Ahead of the 2016 Bush Bands Bash concert this month, there comes the Bush Bands Business skills development camp for the bands selected to participate in the Bush Bands Program. Run by MusicNT, the program has been running for seven years now in connecting musicians from different Aboriginal communities with visiting members of the industry over three days of workshops and rehearsals. Their work and collaborations together leads into the Bush Bands Bash at the end of the month – the perfect culmination of the development camp.
For 2016, some incredibly important and renowned figures are heading to Alice Springs at the end of the month to mentor and help the musicians prepare. Joining the camp this year are the likes of Peter Garrett, Brian Ritchie of the Violent Femmes fame and the Artistic Director of the MOFO Festival, engineer and producer Anna Laverty and musician/radio host, Warren H Williams.
2016 BUSH BANDS PROGRAM MENTORS
Peter Garrett (Midnight Oil)
Brian Ritchie (Artistic Director MOFO Festival, Violent Femmes)
Anna Laverty (Producer/Engineer)
Raymond Dixon (Rayella)
Dave Crowe (Musician/Producer, Sing Hum Director)
Warren H Williams (Musician/Radio Host)
Buzz Bidstrup (Association of Artist Managers)
Michael Hutchings (APRA AMCOS)
Paula ‘jonesy’ Jones (jones PR)
MusicNT Central Australian Manager Adelaide Wood has commented on the Bush Bands Program this year as being an integral learning process for everyone involved, “Each year I am overwhelmed by the generosity of mentors who give their personal time, energy and expertise to support the development of Central Australian desert musicians. It’s very much a two way experience with mentors and musicians sharing their stories, culture and skills. We all have so much to learn from each other.”
The concert itself this year moves to the Telegraph Station in Alice Springs and will run from 4pm – 9pm on August 28th. The bands on the line up this year are listed below:
Lander River Band (Willowra community, Warlpiri language)
Eastern Arrernte Band (Santa Theresa community, Eastern Arrernte language)
Irruntyju Band (Irrunytju community, Ngaanyatjarra & Pitjantjatjara languages)
Iwantja Sunset Reggae (Indulkana community, Pitjantjara & Yankunytjnatjara languages)
Kardajala Kirr-Darra (Sandhill Women) (Elliott community, Mudburra language)
Salt Lake (Umbakumba community, Anindilyawka language)
Also featured at the Bush Bands Bash this year will be Desert Hip Hop from the Barkly region and the Lajamanu Teenage Band. The event is free for kids under 16, while general entry is $10. The business camp runs form August 24-27 at the Ross River Resort!
———-
