Q&A: Gympie Music Muster’s Program Director Jeff Chandler

The first lineup for the 35^th Gympie Music Muster was announced this morning with John Williamson, Beccy Cole, Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson among 120 artists set to take over Amamoor Creek State Forest this August.

:: VIEW THE 2016 GYMPIE MUSIC MUSTER LINEUP

Gympie Muster’s program director is Jeff Chandler, who has over 30 years music industry experience. As an artist manager for 28 of those years - for acts including Sara Storer, Caitlyn Shadbolt, Drew McAlister and Shane Nicholson - he’s aware of country music’s highs and lows in Australia.

In the Q&A below, Chandler chats about his plans for the 35^th anniversary event, why staying true to sub-genres ensures the festival’s appeal, and how artists are combatting traditional media’s indifference to country music. 

Do you have anything special planned for the 35th anniversary? 
There are a number of one-off musical performances, themed shows and special productions planned for the 35th anniversary. Some will be totally unique to the Muster while others, such as the always popular Muster Poets and the Songwriters Sessions, will showcase some of the best bush poets and singer, songwriters in Australia.

As Australia’s largest charity festival, what’s the key to maintaining its status and keeping its appeal fresh?

Never loosing sight of the ethos and involving the patrons and the community are key to the ongoing success and maintaining status of the Muster. It’s important to continue to engage with the community groups such a service clubs, sporting associations, school committees and local businesses as this ensures that the event stays true to it’s roots yet meets the evolving needs of the community at large. In terms of programming, country music, especially the Australian form, is core while the many sub-genres such as bluegrass, alternative folk, roots, Americana, blues and rockabilly are always included to provide real variety. The Muster has a long history of supporting emerging talent with its Talent Search competition as well as showcases and other opportunities where artists can shine.

The country music community in Australia may be thriving, but its festivals feature many of the same local artists. Are any of the announced acts Gympie Muster first-timers?

Yes the top line of most country music festivals is definitely drawing from the same, relatively small pool, however it’s the new and emerging artists who I like to offer a platform to.  Some of this year’s first timers from the first artist announcement include Fanny Lumsden, Grizzlee Train, Hurricane Fall and Dale Duncan. They are the headliners of the future.

The Muster has a cultural importance that many newer festivals are yet to earn. What plans are in place to nurture and celebrate its value? 

The Muster’s value can be measured in so many ways - its economic impact on the Gympie region and Queensland as a state, the funds that it raises for its nominated charity and the money it pays to community groups (to provide the various services such as cleaning, gate security, running the bars, stalls etc). However the value of the event to its patrons is beyond measuring in that it provides an annual pilgrimage where friends and families come together to share in the camaraderie, music and escape that the Muster’s unique location can give. The 35th anniversary will provide an opportunity to highlight this year’s catchphrase ‘Mates, Music and Making a Difference’

There’s an emphasis on making a difference this year. In what way? 

We plan to make a difference to the lives of the various community groups as well as our nominated charity recipient which will be announced soon. It is hoped that the spotlight on our 35th celebrations will impact on our ability to give more back than ever before.

What’s your view on how the country music community is being serviced in Australia?

I have worked as an artist manager specialising in country music for some 28 years and have seen the industry go through some amazing highs and some not so welcome lows; however with the emergence of some incredible talent across the Australia over the past few years the industry just needs to position itself to take advantage of the incredible variety of media platforms available these days.

Traditional media has never been that supportive of country music in Australia despite the fact that many of the artists involved have sold large volumes of music both live and recorded. In the absence of this support, many young artists are increasingly ramping up their strategies using social media and a variety of digital platforms. And events like the Muster provide a real opportunity for emerging artists to be discovered by an audience as well as the media and music industry.

Is there anything you haven’t been able to do with the Muster that you hope to achieve in future years?

Due to the not for profit and charity nature of the Muster, we operate with a very modest talent budget and an army of volunteers so presenting some of the bigger international names is beyond our reach. It would be great to one day be able to have the funds to present a contemporary major name artist on the main stage.