Find out what it takes to break into and survive in the Australian music industry

As a requirement of my TAFE course in music performance I have interviewed industry professional, Michael Chambers to share knowledge of what is important to get right when you're entering or surviving the Australian music industry.

I thank Michael for his generosity and encourage any other music professionals who have a story to tell to likewise share their knowledge by emailing me their own responses with me at rosie@musicalescapism.com.

1.What is your name and job description in the music industry?

Michael Chambers. Currently I am Touring FOH engineer for 1927, Drummer for hire and studio Engineer. I own 3 Businesses that provide a number of services in the music industry in many areas including; Live/Studio Sound, Drummer, Teacher, Venue Consultant, Producer, Talent Manager.

2. How did you start out in music? Can you give a brief outline of your career path leading to your current position in the music industry?

I was introduced to someone like myself who had their own business in Live production, I went to every gig he did for a year for free so i could learn what I needed to and gain some industry contacts as well. He ended up buying another rig for me to run on my own, a few years later i made the investment to buy my first rig and went out on my own.

As for Drumming, got my first drum kit at 4 yrs old and never looked back!

With the other areas of the industry, I really just discovered over the years that I had a good understanding of the industry in all areas which led to first being made the manager for my original bands, networking at gigs with venue owners and bands led to becoming a booking agent and venue consultant. It just seemed that a lot of people that i considered more experienced than myself were coming to me for advice and help with their musical projects.

3. Describe the key features and important aspects of what you do?

With Audio, firstly you need to have an ear for it. At the end of the day you can drop 100K on an audio education, learn lots of fancy words and the theory behind things, however if you cant hear it to start with all the knowledge in the world wont change the fundamental issue, it would be like a guy with no arms and legs spending money on drum lessons.

Apart from that you need a good understanding of how everything in your environment can affect how we perceive sound. Equally important if you are mixing bands and entertainment, you need to understand what is needed on stage for a musician to perform at their best thus giving you the best possible signal and performance for you to work with. On the flip side, I believe that every musician should have a basic understanding about sound and what is needed in order for the engineer in any given room the best chance to control the chaos that comes off stage.

The most important thing for me, and something that is a luxury these days rather than a standard, is taking pride in your work, and working all involved to put on the best possible show.

4. What skills, knowledge and attributes should someone in your line of work possess, and how have you developed them?

As with every job, the conceptual understanding of how signal flow works, how audio work and interacts with your environment. An ability to work under pressure (especially when things go wrong) is essential, most people may be able to get some sort of “mix” together what separates the beginners from the pros is the ability to think quickly, logically and with many important people yelling at you when something does go wrong. A thick skin helps as well, good sound is highly subjective, everyone hears differently and has their own idea of what sounds good.

5. What formal training or courses (if any) have you undertaken to equip yourself for your current roll? How helpful were they?

I have never done any formal audio training, I learnt on the job, and had a natural ability to excel in the industry by getting involved where i could, everything else is just lessons learnt on by experience.

6. Can you talk about the importance of industry connections in your work, and the role played by professional networking in advancing your career. Can you give examples?

Networking is one of the biggest tools available to anyone in the music industry. This was harder for me as I have Autism, and severe ADHD, so one of the most important things that can help is much more difficult for me, however what I lacked in that area i made up for in my ability to deal with a big variety of personalities, handle absolute disasters without breaking a sweat, and taking absolute pride in whatever i do, nothing is ever an issue if you are good at your job. So Attitude is the Biggest thing that will make or break your career. This industry is extremely small, and something you do or say to one person can spread through the entire community very quickly.

I have also never had a website, or advertised for my services, almost my entire career is built on word of mouth.

7. What new trends and emerging technologies have you observed in music, and how have they affected the way you work? How have you adapted to them?

There has been a massive change in the way our entire lives run these days, it's not limited to the music industry, but the ability to adapt and constantly learn and relearn as these new technologies emerge. Some things have been game changing in a good way some in a industry crippling way. Digital Mixing consoles have made a big difference to the industry packing features in to a small box that used to require multiple big heavy racks to use the same tools.

Streaming destroyed the recording industry and cut off a lot of revenue streams for many industry roles (like engineers and artists not getting royalties off cd sales) income options have been limited and the whole way we approach music has to change.

AI is the other thing that is really dividing the industry. It is useful in some ways and completely destructive in others. It's something that is happening whether we want it or not, so adapt or get out of the game.

8. What concerns do you have about the future of the music industry, or are you optimistic? How might you meet those challenges, or maximise the positive opportunities you foresee?

I don't think the industry is going to improve much without major intervention from the government, a massive culture change and a way to ensure that being an artist/engineer/set builder/whatever can become a viable way to make a living. Currently it's not for 90% of people who make, or are involved in the industry. There are no longer 7 night a week venues due to noise complaints being used to shut down venues, there is not enough incentive to get people to support live music as a business, and when you can make 200x the revenue without most of the hurdles with pokies. It doesn't matter how much you love music as a venue owner, no money = no venue. Its up to everyone to return the industry to what it was in the 70’s/80’s/90’s.

9. Are there any particular laws or regulations that govern the way you work in the music industry (e.g Copyright Laws), and if so how?

I think the biggest and most important regulation is WHS. Followed closely by copyright. Censorship is also forcing unnecessary changes to the way venues operate and what they can use as entertainment.

10. Do you have any advice regarding planning effectively, prioritising tasks and meeting deadlines?

Planning is important, but not as important as planning for disaster and ensuring that you are able to and willing to improvise and compromise to ensure the show goes on.

If you understand the concepts of your job, not just the buzz words, you will be as prepared as you can be.

The only certainty in this industry is that it will never go to plan, those who can work with that will thrive, those who cant handle this….. Quit now!

Michael Chambers “Mick”

CEO-Audio | Visual | Lighting | Design | Mix | Record | Consult

Eargasm Audio – Custom Audio Solutions

Sound Chambers Entertainment Pty Ltd.

KJ Studios - Operations Manager/Head of Drums & Audio

Crestron Certified DM Designer/Engineer/Technician

Extron Certified AV Associate