This is an exceptionally good course, it has really consolidated my knowledge and experience thus far and provided me with a wealth of resources to take away and confidently move onward with. It has been immensely enjoyable. I am very grateful to have been selected to participate because at this point in my career it has been highly relevant and useful. I would really like to congratulate all involved in the creation of the JB Seed Management Workshop, it’s amazing! Thank You!
Malina Hamilton-Smith, Super Massive, NSW.

Thanks to the JB Seed I feel fully empowered and inspired to apply new knowledge and develop my career thus taking my music to the world. It is what I am here to do…For this experience I am truly grateful.
Saritah Newman, Saritah, QLD.

This has been an extremely overwhelming experience but has solidified what I have been doing in my business and have given me incredible direction for the future. Thank you JB Seed team!
Paul Boon, Groovylips and the Yang, Monokira, Harry Jakamarra, Cumulo, WA.

Thank you JB Seed. I feel totally spoilt and privileged to be amongst such an incredible initiative that feeds into the music industry in a generous, open and self less way. I hope I can do the same.
Sare Lang, Skipping Girl Vinegar, VIC.

Thank you so much, you are all an inspiration to me, I feel honoured to have received this opportunity. I am also amazed that you all give SO much to this industry and that you gave up your time to help me and all of us – which is something rare and special in this industry. Again, thank you for this opportunity.
Brad Murray, Radiant City, Spun Rivals, VIC.

I cannot believe your generosity – in spirit, thought and time (and $$). This workshop was very much what I needed at this point where I found myself a little stuck. The people you guys have drawn into your vision are amazing and equally as generous with their information and experience. I feel privileged to have been involved and inspired again. It was equally as awesome to now be connected to twenty other good folks from around the country. My genuine and sincere thanks.
Matt McMullen, The Scotch of St James, Long Gone Midnight, Gilroy, The Belle Ends, WA.

Harry Jakamarra – Intensive Mohan Veena lessons.

Harry Spent two weeks of intensive Mohan Veena tuition (an Indian instrument similar to a classical guitar) with a renowned Mohan Veena guru in India. The lessons focussed and developing a further understanding of Raga’s, their musical forms, structures and place within Indian culture as well as advanced techniques for playing the Mohan Veena.

Zoe Miller

The Live School course at SAE was a fantastic course that was really pratical- with enough theory to get me started and interested in the whole audio engineering world. I exceeded the objectives I had for this class- I loved learning about Live as it is a program with a very elegant design. It is so flexible and mutli-dimensional so it will help me a lot. It will be espeiclaly useful for  recroding on the fly with young people and creating re-mixes. I took some really comphrehensive class notes  so I can easily refresh my memory when i need to. Pro-school 101 and 110 was extreemly heavy on the theory but showed that Pro-Tools is an extreemly powerful program. I learnt a lot from talking with other people in the class and the teacher. In fact one of the people there refeered me to a mastering guy who mastered everything for the hip hop project! I exceeded the objectives I had for this class ten-fold, I made contacts, learnt about gear I need to buy and I have a comphrehensive understanding of the program. Now I no longer have to deal with third party prducers and rely on people to provide beats, while at the same time I have made great contacts with other producers, like Nick Toth, as mentors.

Ria Soemardjo - Vocal Rhythmic Improvisation lessons in Melbourne.

"The lessons varied in focus, but  generally always  included practical exercises in stepping, clapping and vocalizing in  different polyrhythms. These particular exercises were based on the Taketina process that Tania has trained in, and are designed to  build  skills in perceiving different rhythms simultaneously. The exercises also  help to deepen  the sense of rhythm in the body – so that any playing or improvisation  can then flow spontaneously.  The sessions also included  exercises combining vocalizing while using simple percussion including  the Korean drum, shakers, rattles , bells etc. The exercises  became more and more complex as my ability to stay in rhythm  improved. We were able to introduce unfamiliar polythythms, while taking into consideration the types of rhythms I play in traditional  Javanese music, and in my original music".

Rogerthat – 2008 Professional Development

The band begun worked with Mat McHugh (Beautiful Girls)in a series of song writing workshops. He spent time suggesting ways in which the songs could be made more direct, as well as providing ideas for instrumentation and arrangements. This provided valuable preparation for the meetings and sessions to come. We feel that the workshop with Mat improved our song writing and gave us new ideas and inspiration for the future. The bands new EP tangerine Bird is a huge improvement from our last project, thanks to Mat’s input.

Chris Williams

Chris attended the Dartington International Summer School – Advanced Composition School with internationally renowned composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. While at the intensive course, he composed a piece entitled “By a thousand names o flower” for a small chamber group performing at the workshop.
“I learnt a lot about the construction and development of musical ideas, as well as being given the chance to learn from the musical thought of the five other talented composers (from around the world) chosen for the course”.
“The array of lessons learnt during my project was amazing, covering the entire range of proffessional composition from instrumentation, orchestration, development all the way to rehearsal technique, part production and more abstract notions about the composers role and responsibility in society”.

Bryce Jacobs

I have just returned from a very successful trip to the United States as a part of the composer Christopher Young's (Spider-man 3, Sword Fish, The Grudge, etc.) residency named Tilden House, which was established for young composers to help enable them to make a start in Hollywood through the assistance of a supportive network of Chris's personal team.  Whilst in the US, I attended composition and orchestration workshops including the orchestration course offered by some of L.A.'s leading orchestrators and composer I used every available moment to meet with composers and studios, offering any assistance I could in their compositional environment to prove myself in each and every hard working way possible. I also attended many recording sessions for major upcoming films and television shows at many of the leading film and recording studios in Hollywood.

