New General Manager of Byron Bay Blues Festival shares music business knowledge with students

Students attending Southern Cross University’s Music Business Summer Seminar in Tweed Heads in January will have the benefit of being taught by the General Manager of one of Australia’s biggest music festivals.

Sally McPherson took over the reigns as General Manager of the Byron Bay Blues Festival last week, but will be taking time out of her busy schedule to teach at the Music Business Seminar on January 8 and 9.

Sally is a leading music lawyer whose current and former clients include INXS, Kylie Minogue, Eskimo Joe, Tina Arena, The Sleepy Jackson, and Michael Chugg Entertainment.

“The music industry has been known to ruthlessly exploit musicians who are naive to business practice. A course like this is designed to educate musicians and songwriters so that they remain constantly aware of their rights and obligations,” said Ms McPherson.

Southern Cross University’s Acting Head of School of Arts Associate Professor Jon Fitzgerald said for many musicians there was a knowledge gap when it came to business issues.

“Being a gifted musician is not enough in today’s music industry, musicians also need to be business savvy,” Professor Fitzgerald said.

“Most people working in the music industry are there because they have a passion for music, but that doesn’t mean they have the skills or knowledge in the business side of the industry.

“We designed this course so that participants will come away with practical information on copyright law, recording contracts, marketing and promotion and other business issues.”

The program will be ideal for people working in the recording, publishing and management and promotion sectors of the music industry, self-managed artists wanting to develop their business skills, and music students who could gain credit towards their university degrees.

Also lecturing at the seminar is Alan Gordon, who has worked as a musician and in staging, marketing and promotion, and is the author of Music Industry Management and more than a dozen study guides.

Participants can also elect to do additional study and complete a fully-accredited University unit in Music Business.

Among the topics for the two-day seminar are:

 Overview of the Music Industry
 Copyright
 Publishing and recording contracts
 Marketing
 Merchandising and sponsorship
 Working with promoters
 Business planning for artists
 Media relations

For more information on the seminar call 6620 3831 or go to www.scu.edu.au/music.

Media Contact: Kasturi Shanahan 0439 858 057 or Brigid Veale on 0439 680 748