Opening night of iNTune Alice Springs was a great success, with Minister Gerry McCarthy officially opening the music conference on Friday September 9th, in front of local and interstate speakers and delegates.

With Tjupi Band‘s fantastic desert reggae in the background – drifting over from the Main Stage at Alice Desert Festival to conference venue the Totem Theatre – the Minister spoke enthusiastically about the importance of supporting Northern Territory music through events such as iNTune.

He also thanked “the many industry leaders” who had made the trip to Alice Springs, to participate in and speak at the Conference.

Music NT manager Mark Smith welcomed the Minister and crowd, with Music NT Alice Springs coordinator Milyika Scales also making a speech, and thanking the many participants and event partners for their support.

Interstate speakers mingled with local musicians at the launch party, catching up, meeting for the first time, and making new contacts – all there to celebrate the opening of the second iNTune Alice at Totem Theatre.

The APRA connect session held at Totem Theatre during the launch party, was also well-attended, jointly presented by Phillip Eaton (NT Writers Rep) and Michael Hutchings (National Indigenous Writer Rep), to give local musicians information about APRA’s services, and the importance of becoming an APRA member.

The first sessions of Day I the Conference kicked off on Friday at Charles Darwin University earlier in the day, with visiting producer Pip Norman (aka Countbouce) holding recording workshops at the University’s music studios for local musicians.

As (controlled) fires roared in the Todd River, the party wound up with many delegates heading to The Rock Bar to see Catch The Fly (right) play in the iNTune Music Showcase, ‘After Hours Live at The Rock’.

Day II of iNTune Alice was also a success, with the Feedback on 5ive and Desert Divas music showcases watched by large crowds, including the many Conference delegates.

The ‘Sell Yourself’ publicity and ‘Music Publishing 101′ masterclasses held afterward at Totem Theatre, proved invaluable information intensives, with rivers of knowledge and experience being shared by the interstate speakers with local musicians, including NT Arts Minister Gerry McCarthy who attended many of the Saturday iNTune events.

Bush Bands Bash showcase of desert bands capped off Day II, held from 6-11pm on the Festival Main Stage of Anzac Oval in front of a two thousand people, on Saturday September 10.

It was MC’d by young performer, Sally Scales, and coordinated by Mark Smerdon.

The crowd was treated to amazing, energetic performances by Iwantja Band (APY Lands), Blackstone Band (NG Lands), Yatulu Yatulu (Warlpiri), South East (Arrernte), The Tableland Drifters (Barkly Region), Sunshine Reggae (Western Desert), with special guests, Narbarlek (Arnhem Land).

The Bash bands were also part of three-day ‘bandcamp’ Bush Bands Business, a professional development and mentoring program involving many of the interstate iNTune Alice speakers, in the lead up to the Bush Bands Bash.

The program – held at Ross River Resort just outside of Alice Springs – gave the bands the opportunity to rehearse for the Bash without distractions, in addition to learning career-building skills from the best in the Australian  and NT music business.

Day III provided further opportunities for local artists to perform live in front of industry.

Bec Matthews, Ben Allen , Georgia Germein, Colin Lillie and Dave Crowe took to the stage at the Totem with intimate acoustic performances.

They received professional feedback from  publisher Clive Hodson, local venue manager Anj Bazdarik, national APRA rep Michael  Hutchings and manager Vicki Gordon.

All of the artists gave amazing performances, with Clive offering to “sign Ben on the spot”, continuing further discussions with Colin and Georgia after the session.

The surprise session of the day was the enormous round table discussion for Remote Music Teachers.

Forty people from across the Territory and Australia – all music educators – were present at the lively forum discussion, with much time spent networking and talking about challenges – and possible solutions – around program policy and funding.

It was supported that the conversation should continue in the future, with the idea to set up a Steering Committee in order to lobby Federal Government.

Late on Sunday afternoon, iNTune Alice Springs began to wind up at Alice Desert Festival, with delegates treated to a major music performance by Warren H. Williams, Catherine Satour, Jacinta Castle and the Darwin Symphony Orchestra, with Songs From Big Sky Country, also supported by lead guitarist – and Music NT Board Chairman – Cain Gilmour.

A thousand people attended the two-hour live music spectacular, which included original songs and a giant wall of sound. It was a groundbreaking performance by three of Australia’s most talented contemporary Indigenous  singers with the orchestra, and possessed enormous, wide-reaching appeal.

After a huge weekend of music, iNTune Alice Springs aptly concluded with the last night of the  iNTune Music Showcase at The Rock Bar. Both Bec Matthews and Ronja Moss performed great solo sets, followed by Steph Harrison and her mum Pia playing a well-received eclectic gig. Bec and her partner King Marong blitzed on the dance floor with an amazing traditional African drumming set, to round out the night.

Music NT would like to send a huge thanks to all of the volunteers, staff, partners, sponsors, delegates, speakers, musicians, industry members and crew who made this Conference such an incredible success.

And also to Minister McCarthy for his enthusiastic support of the event and local musicians.

Read the full program here and about the iNTune Alice speakers.

View all of the photos from iNTune Alice Springs on Facebook.

Words & pics: Megan Spencer