Catherine Strong and Andy Bennett. The MusicLIVES Organising Committee comprised PhDs and ECRs from the group: Carl Anacin, Jordan Bain, Freya Langley, Charlotte Markowitsch and Chris Terry.
MusicLIVES was supported by Griffith University, as a planned output of Ben Green’s Griffith University Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, together with thematic group event funding from The Australian Sociological Association including two travel bursaries and assistance with event costs.
Travel bursaries were awarded to two TASA Sociology of Music members who are PhD candidates, with the following presentations:
- Hannah Fairlamb (University of Melbourne), ‘“It's like burnout and the lack of being able to pay people”: The financial and emotional sustainability of music-focused grassroots gender equality initiatives’
- Charlotte Markowitsch (RMIT), ‘Let There Be Rock: A Project Status Update’
Full program and photo gallery available at https://roaringtwenties.live/musiclives (Ben’s postdoctoral project website)
Reflection by Hannah Fairlamb
On 26 June 2024 the TASA Sociology of Music thematic group held a one day symposium in Brisbane connecting music industry professionals with music researchers. This symposium was an opportunity for those currently working in policy and leadership roles in cultural industries to hear from researchers of music about current topics in this field, and vice versa.
As a graduate researcher in the third year of my candidacy I was delighted to attend MusicLIVES and present some of the data I am currently analysing in my studies – specifically, responses from the interview phase. My paper spoke about the ways in which gender equality activism constitutes care labour, and is often gendered – that is, it is often completed by women and gender diverse people.
Gender seemed to be a common topic of several presentations on the day, suggesting that this is a salient issue for the sociology of music, and prompting questions around how best to continue conversations on gender and gender equality in Australian music scenes and industries.
The second half of the day consisted of a range of presentations and discussions around collaborations between industry and research, including projects such as The Push and the All Good project. Reflecting on the symposium, it was great to see the willingness and openness of both industry professionals and researchers to work together and learn from each other, acknowledging we all bring diverse skills and knowledge to the table. This bodes well for the continued development of the Australian music industry for the better.
Reflection by Charlotte Markowitsch
Having passed my mid-candidature review the week prior, MusicLIVES presented me with an invaluable opportunity to share a PhD in progress paper with a diverse range of researchers and industry stakeholders within the sociology of music field. Being in the belly of the beast (read: data analysis) can feel isolating, and with the purpose of connecting scholarly ideas with industry experience, this symposium served as a timely and invigorating reminder of the important work conducted by members of the music community to address crises and pose solutions. Throughout my research journey, I have been motivated to document and challenge the systems which contribute to inequalities across our popular music cultures, and despite the diversity of attendees, I found that this motivation was our common ground. Now equipped with thoughtful feedback and reading recommendations regarding my research project, I have also gained better understanding of how I can integrate my findings into efforts to better our local music industries. The cherry on top of a hugely successful and enriching first edition of MusicLIVES: the ritzy decor of Brisbane’s renowned Tivoli Theatre.