There is too much talent in Australia to be left unnoticed. I believe what I have achieved already is an incredibly solid foundation to build the rest of my mid to long term plans and goals on.

Heart Of The Streets – Hip Hop Workshops and Album Release

“The majority of the project was conducted through a series of 10 workshops held at the Red Cross Night Café in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane.

The end result was a 6 track CD called “Heart Of The Streets”. The albumlaunch was a resounding success, gaining media attention from local street press as well as mainstream media.
One young woman who came to the café was displaying some quite acute psychiatric symptoms. She was unwilling to talk much to any of the staff or volunteers for the first week she was there. On the second week, however, she returned with lyrics she had written for a song that included many revelations about her past which she did not feel comfortable discussing in any other way. Through the song writing process she built up trust with those involved and was able to talk openly to the producer and the facilitator, as she had established a rapport through the music. She was then able to open up and seek help from the Homeless Health Outreach Team who were able to offer her ongoing support. I do not believe this would have happened were it not for the sense of working together on a musical project. I think this is a great example of the way music can break down barriers and bring people together.”
 

Maningrida Project/Black On White
The Black On White Project travelled across remote Arnhem Land and photographed 12 indigenous Australians expressing their perspectives of white culture.  The resulting images are elegant and powerful in their simplicity. Their impact became apparent when one shot won the Australian Human Rights Commission Award for photography and received media coverage as far away as Germany.

Roxstop Action Kit
The Roxtop action kit was produced to provide a tool that empowers people to take action against the proposed expansion of Australia’s largest uranium mine, Olympic Dam. It aims to raise awareness about the dangers of expansion and it’s damaging potential to both environmental and human health.
With JB Seed funding, Roxtop were able to produce 600 action kits including a DVD documentary by film maker David Bradbury and educational postcards and brochures. These were distributed to anti-nuclear groups Australia wide.
 

Performers for Peace – Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
Nine members of the Woman’s International league attended 5 workshops constituting a formal introduction to street theatre. They developed a performance piece entitled “Need vs. Greed” which were then performed in Brisbane and Rockhampton.
 

Sonic Elevation

Sonic Elevation offered an 11 day dance program for Indigenous youth from Aurukun, QLD to participate during the September school holidays. Sonic Elevation contended with extreme geographic isolation by providing the youth with travel experience, skill development, education and entertainment. Within the context of cultural development and preservation, diversity and exchange; contemporary forms of music and dance were taught in an essence that appealed and enticed the youth of today. Five participants were selected for the program on the basis of previous interest, participation and skills displayed from dance programs that have occurred in Aurukun in the past. These participants aged 12-18 were  flown down to Melbourne to partake in an 11 day intensive dance program. Combining acrobatics, hip hop dance and traditional dance, the program built toward a final public performance outcome, showcasing skills learned. .
The participants developed cultural awareness through exploring Melbourne’s museums and theatre productions, whilst indulging in many of Melbourne’s highlights.  This program has great potential for growth and will enormously benefit select youth, and as a pilot program, Sonic Elevation September 2008 was very successful.
 

ART BY ADAM JANALI - SOLO ART EXHIBITION – Afghan refugee & artist Adam Janali to exhibit his work in a solo exhibition to be held in Perth.

After receiving the grant from the JB Seed Adam purchased the art materials needed to commence preparations for his exhibition.  
The opening night of ‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind’ was held on Friday 9th June 2006..  It was estimated that over three hundred people attended the opening. Kidogo Arthouse curator, Joannah Robertson was delighted at the turnout, stating that this was one of the biggest openings she had held at Kidogo.  She also said that the crowd was one of the most diverse and multicultural the gallery had been host to.
The exhibition featured works that were completed by Adam whilst he was in detention as well as paintings that were completed with the help of the JB Seed funding.

MIHIRANGI – Contemporary Maori singer/songwriter Mihirangi to be tutored by Mal Webb.
Learning from Mal Webb was an awesome experience, besides being a lot of fun, he soooo knows his stuff!!  He not only showed me different styles and techniques of beat boxing and vocal percussion and looping and we also got to perform together. 
As a result my show has improved immensely, this has been seen by the reaction of the crowds whilst on tour and has also increased bookings

I hoped to increase my loop pedal and beat boxing abilities, to learn new techniques, rhythms and sounds. To also better my loop pedal tonal sound and create my own style.

I just wanna say... THANK YOU so much for the funding and support it has not only improved my skills but has given me confidence and has also opened up other areas for me that I never thought of.

 
SUBURBAN SISTA SOUNDZ TOUR - 15 young ‘at risk’ women interested in Urban music to train and then tour with local well known hip hop artists.
The Suburban Sista Soundz Tour rang from 18 September – 30 November 2005 in 14 venues. The tour involved all 13 young female graduates of the Suburban Sista Soundz program.

There were two performances prior to the official tour dates, one at the 2005 Sydney Writers Festival; Hip Hop Projections event at Bangarra Theatre, and the other at the 205 Community Relations Commission NSW Symposium, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Parramatta. The Suburban Sista Soundz supported well known Australian hip hop group he Herd, on their regional NSW leg of the tour, from 27 – 30 October. One of the participants of the program was also employed as an assistant on the tour.

