Australian Music Association

The Australian Music Association (AMA) is an industry association for the music products industry in Australia, established in 1977. Its predecessor was the Australian Music Trades Association (AMTA). It hosts events such as the Melbourne Guitar Show and Sydney Drum and Percussion Show, and initiated Australian involvement in Make Music Day in 2018, now celebrated annually. The AMA published the magazine Australian Musician in print from 1995 until 2012, and online between 2014 and July 2023.

Australian Music Association
Founded1972
FounderJohn Payton Snr
TypeCultural institution
Area served
Australia
Key people
Alex Masso (CEO)
Websiteaustralianmusic.asn.au

History

John Payton Snr (1920–2012) had inherited his family's music business, F. Payton and Son,[1] founded in 1881[2] in Fleet Street, London. In 1969 Payton immigrated to Australia with his wife and two sons in 1969, and established F. Payton & Son in Clarence Street, Sydney, in 1972.[1][lower-alpha 1] Payton approached other prominent businessmen in the Sydney music trade with his idea of creating a trade association, and the Australian Music Trades Association (AMTA) was established around 1972. Payton was its first president.[1]

AMTA transitioned into the AMA,[1] which was established in 1977.[3]

Description and membership

The AMA is a not-for-profit association for the music products industry in Australia,[4] such as musical instruments and technology. It represents the industry to Australian governments, works with international partners, prepares project funding applications, and advocates for music making to the general public.[5] It also promotes the benefits of participation and education in music education and participation in the community and aims to increase the number of people making music in Australia.[6]

It is a member-based organisation, comprising two main groups: wholesalers (including importers, distributors, and manufacturers) and retailers. To join the association in these categories, the company must be significantly involved in manufacturing, distributing and/or selling musical instruments and technology. A third category, Associate Members, includes businesses and people associated with the industry such as music schools, repairers, luthiers, and small-scale musical instrument makers.[7][5] [7]

As of 2017, membership of the AMA comprised more than 150 companies.[5]

Governance and people

The AMA is registered as an incorporated association in Australia, since April 2000.[8]

Executive officers have included:

  • Rob Walker (1991–1999[9][10] and 2013[11][5] – February 2022);[12] spent seven years on the executive committee until 2012, serving as president of the AMA in 2005–06[9]
  • Ian Harvey (1999–2013)[10]
  • Alex Masso (March 2022 – present), of The Vampires[13][12]

Publications

Australian Musician
Main article: Australian Musician

The AMA initially launched its quarterly magazine, Australian Musician,[lower-alpha 2] in December 1995. Executive officer Rob Walker, was managing editor until 2001, when Greg Phillips took over. The aim of the magazine was "to inform, educate and entertain local musicians of all levels", and the print version was available for free at musical instrument retailers. It has included interviews with musicians such as Tommy Emmanuel, INXS, Kate Ceberano, Wolfmother, Little Birdy, Paul Dempsey, and Dave Graney. In December 2007, an all-female edition was produced by guest editor Clare Bowditch, with every single article was about female artists and every item in the magazine was written by women. Its publication was outsourced from 2011 until its final publication in print in October 2012.[15][16]

In March 2014 Australian Musician was relaunched as an online publication, with similar aims, including "artist exposure and information on, and promotion of, the tools that musicians use to create their art". In July 2023 editor Greg Phillips acquired the magazine,[15][17] trading under the name Mediaville.[18] The website is archived in the Pandora archive by the National Library of Australia,[19][20] and the magazine also runs a YouTube and has a presence on Facebook,[21] Instagram, and X.[15]

Music in Action

The AMA published Music in Action: For Australian Music Educators between 2003 and 2011.[22] Its target audience was music educators, and each issue had five sections: Advocacy (promotion of music in schools), Technology (use in classrooms), Profile (experiences of music teacher), Nitty Gritty (practical ideas), and Project (activities outside of school).[23][24][25]

Events

AMTA held its first trade show in Melbourne in 1975.[1]

From 1999 until 2014 the AMA presented an Australian music products trade show, the Australian Music Association Convention (AMAC).[26]

In the 2000s the AMA played a key role in establishing "Music: Play For Life" program and its annual event, Music Count Us In, under the auspices of the Music Council of Australia.[27]

The AMP (Australian Music Products) Conference was held in 2017[5] at the Gold Coast, Queensland.[28][29]

Melbourne Guitar Show

The Melbourne Guitar Show (MGS[30]) has been held since 2015, usually held at Caulfield Racecourse.[31][32]

In 2017, it was co-presented by Triple M and Australian Musician. As well as renowned Australian guitarists such as Lloyd Spiegel, Bob Spencer, and Nick Charles, the festival also featured Nick Johnston from Canada and Steve Hackett (of Genesis fame), and Alex Hutchings from the UK.[31] Diesel appeared in 2017[33] and 2019.[34]

The 2020 Melbourne Guitar Show featured a special livestream to celebrate Make Music Day Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included well-known guitarists such as Anna Scionti, Nick Charles, and Dennis Jones[35][36]

