Breakneck Records Long Road Home Mr Black and Blues Blow These Tracks Michael Pollitt

Event Summary

Breakneck Records takes great pride in developing the next generation of musicians as a cornerstone of our culture of community development. Songwriters Studio, sponsored by APRA, provides unrivalled opportunities for aspiring original writer and performer talent. 

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Songwriters Studio has been running for over 15 years in various forms addressing stated APRA development goals including:

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• Regional development (significant disaster affected zone)

• Disadvantaged youth from this area and surrounds who would not otherwise have access to such a program

• Original multi-genre song writing yielding new APRA members with registered works, as a feeder for other APRA development services

• Live performance concert component – the highlight

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The three day intensive workshop is facilitated by Australian/UK independent writer performers, Kelly Auty, Alison Lang (nee Ferrier), Shane O’Neill, and Michael Pollitt, focused exclusively on original song composition, all elements of performance, and the business of music in order to succeed, culminates in a live performance concert among the most inspiring experiences an audience member could hope to witness.

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Young musicians, aged 12-25 years, come away with:

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•  Experience of learning from recognised independent international songwriter/performers, with guest speakers from APRA, booking and management professionals, as well as Songwriting Hall of Fame Ambassadors

• APRA membership

• Registered APRA 'works' with the opportunity to get paid for performing these works

• Live performance opportunities on EMFM and as part of the Winter Blues Festival Homegrown program ​

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2023 Event

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In 2023 APRA provided $5000 grant funding to facilitate the Songwriters Studio, then part of the Winter Blues Festival, to provide unrivalled opportunities for aspiring original writer and performer talent.  The event was a raging success with schools right behind it as a transformational program. 100% of funding was passed directly to the festival to pay for the venue, staff, equipment, and tutors. By the numbers:
 

• 30 participants aged 14 to 18 all new APRA and MV members

• 5 schools, all from disaster affected zones

• 2 states

• 7 teacher supporters who brought participants to the venue

• 24 original songs written 100% created by the brilliant young minds on the stage (ZERO covers)

• Over 100 very proud and emotional parents, grandparents, siblings and teachers in attendance at the concert

• 4 acts selected to perform on the Homegrown Stage at the festival

• 1 act selected for a showcase with SoFarSounds

• 4 very happy but exhausted tutors!

         ..all of this in 3 days..

 
We had many small break through moments with the participants. The best example was a girl of 15 years with learning disabilities who was non-verbal at school. At the end of the first day we wrote a song with and for her and she began to sing for the first time. By day three she was roaring and at the concert she melted the entire auditorium with her open hearted vulnerability. Parents and teachers came to us afterwards saying they couldn't express how this young persons life has changed in three days. That’s why we do this. None of it would’ve happened without APRA support. 

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2024 Event​

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The 2024 Breakneck Records Songwriters Studio workshops has taken last years success to a whole new level as an independent event adjacent to the festival.

 

Our largest ever cohort of 42 students registered created 25 new original songs from blank pages which were performed live at the concert on Thursday evening at the beautiful Paramount Theatre in Echuca.​ All local schools were represented as well as attendees from as far away as Geelong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The event again featured an APRA membership workshop with tutorials on song registration, AI and social media, music licensing, management and booking. Students were invited to attend EMFM on the second and third days for live radio interviews and performances which were a highlight.​​

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Winter Blues Festival Chair Laurelin Berick and Program Booker Jon Howell were invited to speak with our participants about their experiences and pathways with the festival. Our aim is to continue to foster relationships that sustain outcomes for the participants with strong community support.

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The concert was a truly great performance. Participants for the first time took full ownership of stage management, delivered their new material with joy and freedom that was truly inspiring, and left parents and supporters in awe of their talent and passion.

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​2024 Headline numbers

 

• 40 participants (20 male, 19 female, 1 non-binary, 3 special needs)

• 4 tutors (2 male, 2 female, 2 LGBTIQ)

• 10 staff supporters (5 male, 5 female)

• 5 schools including Oberon High School from Geelong!

• 10 existing and 30 new APRA writer members

•  25 new original songs written 100% created by the brilliant young minds on the stage (ZERO covers) and all registered by participants (at least 6 of which deserve airplay on JJJ next week!)

• 2 visits to EMFM for live radio interviews

• 2 hours of strictly original music performed at the concert

• 114 paying concert attendees

• 130 very proud and emotional parents, teachers, family and supporters in attendance for the concert​

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Measures of Success
 

Having delivered posters to a number of venues in days leading up to the workshops days we were surprised by the reach and knowledge among peers of participants about the program and the cache they have told us the program has among their age-groups. Many participants from 2023 listed Songwriters Studio attendance among their top three achievements for VCE in their yearbook profiles - a true measure of impact.