RETURN TO RHYTHM – 2 week intensive of rhythm & percussion workshops for Indigenous young people in Tennant Creek region

Over 50 young people performed on stage, to an audience of approximately 600 both indigenous and non-indigenous people from the Barkly Region as well as numerous tourists to the area, on the evening of 11th November 2005.
This workshop/performance has not only enabled young people to develop some percussion skills, it has also created an interest in further learning of percussion instruments.  The nurturing of confidence in those youth lacking self esteem was also evident during the workshop process and the effects of community pride in the local youth at the performance are immeasurable.

INSPIRATION – Violin lessons for Lachlan McCarthy.
For Lachlan to have received this grant was an honour and privilege. The grant was allocated for violin tuition, once a week. I was able to have a small issue published about me in the local paper for receiving the grant. This was a real buzz for me! This was an amazing experience for me on a very personal basis. I felt very overwhelmed that John Butler could recognise my developing ability. He has inspired me to want to follow my dreams. I know anything is possible as long as I work hard and believe in myself. 

HIP HOP HUB – Music production Studio to be set up in Nimbin Youth Club for local youth to utilize.
The JB Seed funding was used to purchase equipment to allow the development and production of hip hop tracks. A high capacity laptop was purchased to enable beat production and recording with a set of headphones. A portable stereo was purchased that allows young people to practice their music and also to listen back on effective speakers.
The ongoing use of these facilities acquired through the JB Seed demonstrate the long term benefits of this funding to the Nimbin youth community, illustrating how it has created opportunities that are a catalyst for continued creative and skills development for the youth community.

BAXTER WORKSHOP PROJECT – Musical workshops to be held inside Baxter Detention Centre with detainees.
From January – March 2006 I held six music sessions with detainees from Baxter Detention Centre, near Port Augusta in South Australia. The weekly sessions took place within the centre, in a classroom in the educational wing. Each session lasted several hours, and was open to any detainees within the centre.
The way the classroom’s physical space changed for the detainees, from being potentially threatening and ‘the centre’s space’ to a space with the memory and possibility of good things happening, a neutral space or even ‘the detainees’ space’ was very important, and I hope vestiges of that will remain now the sessions are over.
Meeting the detainees was a life-changing experience. I learnt so much from the project, and continually felt challenged, and out of my ‘comfort zone’. I would like to sincerely thank Ian Moorhead for organising the project, the JB Seed for supporting it, and the Baxter Detention Centre staff for being so supportive and helpful.

SMALL BUSINESS - Provocative visual artist, Deborah Kelly to create pro-choice artwork to be displayed on billboard in Sydney.
I first received The JB Seed grant in 2005, to mount a billboard about coming threats to womens’ reproductive choices promised by conservative forces in the then coalition federal government.
However, women from across the political spectrum worked together to derail Tony Abbott’s ambitions, which was a great boon for women. But- it rendered my billboard proposal absolutely obsolete.
So I suggested a number of different options to the JB Seed for billboards addressing various important issues. The fund chose the work I made connecting nuclear power with the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and ironically satirising the coalition’s recent ‘discovery’ of global warming.
The SBS interview is downloadable from here
Finally, thank you very much for this opportunity, both to simply participate in the important conversations of my culture and society, but also, to learn the painful lessons about power and how it works.

CHOICE STORIES - Collection of Pro Choice stories to be printed and sold at live story performances.
“Originally an idea by Tanya Mammone sitting with my girlfriends one Sunday afternoon a few weeks after the 2004 Federal election, the Coalition holding control of the Senate and the ALP in Victoria putting Steven Fielding, Families First’s, religious senator into Canberra.  Tony Abbott our Federal Health minister, had been on a crusade during the year against abortion and IVF I knew I wanted to do something a bit different than what I had in previous reproductive campaigns.  The group decided on the format of reflective pieces as we thought it best reflected feminism”.

HILLS PEACE FESTIVAL - Advertising for The August Peace Festival to be held in WA.
The August Peace Festival 2005 was held over the weekend of August 6th and 7th, 2005 at Darlington Hall, Owen Road, Darlington WA.  Some 400 members of the public, young and old, from all across metropolitan Perth, and from all different ethnicities and backgrounds, as well as more than 150 artists and social advocacy proponents attended.

TOILET DOORS PROJECT- 6 emerging artists to create posters to be displayed in public toilets throughout Greater Union Cinemas and Qantas terminals around the country.
To support the project’s ‘Social Activism through the Arts’  components, which focused on replacing advertising with poetry, in our selected project spaces – the back of toilet doors.  We selected poems that tried to positively transform the public space with challenging and thoughtful ideas, by young Australian poets.  The two poems ‘Subtle Plague’ by Keri Glastonbury and ‘Occupation’ by Lisa Gorton had strong political and socially pertinent themes. The money was used to pay these new and emerging artists and poets professional rates, and so foster their development and the vitality of Australian arts and culture into the future.

RED EYES DEBUT ALBUM - Dub/Reggae band Red Eyes to record debut album ‘Rude World’
We feel that we have achieved everything that we wanted from the project. The only goal we really had was to release the best album we could.
The release of the single was extremely positive with some amazing reviews of the CD and gigs alike, and much airplay on community radio and Triple J has broadened our demographic and increased awareness of the band and it’s potential.

LABJACD DEBUT ALBUM - Latin/Hip Hop band Labjacd to record debut album
The JB Seed gave us a fantastic opportunity to record our album in a professional environment with decent equipment.  We are a 9-piece band whose sound is based on our live performance, and that energy is not easy to capture in a small studio.  The JB Seed enabled us to get into a big studio with several isolated recording booths, meaning that much more of the recording was done live, but with no compromise to production, or recording quality.