In 2023 the Guitar Show returned as a live event for the first time after a three-year hiatus. It included more than 60 retailers of guitars and accessories.[37]

Sydney Drum and Percussion Show

The inaugural Sydney Drum and Percussion Show was held in May 2017, based on the model of the Melbourne Guitar Show, and featured seminars, demonstrations, and live performances.[30][38]

Make Music Day Australia

Make Music Day is held annually on 21 June,[39] an event initiated in France in 1982 and since spread internationally, In 2018, the AMA made Australia a participant in Make Music Day for the first time. Designed to encourage everyone to pick up an instrument and play music, the event stages musical events in public spaces, celebrating all levels of ability in making music. Examples of participation in the event include music retailers hosting in-store events, employees of manufacturers creating musical flash mobs, and businesses hosting open mics or drum circles.[40] Over 100 events in 80 locations were registered on the AMA website.[41]

In 2021, the event was expanded, with the Live Music Office entering into partnership with the AMA to host the event.[41] In this year, the AMA urged people to "create their own stages" to perform music on Make Music Day. Create NSW, Community Music Victoria, and the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia partnered with the association, and ambassadors for the event included Kate Ceberano, Lee Kernaghan, Sarah Carroll, Jack Howard, and Andy Baylor.[42]

As of 2022, the event was co-hosted by the AMA and National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM).[39]

In 2023, a huge international project called "Make Music, Make Friends" partnered 10 Australian schools with schools around the world to share music and greet one another on Make Music Day.[13]

Affiliations and other activities

From 2007 to 2009, the AMA partnered with the Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre Griffith University, along with the Music Council of Australia and the Australian Society for Music Education in a project called Sound Links, focusing on community music.[43][44][45]

Since around 2008 or 2009, AMA has been a partner of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM),[40] the US-based trade association and presenter of the major international trade show (the NAMM Show). With NAMM, the AMA participates in the International Coalition (of music products associations), collaborates on international advocacy relating to CITES issues, contributes to the Global Report, attends and participates in the NAMM Show, collaborates with the Oral History program, and the AMA has had various initiatives supported by the NAMM Foundation.[3]

Around 2011-2013, the AMA played a key role in the Fair Imports Alliance, along with the Australian Retailers Association, Australian Sporting Goods Association, Australian Booksellers Association, Australian Fishing Trade Association, Australian Toy Association, Bicycle Industries Australia, Photo Marketing Association, and the Retail Cycle Traders Association. The group lobbied for changes to the Low Value Importation Threshold.[46]

In November 2018, ABC Television aired Don't Stop the Music, a three-part series which documented the launch and progress of a music program in a primary school in an underprivileged area of Perth.[47][48] The AMA promoted the series and project on their website.[49]

In 2018–2019, the AMA made submissions to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts Inquiry into the Australian Music Industry. The report was published in March 2019.[50]

The AMA interacts with other industry associations in the music industry, retail industry, and small business. It is a member of COSBOA (Council of Small Business Australia).[51]

In July 2023 the AMA announced an affiliation with the National Retail Association. This gives the organisation free access to the National Retail Association's support and services, including a hotline that gives advice and provides resources on matters such as rates of pay, leave entitlements, dealing with complaints about discrimination or sexual harassment, and many other issues.[52]

The association maintains and supplies statistics on the sale of musical instruments; for example, it reported that there had been a surge in the importation of ukeleles during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia in 2020,[53] and that Australia imports most of its pianos (7,416 in 2017).[54]

Honour Roll

In 2001, AMA created an honour roll for people who have made a significant contribution to the industry over a long period of time, after their retirement, or posthumously to their families. As of 2023, recipients of the association's highest honour are:[55]

  • John Payton Snr (F. Payton & Son)[1]
  • Alan Rose (Rose Music)
  • Bill May (Maton Guitars)
  • Geoff Brash (Brashs)
  • Neville Chambers
  • Frank & Tony Lamberti (Lambertis)
  • John Egan (Roland, Allans Music Group & others)
  • Peter Hayward (Australis Music & others)
  • John Morris (Australian Academy of Music)
  • Norm Lurie (Music Sales)
  • Glenn Dodson (Roland & others)
  • Ross Cole (Cove Music, Dicksons Music)
  • Margaret O'Loughlin (CBS, Fender)
  • Steve Lincoln-Smith (Rose Music, Yamaha, Innovative Music & others)
  • Rob Walker (AMA, NAMM, Allans / Allans Billy Hydes)

Footnotes
  1. The business continues to trade as a wholesale distributor of musical instruments across Australasia and the Pacific, now known as Paytons.[2]
  2. Not to be confused with the magazine of the same name published in Adelaide from 1917 to 1918, full title The Australian Musician: A Monthly Newspaper for Bands.[14]

