Mark Smith
MANAGER
T: (08) 8981 1995
Mark has come to Music NT from a long history in performing and managing bands in the NT. Mark was a founding member and manager of Drum Drum who went from performing at the Uni Bar to touring over 15 countries, including 4 tours of the States. He also performed with and managed hip hop group Culture Connect who achieved national radio and television airplay. Currently Mark is working with Yilila band as their drummer and international booking agent. Prior to starting as Music NT Manager in April 2008 Mark worked as Youth Officer at Darwin City Council.
Mark’s favorite all time NT artist is “Cinco Loco, a groove/electro band who were big in the NT a few years back.” His favorite NT gig? “The Elements Hip Hop Festival that a few of us put on 4-5 years ago. It brought all these Hip Hop guys out of the woodwork to battle out for a pretty cool trophy.”
“The thing I love most about music culture in the Territory is its independence in both sound and spirit and the support that musicians across the Territory show to one another.”
Megan Spencer
SPECIAL PROJECTS / WEB / MARKETING
Megan came to Music NT early in 2009. She brings with her a vast background in media and the arts.Megan has worked as a TV and radio broadcaster at triple j radio, ABC Local Radio Darwin & Sydney, SBS -TV (“The Movie Show”), Foxtel (“Project Greenlight Australia”) among others. She has worked as a critic, independent filmmaker and as an artistic director with arts and film festivals. Megan brewed her passion for NT original music when she moved to Darwin at the start of 2008. When she wasn’t interviewing artists and bands on her Drive program, she was out seeing the latest NT music had to offer at all sorts of ‘gin joints’ and original music venues…
She has big music crushes on NT bands Straight Skirt, Jess Ribeiro & The Bone Collectors and Cooperblack. She also loves Stir Fry Music, 2 Cats 1 Hat, Horse Trank and Moses. Her favorite NT gigs so far have been “a Horse Trank house party at the ‘Darwin Cultural Centre’ in Smith Street; experiencing Bill Searle and Roddy Balaam from The Presley Boys improvise a distortion soundtrack to short films at Happy Yess; the first time I saw Neil Murray play at the Sailing Club was amazing, and Cooperblack kick it at Isotopia Festival.”
The thing she loves most about music culture in the Territory is “…it’s sound, fearlessness and wild sense of possibility.”
Phillip Eaton
MEMBER SERVICES / PROJECT OFFICER / REHEARSAL SPACE
T: 0428 380 029
E: phillipeaton@musicnt.com.au
Phil has been in Darwin for a fair while and started playing music as soon as he arrived. In the same week he joined two groups: playing didj with WildWater and percussion with Drum Drum. He DJ’d at the Uni Bar and got involved with the club “Kongo” crew. In 1999, Phil got his first Bass Guitar!!!! He says “I’ve been really lucky to play with great musicians who all are great friends.”
Phil’s favorite NT artist is “Letterstick. I like them because they’ve got a fantastic grooves, melody and feel to their music.” His favorite gig? “The Sunrize Band at the Dolphin Hotel in 1995, the wildest venue with the heaviest rockers in the NT at the time.”
“For me, the thing I love most about music culture in the Territory is the multi-cultural music collaborations that I’ve experienced, making the NT a truly multi-cultural place.”
Lisa Buchanan
ADMINISTRATION
T: (08) 8981 1995
Lisa is a printer and designer and started a club called Kongo in Darwin that has been around for 13 years. She is returning to work this year at Music NT “from kid ‘la-la land’” and is just about to kick off Club Kongo again at a new venue. Her favorite NT artist is Wild Water. “They have the coolest reggae dub with a little bit of a rock sound – with the smoothest singing – that just makes you want to dance and dance keep on dancing.” Favorite NT gig? “The first solo concert of the singer from Warumpi Band at the Esplanade with Bomba, 2004 (opening night concert, Darwin Festival) . He was the Arnhem Land Jim Morrison.” “The thing I love most about music culture in the Territory is that it is supportive of all musicians and a great place to get started. Great mob of people and great outdoor gigs!”
Micah Wenitong
INDIGENOUS MUSIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
T: (08) 8981 1995
E: micah@musicnt.com.au
Micah Wenitong is Music NT’s Indigenous Music Development Officer and comes to the NT after a number of years living and working in Adelaide. Born in Far North Queensland, Micah “is a fifth generation Aboriginal man from the ‘Kabi Kabi’ peoples of South Eastern Queensland.”
Micah has a diverse background as a Community Consultant and in Youth, Training and Education. He has “been working with and in remote communities since 2001″, with much of his previous work “based around music development, diversionary youth programs and health promotion”. A performer and producer himself, Micah plays bass and guitar, having worked with bands Karnage, Shakaya and The Last Kinection. His favorite NT artist is Rising Wind Band with his favorite NT gig being “on tour with The Last Kinection in Alice Springs”.
The thing Micah likes most about NT music is “the fact you can play your guitar anywhere and someone will say something!” Micah illustrates with a great story from the day he was on his way to the interview for the IMDO job at Music NT. “On my way to the interview I had a bit of a jam out the front with three other guitarists. We instantly understood each other and shared our knowledge. Music is an amazing form of communication and expression.”
Milyika Scales
ALICE SPRINGS COORDINATOR
T: (08) 8952 0322
Milyika Scales started at Music NT in February 2010. Her role is to support music and musicians in the Alice, Central Desert and Barkly regions of the NT. She brings with her many years experience working in the arts, music industry and festivals within the Alice region, including Wide Open Space Desert Festival, Red Dust Theatre, CAAMA Music and as a Music NT Board member from 2008-2010.
Milyika says she doesn’t have a “favourite” NT band as such, as she is having too much fun “listening to the 27 bands and artists from the Central Desert and Barkly regions who have their music up on on triple j Unearthed – what a diverse and talented bunch!” One of her most memorable NT music gigs was Wide Open Space 2009 at Ross River, which included local artists Utju Band, Dr. Strangeways and Tjupi Band. They were “rocking it on the best-looking stage and a sublime sound system!”
And for Milyika, the best thing about NT music culture is that it is “diverse, original and accessible – what more could you want?!”
MUSIC NT BOARD 2010
OFFICE BEARERS
Cain Gilmour (Chairperson), Sarah Price (Vice Chair), Lesley Faehse (Treasurer), Kristy Rogerson (Secretary), Brian Manning (Public Officer)
OTHER MEMBERS
Rodney Balaam, Scott Large, Adrian McNamara, Bill Wade.