AURORA JANE EAST COAST TOUR - Folk/Funk/Blues band Aurora Jane to tour East Coast.
The Winter East coast tour was a great success on a number of levels.  Achieving a second East Coast tour only a matter of months following the album launch tour was a fantastic way to solidify and broaden existing audiences.  The opportunity to tour in a more relaxed (and therefore focused) way to the previous tour, paves the way for better sustainability and creativity on the road.  The funding made this possible, as this particular tour would not have been financially viable without the support. 

LOU BRADLEY – EP promo tour - Country singer/songwriter Lou Bradley to tour QLD to NT.
"As you can imagine we had a brilliant time, it was a huge adventure…. we met and made friends with as many Indigenous folk as we could. It was unreal to be able to go to a town where there are more black fellas that whities. At the same time it was very sad to see that there are still such strict racist areas in NT, especially Tennant Creek. The primary schools there are still segregated and the black fellas aren’t allowed to go to places after a certain time at night. We stayed with the Mutidjulu community for 3 days. Muti are custodians of Uluru and are based less than a kilometre from the rock. We played for them on both nights."

KOOII: BEADS ON A STRING TOUR - 6 piece urban collective, Kooii to launch debut album on tour through QLD, NSW & VIC.
Kooii to launched ad toured their debut album throughout QLD, NSW & VIC.
At all our shows in Sydney and Melbourne we impressed a lot of people who were new to our sounds.  In Melbourne we played four shows at the Esplanade Hotel, Bar Open (on two nights) and at Ruby’s Lounge.

TOMMEE & NEIGHBORHOOD TOUR - Tommee and the Neighborhood to tour NSW, QLD, NT & WA.
At the start of August 2005 Tommee And The Neighbourhood had yet to headline a major tour and were largely unknown outside Bondi, Manly and parts of regional Victoria and NSW.  Since the tour they have played at several festivals including performing at the Amphitheatre on New Year’s Eve in front of 20 – 25,000 at the Woodford Folk Festival as part of another successful three week tour.  They are looking forward to releasing another album as well as playing at the prestigious WOMADelaide Festival in March.

LANCH OF ZUDIO BAND MANAGER - Zudio to market their online band manager.
The team at Zudio Music, who work on the Electronic Band Manager, would like to thank the JB Seed or their support during the launch of the Band Manager.  Apart from assistance provided through funding, the goodwill associated with The JB Seed program certainly helped others to see merit in the project which helped accelerate the promotional process and sparked additional interest.

TOM VINCENT TRIO - Tasmanian Jazz trio The Tom Vincent Trio to attend AIMM.
One of the main things that we have achieved from this week at AIMM is the start of intelligently directed, active networking and promotion of the Tom Vincent Trio on a national and international scale. Delegates at AIMM gave us names, phone numbers and contact details of other music festival directors and producers they recommended we get in touch with.  I feel that over time our continual efforts will establish regular work for the TVT.

AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL MUSIC MARKET – Drum Drum to attend AIMM.
The positives from this conference were the ability to present Drum Drum as a live act to the delegates and to also meet and discuss possible opportunities with presenters in person.  Being from Darwin and relatively isolated from the national scene it also allowed us to be presented to Australian presenters as well. 

KURANDA REGGAE FESTIVAL – Marketing for Reggae festival held in Cairns.
"People from all over the world attended the event.
We learnt that for something like this to exist we need a lot more support, as the costs keep  going up and Reggae is not really a self sustainable industry!  The other big thing I learnt (again) was to deal with professionals wherever possible, and also the power of the right advertising is immense, but money and no brain is much worse than a brain and no money. And....don’t compromise ideals."

JAM IN THE DESERT - is a program to provide equipment & PA training to musicians from the Barkly region.
With improvements to our equipment, in particular, a trailer and the cases for instruments, musicians have been able to access these communities without as much damage to the equipment from abrasion and dust.  Drum cases and a carry bag purchased for stands etc have made major improvement to our situation.  This is has helped for weekly gigs but also for the long distances to Borooloola and Epenarra. 

Barkly regional arts has since been successful in initiating an agreement between Barkly aboriginal musicians and several stakeholders to provide funds for the establishment of a music centre. The JB Seed’s support at a crucial time assisted this process.
www.barklyarts.com.au

DAN SULTAN POST PRODUCTION AND MARKETING - Dan Sultan to mix and master debut album

The JB Seed Fund’s assistance enabled Dan and his band to dub/mix our changes, secure professional artwork master their debut album Homemade Biscuits.

 “I write to express my gratitude of the JB Seed funds’ support of finishing my recording, I’m glad that they much believe my music has potential as it is a rather lonely road. In some ways I knew it was relevant and attractive from the audience response, however I can now measure it on different scales, that include development of new audiences and the sales of my first CD”

AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL MUSIC MARKET – Narbarlek and Yilila to attend AIMM.

YILILA
Contacts were made with delegates from arts/education organisation from New Zealand, Mexico, Indonesia and Australia.  These contacts were very positive but had limited ways in which to assist or book us for anything in the future.  The strongest opportunity that arose for Yilila was from the Mexican Music Market. There is, with a lot of funding an opportunity to perform in 2006 at their music market.

NABARLEK
Nabarlek achieved greater exposure due to their showcase performance which was described by a number of delegates as faultless.  The profile of the band was raised and we have been contacted by a number of Australian delegates about possible future performances. The Opportunity to perform at AIMM has been a great step in the bands career.