References
  1. "John Payton Snr". Australian Music Association. 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  2. "Home". Paytons. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  3. "Affiliations". Australian Music Association. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  4. "What We Do". Australian Music Association. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  5. Kahl, Brittney (25 April 2017). "A Week In The life of... Rob Walker: CEO of the Australian Music Association, Director of the Melbourne Guitar Show and Sydney Drum and Percussion Show". Music Industry Inside Out. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  6. "Mission & Objects". Australian Music Association. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  7. "Membership". Australian Music Association. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  8. "Historical details for ABN 58 026 169 284". ABN Lookup. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  9. "Rob Walker". Australian Music Association. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  10. "Ian Harvey" (audio + text). NAMM. 24 August 2007. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  11. "Rob Walker Returns to AMA Executive Officer role". Australian Music Association. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  12. "AMA appoints new Executive Officer". Australian Music Association. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  13. Briggs, Maddy (21 June 2023). "Make noise for Make Music Day in 2023!". Limelight. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  14. The Australian Musician: A Monthly Newspaper for Bands [catalogue entry], Printed and published for Albert S. Drew by Shipping Newspapers Ltd, 1917, retrieved 21 October 2023 – via National Library of Australia
  15. "About Us". Australian Musician Magazine. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  16. Australian Music Association (1995), Australian Musician (catalogue entry), Australian Music Association, ISSN 1327-4554 – via National Library of Australia
  17. "Home". Australian Musician Magazine. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  18. "Australian Musician Editor Greg Phillips Takes Ownership of the Magazine". Noise11.com. 23 June 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  19. Australian Musician, Australian Musician, 2000, retrieved 21 October 2023
  20. "Australian Musician, 21 July 2023". Trove. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  21. "Australian Musician". Facebook. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  22. Australian Music Association (2003), Music in action: for Australian music educators (catalogue entry), Malvern, Victoria: National Library of Australia, ISSN 1448-1146
  23. Stevens, Robin (31 May 2020). "Online music education information and resources at music-ed.net". Music in Australia Knowledge Base. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  24. "Music in Action, for Australian educators" (PDF). Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  25. "Music in Action: An archive of issues of the magazine 2003-2011". Music-ed.net. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  26. "Music Product Trade Shows". Australian Music Association. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  27. "Music Play for Life". Australian Music Association. 20 March 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  28. "About". Australian Music Association. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  29. "AMP Conference". Facebook. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  30. "Scene News: Drummers' Special: Sydney Drum and Percussion Show, May 27 + 28". Whats My Scene. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  31. "Australia's biggest guitar show back for another strum". Triple M. 8 June 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  32. Cashmere, Paul (2 December 2011). "Melbourne Guitar Show Archives". Noise11.com. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  33. Cashmere, Paul (7 July 2017). "Diesel to perform exclusive session at Melbourne Guitar Show". Noise11.com. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  34. Cashmere, Paul (2 August 2019). "Diesel to attend Melbourne Guitar Show this weekend". Noise11.com. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  35. Lim, Eddy (17 June 2020). "Melbourne Guitar Show announces livestream for Make Music Day". NME. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  36. McPherson, Angus (19 June 2020). "Make Music Day 2020 celebrates online". Limelight. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  37. Duxson, Eli (23 January 2023). "Melbourne Guitar Show adds more acts to their stacked 2023 lineup". Mixdown Magazine. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  38. "The Sydney Drum and Percussion Show". Mixdown Magazine. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  39. "Make Music Day Australia". APATA - The Australian Performing Arts Teachers Association. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  40. Carlsbad, CA (8 May 2018). "Grantee Spotlight: Australian Music Association". NAMM Foundation. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  41. "Make Music Day". Live Music Office. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  42. Brewster, Will (15 June 2021). "Australian Music Association urges musicians to create their own stages for Make Music Day 2021". The Music Network. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  43. Veblen, K.K.; Elliott, D.J.; Messenger, S.J.; National Association for Music Education; Silverman, M. (2013). Community Music Today. G - Reference,Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series. Rowman & Littlefield Education. p. 95. ISBN 978-1-60709-319-0. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  44. Bartleet, Brydie-Leigh (2009). "Community music: Australia's 'unsung hero'". Music Forum. Music Council of Australia. 15 (4): 26–29. ISSN 1327-9300. Retrieved 21 October 2023. PDF
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  46. Fair Imports Alliance (2012). "Response to the Productivity Commission's draft report; The Economic Structure and Performance of the Australian Retail Industry" (PDF).
  47. "Don't stop the Music". Musica Viva Australia. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  48. "Don't Stop the Music-ABC Television Documentary. All the links you need to support this amazing series". Australian Society for Music Education. 2 February 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  49. "ABC TV Launches 'Don't Stop the Music' Campaign". Australian Music Association. 18 October 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  50. House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts; Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia (March 2019). Report on the inquiry into the Australian music industry. Commonwealth of Australia. ISBN 978-1-74366-994-5.
  51. "Our Members". COSBOA. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  52. Giardina, Dani (24 July 2023). "National Retail Association and Australian Music Association form powerful alliance to drive retail growth and support". National Retail Association. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  53. "Musical instrument demand soars amid lockdown". ChannelNews. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  54. King, Rosie (14 September 2018). "World's first 108-key concert grand piano built by Australia's only piano maker". ABC News. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  55. "Industry Honour Roll". Australian Music Association. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
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