# Jessica Mauboy has Been Waiting for this weekend
Jessica Mauboy’s debut solo album ‘Been Waiting’ hits stores Saturday November 22! The album includes her first single ‘Running Back’ and new single ‘Burn’ – catch her performing it at the Australian Idol Grand Finale this Sunday!
# Nathan Foley will soon be leaving Hi-5.
Being one of the original group members of the popular childrens group Hi-5, Foley will leave to group to explore other avenues in life. Ex-Girlfriend Kellie Crawford will also be leaving the group.
Foley and Crawford are on their final Hi-5 tour which will end at the Carols By Candlelight in Melbourne on Christmas Eve.
# The New Human Nature Album Released Today
This Saturday, November 8 Human Nature will release their new album ‘A Symphony Of Hits’. The album includes the new version of their signature tune ‘People Get Ready’ complete with backing from the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
# APRA Professional Development Awards Open
The APRA Professional Development Awards are now open and accepting Nominations.
The APRA Professional Development Awards are presented by APRA in conjunction with music organisations and institutions involved in the representation or education of Australian music writers. The Awards offer cash, travel and recognition to music writers in the early stages of their careers.
Australian winners of the 2009 PDAs will receive $12,000 cash to advance their careers through study or travel, PLUS: a Gibson guitar courtesy of long-time APRA Awards partner Gibson Guitars, studio time at Trackdown Recording Studio and access to an online course provided by the award-winning Berklee College of Music. Each prize package in 2009 PDAs will total more than $16,000.
The APRA Professional Development Awards (PDAs) were first awarded in 2001 to mark APRA’s 75th Anniversary. The awards were received so enthusiastically by the music industry that the APRA board decided to make the PDAs a permanent fixture on the APRA cultural calendar. As a result, APRA now offers eleven PDAs in Australia and New Zealand to promising emerging music writers in the early stages of their careers.
In association with the PDAs, APRA also administers the Jessica Michalik Contemporary Music Endowment established by The Big Day Out producers. The Endowment gives a $10,000 development grant to a promising Australian songwriter or band, nominated by the producers of The Big Day Out.
# WAM announces 2009 WAMi Festival and Business Conference
The 2009 WAMi Festival will take place from Wednesday 6 May to Sunday 10 May, with special gigs and regional events happening around Western Australia in the lead up.
In its 16th year, the WAMi Festival will deliver an electrifying five-day program complete with much-loved annual events such as the WAMi Awards Night and Saturday Spectacular plus new events, parties, exhibitions and awards programs to debut including:
* The WA Indigenous Music Awards: a brand new awards program that honours achievement by Indigenous Western Australian artists.
* WAMi Warm-ups: the road to the WAMi Festival will be paved with golden gigs, featuring some of Western Australia’s most popular acts. The WAMi Warm-Up is scheduled for late November.
* A number of partnered events will inspirit urban and regional spaces, including a rock photography competition and exhibition, a classic ‘one-take’ recording studio project and surprise gigs.
The WAMi Music Business Conference will run from 8-10 May in Northbridge. Now in it’s fourth year, the Conference program will feature a program of high-profile local, national and international speakers, with sessions pitched to music managers and artists in all career stages. Running in a similar vein to last years “Live Music Pitch” is a new initiative called “Bill Me” – a session for artists and managers to pitch their act to a panel of national and international music festival bookers in front of a live audience. Earlybird conference registrations will available at www.wam.asn.au in November.
# New Songwriters Night – Tunesmith’s Cafe WA
There is a new weekly songwriter’s forum in WA.
The aim of the night is to give songwriters the opportunity to perform their tunes; play with other musicians and attend short seminars/info sessions from both known and unknown songwriters, performers and other music industry groups about all aspects of music and performance.
# WA Community Artist Listing
Community Arts Network WA is looking for community artists to join our network.
The community artist listing is a FREE service for community artists across WA. Once you register with your skills, we will contact you via email with opportunities from across WA to facilitate and work on community arts projects.
For more information on the Community Arts Network WA and the ability to sign up to the community artist listing online, visit the CAN WA website or click on ‘Join the network’ from the CAN WA home page.