UPGRADE DRUM KIT - Aden Brim to purchase drum kit components.
Aden was able to buy a set of Roto Toms, a splash and two crashes.  “Now that my kit is upgraded it’s hard to get me off it.  I hope to get into music a bit more next year because school is my main focus for the next 4 weeks as it’s my last year.  The bands I’m in are still rocking up here.  I had a gig about two weeks ago and I took my kit in.  It was a deadly jam.  That was the Kuranda Spring fair and my next jam is with Zenith next weekend at the Yungabura Festival.”

Thank you so much for implementing the JB Seed Management workshop – it was without doubt one of the most informative and inspiring experiences of my career. I trust it achieved all your goals and hope it exceeded your expectations! Everyone has been frantically emailing each other so the lines of communication are well and truly in place for all the managers, so inspired is everyone. Feels like the beginning of the next wave for independent music in Australia. To create and effect such a network is a huge achievement in itself, so thank you again. Just brilliant. The seeds are already sprouting...... Katherine Beard, Extended Family, Kaya, The Maids

I feel totally rejuvenated with my role as a manager, and motivated to now go on and create pathways to success for both my artist and myself. Kate Mills, The Jacknives

Thank you for inviting us to be a part of your vision and committing to assist us with ours. In doing so you have effectively created the first independent managers forum in this country; a forum and collective built on heart, head and faith and of which we are blessed and also working to be a part. Watch the seed grow .....
Megan Bowman, Self-managed

You guys are the best thing I have dealt with on the industry side of things. Thank you all for your inspiration, ideas, passion and advice. I strongly believe the music industry will be a better world thanks to you all. On behalf of myself and Casual Projects, I sincerely thank you for this amazing experience.
Julian Abrahams, Casual Projects

This workshop was an invaluable resource that I'd recommend to any emerging manager. Top stuff JB Seed Crew!
Alex Beck, The Harlequin Smile

This experience has been a major and vital turning point in my life. Not only in the way I conduct business but also how I conduct myself as a person. The entire JB Seed Crew have made such an inspirational impact and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Matt Irvin, Self-managed Soloist

I sincerely hope many more managers are able to experience what I have with the JB Seed. I look forward to sharing our collective positive outcomes with your crew and wish you all peace in the years to come. The JB Seed is an integral support program for music managers across Australia! You guys got soul ..... yeah!
Elizabeth Kilby, Kafka, The Dynamic Thrills, Kooii

LAZARE AGNESKIS
Paul helped me to refine the melodies and lyrics of my songs to make them more concise and fluent. We picked parts of the song that sounded good and could even be repeated, as well as cutting a the parts that weren’t that good or didn’t really suit the song.  As I compose and perform with my main band ‘San Lazaro’ this experience will no doubt have an affect on the songs we write. I can bring the skills I’ve learnt about arranging and refining ideas to the band.

LAURENCE MEIKLE – OPERA STUDY IN SYDNEY
Three weeks after the completion of the project, I feel as though I am a completely different person.  My singing and devotion to my art form is so great, that when positive things happen in my professional life I am affected personally also.
 
I feel that my time in Sydney and the subsequent weeks I have had to refine and concentrate on the skills I learned, have changed the way I sing and perform completely.  The most important element is probably my confidence.  My experiences in working with these figures who are at the forefront of the Australian and international opera scenes have taught me that I am on the right path to developing a career.
 
Getting some positive feedback and encouragement from internationally acclaimed baritone, Michael Lewis has really increased my confidence.  I feel as though the world is waiting for me now. 

SCOTT BENNING - MUSIC IN CALCUTTA
I was awarded the JB Seed grant last year for a period of music study in Calcutta. In the original grant application, I stated that I would be having lessons with my former teacher from the Rotterdam conservatorium, Siddharth Krishna. In the end he could not make it due to the impending birth of his first child. I then approached the teacher who gave the annual master classes at the Rotterdam Conservatorium, Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee, who resides in Calcutta.
Having lessons again with Pandit Mukherjee was a truly inspiring experience. They were all one-on-one lessons and covered all aspects of sitar playing. Any questions I had were answered and any technique I wanted to learn was demonstrated clearly. I recorded all the lessons so I have a lot of material to work on now that I am back in Australia. I also saw him perform three times during my visit to Calcutta.
I feel that my ten week stay in Calcutta has had an extremely positive effect upon my playing. My technique has improved an become stronger and my musicality and feel has been enhanced by the exposure to such high calibre artists and by being in such a unique musical environment.

CLAUDIA CHAMBERS
I received the wonderful opportunity to receive a professional development tabla mentorship of eight sessions with Bobby Singh.
The work we did together on ways of learning rhythm by vocalising has already expanded my parameters as a teacher of rhythm. I have already begun to introduce some of these ideas into my classes as an alternative approach to learning and conceptualising rhythm.  As well as the rhythmic knowledge I gained from studying with Bobby, the experience has reinvigorated my own inspiration about music and learning.

