Musical Chairs: September 1

JEN CLOHER IN RESIDENCE AT DOUBLE J IN SEPTEMBER 

Singer songwriter, label executive and artist advocate Jen Cloher joins Double J as September Artist In Residence, Sundays 3—5 pm.

She will present her response to NPR’s list of the 150 Greatest Albums Made by Women with the 100 Songs by Australian Women You Need to Know.

Each week, Cloher will put women at the centre as she plays 25 of the 100 songs, talking about their impact on her as a person and an artist, and their influence on other female musicians.

Her first episode on September 3 includes a mix of old new, loud and poignant from Brous, Camp Cope, Beaches, Cable Ties, Christine Anu and The Clouds.

“I was inspired by a list that NPR put together, The 150 Greatest Albums Made by Women,” Cloher explains. 

“I’ve been working my way through those records and discovering all sorts of music that I never knew about. 

“I thought it would be a really cool thing to take a similar approach, but looking at women in Australian music.

“I’m going to take you through all sorts of different genres, we’ll go right back to the early 60s and into the present day. 

“It’s 100 standout tunes - really strong, solid and beautiful songs by some extraordinary songwriters and performers who just happen to be women.” 

This week also, Jebediah’s Kevin Mitchell (aka Bob Evans) returned to Double J to take over the lunch slot while Myf Warhurst took a break.

JOHNNY MINARDI HEADS A&R AT ROADRUNNER

Johnny Minardi has joined Fueled By Ramen and Roadrunner Records in a dual role as Senior Director of A&R for the sister labels at Warner Music Group.

It marks a return to Fueled By Ramen (FBR) when he signed up Rocket To The Moon, This Providence, Forgive Durden, The Swellers, and The Friday Night Boys.

Most recently, Minardi has been doing A&R for New York based indie Equal Vision Records, expanding its roster with Sleep On It and nothing,nowhere.

ROSS CUNNINGHAM RETIRES 

One of Australia’s most highly regarded live performance identities and arts impresarios, Ross Cunningham, is retiring in October.

Aside from being Executive Director – Curatorial for eight years at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, he also served on the board of Live Performance Australia and Chair of the Helpmann Awards for the past eleven years.

In 2016, he was awarded the Asia-Pacific Venue Professional of the Year at the National Conference of Asia-Pacific Venue Managers.

This year the Helpmanns recognised him for his Outstanding Contribution to the Live Performance Industry.

PARDO STEPPING DOWN AT ARTS ACCESS 

Arts Access Victoria (AAV)’s Executive Director of nine years, Veronica Pardo, is stepping down from the role at the end of the year. But she will stay on to finish off some projects associated with creative people with disabilities. 

AAV Chairperson Brad Sadler noted her “exceptional leadership” in “repositioning the organisation as a critical part of the Victorian cultural landscape, securing our long-term future with significant multi-year funding from state and federal governments, and re-invigorating relationships across sectors which recognise the centrality of our work in the areas of human rights, social inclusion and cohesion, and economic participation.

"Under her leadership, access and inclusion has become an essential conversation in the arts, with more than 300 arts organisations engaging in a dialogue about what it means to live in an egalitarian society.”

NEW LOOK FOR HIT 92.9 BREAKFAST TEAM

Hit 92.9 Perth’s four-year-old breakfast team Heidi, Will and Woody will have a new look in 2008.

Will McMahon and Woody Whitelaw are returning to Melbourne, possibly to join Australian Radio Network’s KIIS FM, the rumour mill goes.

Their replacements will join Heidi Anderson.

NEW MUSIC DIRECTOR AT JOY FM 

Michael Polh is the new Music Director at Melbourne-based LGBTI station JOY 94.9 following the departure of Chris Jameson after eight years in the role. 

Polh is already familiar with listeners, as its Eurovision correspondent and host of Babble POP.

In an email to the industry Jameson explained, “As a volunteer, I’ve put a lot of financial stress on myself and my partner to manage what is a full time job and for the most part the rewards have been self-evident - otherwise I wouldn’t have kept doing it!

“But now it’s time for me to go.  Who knows what the future has in store - life is always a surprise!”

TWO SENIOR HIRES AT FACEBOOK AUSTRALIA

In a move to forge closer ties with media agencies, Facebook Australia has hired two ad and marketing identities – Carolyn Bollaci to head up relationships with WPP, and Thomas Hosking to oversee relationships with IPG and Publicis.

JAZZ REVIEWER HANGS UP QUILL

Adelaide-based jazz critic John McBeath who’s been writing  weekly for 12 years for The Australian and the Adelaide Advertiser is hanging up his quill, according to a post in The Australian.

McBeath, who in 2005 won a national Jazz Writing Competition sponsored by the Wangaratta Jazz Festival, also served as station manager for community radio stations 4CCR FM Cairns and 8CCC.FM Alice Springs.

His first book What Westerners Have For Breakfast, his memoirs of five years spent in India in the late ‘80s, was published in 2013.

ARN’S BLACKLOCK HEADS TO MACQUARIE MEDIA

Australian Radio Network’s long time Sales Manager, Brian Blacklock, has switched to Macquarie Media where he was offered the role of National Customer Success Manager.

LIBBY SHARPE HEADS PRODUCTION AT SEE SAW

Film and TV production company See-Saw Films appointed Libby Sharpe as Head of Production in Australia.

She previously worked with the team as producer on a freelance basis with See-Saw on Top Of The Lake: China Girl and Lion. She has also a producer on Animal Kingdom and The Rover.

In an aside, Sharpe is married to Sydney rock photographer Tony Mott, whose recollections yesterday in the Illawarra Mercury about the worst acts he’s worked with in the past 30 years, made good reading.

Mott’s What A Life! exhibition is on at the Wollongong Art Gallery until January 28, 2018.

MARION POTTS EP AT PERFORMING LINES

Marion Potts takes over as new Executive Producer of Performing Lines from October 30 from Karilyn Brown.

Aside from numerous senior positions in theatre companies around the country, Potts has been Director of Theatre at the Australia Council for the Arts since 2015.

ANGUS DAVIDSON IN GLOBAL ROLE AT KV2

Melbourne-based sound engineer and audio educator Angus Davidson, who’s worked with everyone including Supertramp and Crowded House, has joined V2 Audio as Technical Support Director for Asia Pacific and North America.

He will develop a training and certification process for KV2 Audio users, so engineers and technicians understand how to correctly use their systems, whose technology Davidson says “represent some of the most intelligent and innovative audio design I have seen.”

THOMPSON MAKES MOVE

Ophelia Stanley-Thompson is new Program Coordinator at 2LT & Move FM in Lithgow in regional NSW. She was sound producer and on-air presenter at 2BH/Hill FM in Broken Hill. 

NEW CEO FOR EXPRESS MEDIA

Former Regional Arts Victoria’s Partnerships Coordinator Lucy Hamilton takes over today as General Manager/CEO of youth arts group Express Media from Pippa Bainbridge who’s moving on to the Next Wave Festival.

DAN READ PROMOTED AT FIM FINANCES

After five years at Film Finances Australasia, Dan Read is promoted to CEO, taking over daily duties, which MD Anni Browning says “will be a great support to me at time when we are busier than ever in Australia and New Zealand.”

AND ANOTHER THING

• ABC Mid North Coast’s breakfast presenter of 20 years, Michael Spooner, is hanging up the headphones. 
• 2DU/ZOO FM Dubbo PD Chris Mathieson is joining a not-for-profit organisation heading its business development.