PLATO said “music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” It is also an industry that has been under constant challenge with a lack of opportunities plaguing participants, and potential economic and social benefits lost. Mornington Peninsula Shire is stepping up to face the challenge face-on and is holding the MP Music Summit on Monday 12 August to do just that.
Billed as a “day of collaboration, conversation and connection”, the summit is open to all those interested or involved in the Peninsula music scene with sessions and workshops aimed at strengthening and educating. The summit will feature a raft of industry heavyweights, from well-known musicians to entrenched industry participants, chaired by music journalist and broadcaster, Jane Gazzo.
“The MP Music Summit is a proud statements by Mornington Peninsula Shire saying, ‘we support local music’,” said Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Cr Simon Brooks. “The challenges in the live music industry are well-known. The industry has changed rapidly with venues sometimes finding it difficult to support local music. “But we see an alternative where we can work together as an industry to develop and foster a vibrant music scene.”
The summit will also see the launch of the new MP Music Industry branding “Make Music Matter”. “The value of music cannot be understated,” said the shire’s arts and culture manager, Cheryl Casey. “We want to help venues understand the commercial value in supporting local music, and how they can achieve that. “We have quite a few venues coming to the summit, and interestingly, venues that support local music aren’t necessarily the ones we would have thought of ten years ago. “It’s not just the pubs, these days we have bowls clubs, yacht clubs, restaurants, wineries, breweries and many other businesses that are hosting live gigs. “They see an opportunity to embrace live music. There are creative people who are thinking outside the box, and we need to embrace that.”
The “Make Music Matter” branding intends to cover and foster all music; from chamber music to hard rock and everything in between. It also intends to support and foster music related industries such as sound engineers, music stores, promotions, and anything music related. “On the day of the summit we’ll have record labels attending who see the value of our local music scene,” said Casey. “We’ll have representatives from the tourism industry who see the value of our local music scene. We’ll have workshops and hotseats where participants can improve their involvement in our local music scene. “This will be an event you won’t want to miss.”
Visit artsandculture.mornpen.vic.gov.au/mpmi to purchase tickets to the MP Music Summit.
First published in the Mornington News – 6 August 2024