ALISHA BROOKS - ROMANY MUSIC STUDY IN TURKEY
My lessons took place between the 2nd August and 5th September 2006, in Istanbul, Turkey.  Savas and I had lessons, performed and recorded together.  Through all of this I established one of the most important musical relationships of my career.  Savas showed me the true essence of this music and the depths of the language, of which the similarities to my background in jazz improvisation are endless.
The zurna is a traditional instrument in many countries and has a special place in Turkish music.  The Turkish style is unique and by far the most detailed.  Ahmet Elbasan is one of the most accomplished player in Turkey and is a master of the Turkish Romany style.
I accomplished enough in my time with Aymet to be able to play some simple sons and scales, but mostly I learnt how to practice the instrument and work towards the long term goals
 

8 BALL AITKEN
From October 9 to 12, 2006, between the hours of 10 am to 5 pm, 8 Ball Aitken studied pedal steel guitar with mentor Michel Rose. 
Since the intensive study with Michel Rose, 8 Ball has moved up from playing a single neck pedal steel guitar to a fully-fledged professional double-neck pedal steel guitar with 8 pedals and 3 knee-leavers.
The project was of great benefit in terms of professional development. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with one of Australia’s leading session musicians.

MASTER PEACE WALL
15 youths aged 14 and 15 coming from 4 different cultures (Muslim,
Lebanese, Macedonian and Greek) painted side by side in a group effort. The mural not only represents the various cultures within the St-George area but is the result of a multicultural group effort.  We had numerous changes in design to accommodate all the cultures present in the St-George area and also basing them on the current abilities of our newly trained young artist.
 “We should write a big COMMUNICATE word a fill it with 35 different languages all saying hello. “ At the time our centre we had a 2 day workshop a about racism and 120 students were present, many positive comments were heard by staff in those two days about
the mural.

HOW RADIATION MAKES YOU SICK
The aim of this project was to produce of a series of posters for Indigenous communities explaining the health and environmental risks associated with nuclear activities and facilities in an accessible, but scientifically sound, manner.
Initial text and rough ideas for the poster design was drafted by a number of anti-nuclear activists and brought to the 2007 Alliance Against Uranium (renamed the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance) meeting near Alice Springs in August. A session at this meeting was dedicated to explaining and getting input from indigenous participants into the text and designs. The initial outcome for this project was the development of four plain English posters - Radiation and Health, Waste and Tailings, Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Nukes and Water.

CLUB REFUGEES
The JB Seed contributed $4,700 towards the workshopping and launch of Actors for Refugees' new show, Open House, which took place in August 2006.  We wanted to reflect on the relationships that have developed between refugees, asylum seekers and long-time Australian residents over the last few years, particularly now that the majority of refugees are out of detention and living in the community, on bridging, temporary or permanent visas. 
We felt the need to acknowledge the way these relationships contribute to a sense of belonging for the newcomers, but also as evidence of the possibility and value of community connectedness for everyone.  We wanted to inspire our audiences to get out there and do something themselves, not simply 'feel sorry' for others or go away feeling angry and frustrated.
After the performance several people who had not previously done anything practical in relation to refugees offered to volunteer at Asylum Seeker Resource centre and collect food for those on Bridging Visa E.
 

CLIMATE OF HOPECLIMATE OF HOPE
"Climate of Hope" is a 28 minute animated DVD produced on almost no budget, for the purpose of demystifying the nuclear industry, with particular regard to claims about nuclear energy's potential contribution to climate mitigation.
3200 copies of the DVD were produced. 1000 of these were distributed in the eastern states by the BNI network, and 2000 were distributed in Western Australia. At the time of writing, there have been 25 public screenings in WA, many of them at small local events, universities and regional centres including Bunbury, Margaret River, Denmark, Albany, Geraldton and the Shire of Murchison.
The DVD has been a very successful tool for promoting renewable solutions to the climate challenge while debunking some of the more misleading claims of the nuclear industry. Particularly during an election year, I believe a the project filled a useful niche as a (hopefully) non-dogmatic, even-handed and entertaining guide to these important issues.
 
Online at Engagemedia:
www.engagemedia.org (high-res screening version also available at this site)

JESS & THE PAIGE BOYS
This was the biggest tour that I had been on and the first with my band.  
The stuff I value most is the knowledge I gained of venues, their sound systems, the sound engineers, the other bands and artists and venue operators and bookers I met for future gigs.  Every venue wanted us back, so musically we went over really well and we got quite a few new fans.

Shepparton was the best gig with a fantastic reception and we will be further developing that area with radio, distribution and venue co-operation and using that as a model for other areas we will play at in future.

TECOMA
"The initial aim of the project was to raise public awareness about the Home Brew Album and AIR to Me Single launches and the national tour that was in support of these releases. The work of the publicist Monique Lisa was phenomenal to this end and her securing Triple J support for the tour, a Home & Hosed performance on JTV, not to mention making several other things happen around the tour dates made a massive difference in terms of getting word out about the tour.
In contrast to many of the harder lessons learnt from the last little while, having Monique Lisa on board facilitated by The JB Seed drove home the difference working with passionate and experienced professionals can make. Her hard work, professionalism, honest advice, objectivity and insight into many aspects of the tour/records goings on was so helpful, I really hope I can continue to work with her in the future, if she’s not too sought after by other artists."

ILLZILLA

In May and June this year the Melbourne based hiphop outfit ‘Illzilla’ conducted a successful eight week tour of the Australian east coast, promoting two singles from the groups’s debut album ‘Wasteland’  and exposing new audience to the groups’ dynamic live set. This tour included live performances in Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Brisbane, Coolum and the Gold Coast, and culminated with the Melbourne launch of the brilliant film clip for ‘Cut Feet’ – the group’s second single. 
With the generous help of the JB Seed Fund, Illzilla was able to thoroughly promote the tour, including substantial advertising in print media across the country. This was also supplemented by strong media interest (including numerous positive album reviews in the press), poster runs in all states, and some additional print and online promotions conducted variously by Beat Broker, Elefant Traks, Shock Records and the Grassroots Street Orchestra.
 