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Once again Oberon High School have sent a cohort of 10 student from over four hours away in Geelong to attend the workshops as a mark of the impact this program continues to have for their students.

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We were thrilled to host the curriculum co-ordinator from St Joseph's for a few hours on Wednesday invited by music teacher Cassie Leopold. Feedback they offered on the program was wonderful saying they believe it to be a transformative program for their participants which they will do whatever they can to support. This includes an offer to host us to run our program at St Jospeh's next year. We were honoured to have Principals from several schools in attendance for the concert.

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Three students with special needs were in attendance this year and each student was able to fully participate in the target minimum five songs. Among them was our stand-out from the 2023 event with learning disabilities who is now an outgoing independent young woman who credits last years event as the catalyst for her new confidence.

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This years cohort also featured a number of students with disciplinary issues who each not only completed the program but their teachers remarked how they were changed by the experience having found new purpose in music and a new tribe of friends with mutual interest.

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Speaking with parents and siblings of participants, as well as participants themselves post event, it is clear from the positivity and awe generated by the concert performance that the event will have lasting community impact not only for participants but for their families and the broader community who so generously supported the concert with their paid attendance. 

 

We are honoured by the overwhelming positive anecdotal feedback and support from schools, parents and participants to run again in 2025.

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Media and Marketing Materials

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Images from the event are viewable and downloadable on the Breakneck Records 2024 Songwriters Studio “Hall of Fame” Gallery here.

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Budget

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APRA Creative Programs funding of $7000 comprised 54% of the total operating budget of $12,820. The remainder was covered by participation fee's of $4,120, and for the first time concert tickets were sold which generated an additional $1,700 income as a necessary measure to cover operating costs shortfall.

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APRA funding was directly used to cover Paramount Theatre venue hire fee's of $5,333, and facilitation and equipment costs of $2,126 (totalling $7,459) which in the past have been provided "in kind" by the festival.  

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Tutors Fee's were $1000 per tutor with shared accommodation and travel costs of $1,361 (totalling $5,361).

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A significant amount of "in kind" support was also necessary for the successful execution of the event which was provided by tutors and the schools which included:

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• Backline: Drumkit, Guitar Amps x 5, Bass Amps x 4, Djembes x 4, Keyboards x 3 (Echuca College)

• Backline: Electronic Drum Kit x 2, Music Stands x 3 (St Joseph's College)

• Backline: Keyboard, 2 x Art stands for Whiteboards  (Kelly)

• Backline: 4 x guitar Amps, percussion, 2 x bass amps, 4 x guitars, 2 x basses, 2 x drum carpet, 3 x foldback wedges, 4 x stage microphones, 3 x straps, 10 x leads, 2 guitar large stands  (Michael)

• Office Equipment: Laptop, printer, printer ink (Michael)

• Professional Photography: Day 2 (St Joseph's College)

• Concert Videography: Day 3 (Echuca College)

• Concert Ticketing / Usher / Venue OH&S Safety Leader (Michael's mother and primary teacher Patti Harrison)

• Backline Collection - 3 hours Monday (Michael and Shane)

• Backline Return - 3 hours Friday (Michael and Shane)

• Event Co-ordination: >100 hours over six months (March to August) to arrange sponsorship, backline co-ordination, schools liaison, working with children checks, event infrastructure build, accounting, payment system setup, venue booking logistics and co-ordination, promotion, radio booking, performance pathways, APRA workshops, guest speakers, facilitation equipment, festival and council liaison and "problem solving" (Michael)

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A detailed financial statement is available upon request.

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Acknowledgements and Thanks

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To the supporting teachers, in particular Alana Rix (Echuca College), Cassie Leopold (St Joseph's College) and Sam Nicholson (Oberon High School Geelong) we can’t thank you enough for all your wonderful support in getting your participants to the workshops, troubleshooting and supporting all the participants needs, and supporting the entire event with representation from your schools. You were magnificent!

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To Chris O'Neill, Caroline McKnight, and Nikki Tuckwell and all at APRA we thank you for all the wonderful support without which we could not have made this event happen.

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To our guest speakers Winter Blues Chair Laurelin Berick and Program Booker Jon Howell we thank you for generously donating your time to provide your perspectives on pathways for participants and for offering your support - we look forward to continuing the good relationships into the future.

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And finally to our magnificent tutors, Kelly Auty, Alison Lang, and Shane O'Neill you did a power of work and your support, kindness, perceptive interventions, perspective and joyful enthusiasm for the business of creating new music was truly infectious. You empowered a new generation of songwriters to own their performance and to shine on the big stage. And shine they did!

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We are so immensely proud of what we achieved together and we hope to see you again in 2025 - thank you!  

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Michael Pollitt

Songwriters ​Studio Leader

Breakneck Records Director