"My name is Fred Leone and I am the recipient of the 2007 JB SEED : Speak Indigenous Hip Hop grant. For me the journey has been almost like a dream, not only have I had the opportunity to professionally record my own music but I was given the tools, advice, support and guidance along the way by the JB SEED Crew to help me become self sustained and confident in the fact that as an Indigenous artist within Australia that I can now enter the industry/market as, and with a tangible product.

TimeOff (Chris Yates) – Impossible Odds named Single Of The Week: ‘Sought-after Australian Producer, Tony Buchen has helped Impossible Odds create a sound which is very international sounding, while Leone’s lyrics and rapping style are unarguably local….his gift is the way he communicates his message and stories with the listener on a very personal level. Musically the EP covers a lot of different ground….Leone is a very talented MC, and there could be no doubt that this EP will prove itself to be one of the most important Australian hip hop releases this year.


The process was great and the whole time I have felt a definite sense of community and genuine care and concern from the staff of the JB SEED.

The JB SEED is in my opinion leading the way in their innovative approach to philanthropy which is geared around the greater good for humanity, social justice and the environment and we need more people like this talented group.

Thanks for everything, you fullas are off the hook!!!"

CULTURAL ARTS TOUR
To see students watching our performances and trying some dancing or Didge and then kids just yarning with each other, would have to be on of the highlights of my year. To see the look in the eyes of my students as they groove along (they do groove) Swanston Street Mall was so much fun.
We performed at: Royal Melbourne Zoo, Australian Centre for Moving Image ACMI, Thornbury Senior High School for class TV channel 31
Geelong Primary School and Church Youth Centre in Geelong.

Thanks again for contributing to this community and helping form more positive opinions of Indigenous Australians at a time when media images were very one sided.

THE NUCLEAR POSTERS

PART 1: THE NUCLEAR POSTERS
We are extremely happy with the quality of the publication. The posters themselves are beautifully printed on 100% recycled paper and are shrink-wrapped together to form one publication. We feel this poster series is a real leap in production value from our last poster series and is also a lot easier to distribute and sell in bookshops etc. This correlates with the general feedback we are getting from a range of people.

PART 2: THE EXHIBITION
The Nuclear Posters launch at The Artery on November 13th was a great night and really well attended. The Artery gallery was also a great connection for us to make as political poster makers as they have a history of exhibiting political posters and work with poster collectors and collectives.
Being a comercial gallery and bar meant that the exhibition was accessible and the artists involved were give the oportunity to exhibit in a recognised gallery.

PART 3: THE NUCLEAR ROCK POSTERS HITS THE STREETS!
We felt this was an extremely successful aspect of the entire project. The designs chosen were very striking, were easy to spot at a distance, and seemed to communicate the message very effectively particularly as the designs were pasted side by side. It has been difficult to gauge the actual impact of the posters on the general public, but we received numerous excited text messages from people having spotted them in different locations in Melbourne and we have received emails from individuals and organisations who want to get copies of the actual rock posters themselves.
The rock posters were also an amazing project for the two artists whose work was chosen. Both these artists were extremely happy to have their work so publically displayed. The posters were not only politically effective but artistically as well.

GROWING UP TWO WAYS

he project enabled a group of senior Arabunna people and some of their families to return to Finess Springs and tell first hand stories about growing up in this place that was once a Christian mission but also a safe haven for Aboriginal families, allowing us to maintain some of our traditional culture.
The work created through the project conveys a true impression of the lived experience of people that grew up at Finiss Springs, including an evocative portrayal of the spiritual, cultural, linguistic and material aspects of life on the mission.

ANMATJERE MAN
A 35 minute documentary film entitled “Anmatjere Man” was produced by PAW Media and Communications. Tony Scrutton wrote, edited ad starred in the film. The crew was comprised entirely of local Anmatjere people.
The project also included the recording of a CD from the Central Desert Band (6 Mile Band) at PAW’s recording studio in Yuendumu. Three of these songs were then used in the film.
PAW has a long history with the Anmatjere communities, organisations and the people involved in making the film. This established relationship enabled open communication throughout the production as well as the ability to work ‘in country’ with ease.

BIRIPI AND WORIMI COUNTRY
When I heard that there was an Indigenous “landcare” group at Taree, I started thinking about a film straight away.
The film has given the people at Purfleet a chance to have their say in an area that is pivotal to their life and the well-being of their community. It was wonderful to do a full interview with John Clark, for example, who is regarded by many as an elder. Those tapes are archival treasures, and I would love to do similar interviews with all o the elders in that area and in my own local area of Maleny, Queensland.
This film has given an opportunity for the Indigenous people of Purfleet-Taree to give voice  their feelings about not only CDEP (Cultural Development Employment Program) but also the preservation of their culture and other important issues. It gives them a tool in approaching government bodies and in harnessing solidarity for keeping the CDEP program alive.
 

GLEN DONNELLY - ADVANCED VIOLA STUDY IN SPAIN

Over the course of several Viola lessons, master classes and concerts, Paul Silverthorne ignited a dramatic process within me which has changed the whole way I approach music. Paul is one of the best Viola teachers in the world and a wonderful "capacitator" for young musicians. He has recognised my natural musical talent and is the perfect mentor to open me  as a musician and turn my potential into great artistry.
I was in the perfect relaxing environment to reflect on my life and my music. This has not just affected my performing, but my entire musicality and me as a person.
The content of this project was very intensive. Individual lessons and mentor sessions, rehearsals and seminars filled the day and nearly every night was a public concert as part of the Central Catalunya Music Festival, in which I would play solo, chamber music and chamber orchestra. I collaborated with musicians from all over the world and networked with valuable future contacts in Europe.
The unique surroundings of regional Spain enabled me to grow musically and personally, and the combination of this with the perfectly timed mentoring from Paul SIlverthorne turned out to be the single greatest opportunity of my career yet. I know that this project gas played a crucial role in my music and development. I cannot thank you enough

THE FUNKY TURTLES

The “Funky Turtles Song Writing Work Shop with Rebecca Barnard” was a huge success; its positive effects have reached beyond those originally anticipated and stated in the Turtle’s funding applications.In fact, it has so far proven to be a transformative experience for the many people involved, not least of all, Rebecca. , “Some members of the band who aren’t usually very upfront were really involved. Bianca wrote a whole song. Sarah sang, and came in two days after the weekend with a new song she had written at home! There was a meeting of creative minds. The Turtles already see them selves as artists, and this experience validated them, their professional identity. The weekend was an affirmation of being a creative, performing artist.”
The fact of Rebecca’s warm, empathic and relaxed personality, her attitude towards the Turtles, and her approach to music making, heavily impacted on the success of the project.

BRITTLE

We were fortunate to receive the grant in late June 2007. We contacted our mentors Leigh Carriage, vocal teacher, Dave Sanders, drum tutor and tried to contact our guitar tutor Michael Porter in late June to arrange lessons.
Leigh Carriage was able to teach Ben Whiting, Billy Donaldson and Geoff Slingsby.We have gained in confidence and have much better control of our voices. We have improved our tone and breathing and Geoff our drummer, is also able to do some vocals to reinforce our hook lines as he never used to do any before. She has been a most supportive and patient teacher and a wonderful mentor for us.

Geoff Slingsby, Ben Whiting, Billy Donaldson and Ben O’Dwyer Members of BRITTLE

Dana Ogle - Perth To Chennai

As a recipient of The JB Seed grant I traveled to Chennai, South India to study the Carnatic instrument mridangam with Guru Tanjore K Murugaboopathi in a challenging and engaging environment. The timing of my travels to Chennai coincided with the Madras Carnatic Music Festival, allowing me to attend numerous Carnatic music concerts during my stay. This allowed me to both deepen my understanding of and appreciation of Carnatic music and further develop my relationship with many of Chennai’s most highly regarded musicians.
The combined outcomes of my studies with Guru Murugaboopathi and the resulting recoding sessions greatly exceeded my expectations of my travels to India, and ensured my ongoing relationships with several leading Indian musicians. I will continue my student/teacher/mentor relationship with Guru Murugaboopathi. Additional to this I know have a clear understanding of the direction the recording process should take when next I return to India.
On reflection I realize I have completely immersed myself into the depths of Indian culture and music. It is only the beginning of a lifetime relationship with Mother India.

Steve Falk – Marimba Study in Japan with Keiko Abe

I studied at Toho Gakuen with Keiko Abe from October 1st 2007 until March 31st 2008. My course of study consisted of private practice in studios at the college and a weekly master class conducted by Professor Abe. International graduates such as myself were expected to perform regularly in the master class which is conducted in front of an audience of about 20 advanced solo marimba students from around Japan and sometimes guest musicians from abroad. As I have always been interested in improvisation my work in the master classes often included free improvisation with Keiko Abe and myself improvising together on two marimbas.
I  gave two 40 minute public recitals during which I performed my own new composition for solo marimba, “Romance” which was composed during my studies with Professor Abe in the last six months. I have now completed a total of two years full-time marimba study with Keiko Abe. It has been an incredible opportunity to pursue an artistic interest of mine so intensively after many years of professional musical activity where there was rarely a chance to practice regularly.

Tom Vincent – Advanced Audio Study

The last six months have been a very exciting time for me studying with George Goerss and becoming established in the practice of recording. For most of our lessons George came here to my studio. He’s has been extremely helpful including taking calls from me when the need arose for troubleshooting.
Since getting started last year I have conducted recording sessions with twelve different local and interstate musicians including singers, trumpet players, sax players, guitarists, double bass players, drummers and of course myself on piano and keyboards.

Eleanor Betts – Cello Study in Vienna with Michael Wiliams

This period of study was invaluable to me not just in terms of the way in which it helped develop my performance both technically and musically, but also in terms of the experience of being able to discuss the challenges of studying Cello overseas as an Australian with someone who has achieved many of the things I would like to achieve in my career.

Michael Williams was a student and teacher in Sydney, before he moved to Europe to study with Antonio Meneses, an eminent Cellist. After studying for six years in Europe, Michael returned to Australia to perform with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, which is has always been my greatest goal. The experience of being a classical musician from Australia can be daunting one because of the relative lack of funding and support that has traditionally been given to this area of the Arts. Very few classical musicians in Australia achieve success at home without having studied overseas first.

It's totally inspirational to find so many people, particularly those at the top of the music industry in Australia, share the same love of music and to know thqt's what has driven them to achieve their success. The JB Seed has been life changing for me. Thanks so much.
Dave Mann, the Dave Mann Collective, WA.

I was made to feel really comfortable with everything the speakers delivered. Years and years of their knowledge was delivered so freely.
Jodie Regan, The Kill Devil Hills, Mink Mussel Creek, Felicity Groom and the Black Black Smoke, WA.