Mark Smith
Executive Director
Mark started out as a drummer in Darwin bands Drum Drum and Culture Connect. He later became manager of both groups, taking Drum Drum on a tour to over 13 countries, whilst Culture Connect received national attention through triple j and Channel V. Mark later took on management of Darwin duo Sietta – the group achieving significant national impact with their first album, securing partnerships with Elefant Traks, Universal Publishing and New World Artists/Artist Voice.
Mark has been the Executive Director of MusicNT for the past ten years and, in that time, has grown the organisation’s internal capacity by initiating and supporting programs to deliver clear and sustainable outcomes for the NT music industry. Mark has high-level project management and governance experience, and holds a Bachelor of Business.
Liz Archer
Central Australian Manager
Whilst pursuing a career in youth and community services, music has remained central to Liz’s life. She studied classical piano at Elder Conservatorium in the late 70s and has performed piano and keys solo, as accompanist and in bands at private and community events along with singing in community choirs. For a decade Liz produced and broadcast a diverse range of programs with 102.1 8CCC Community Radio and more recently has co-ordinated local productions including Desert Song Festival, Desert Voice and Big Sing in the Desert, along with coordinating a very remote Festival in Walungurru (Kintore) in 2013. She returned to 8CCC in 2020 as a volunteer broadcaster showcasing original music by NT women.
Liz brings a wealth of experience working with remote communities, event and staff management skills, community development and report writing expertise into her role, along with a commitment to working collaboratively, listening to stakeholders and supporting the continued growth of independent, original music in and from central Australia.
Jeremy Taylor
Operations Manager
Jeremy has extensive experience working across the creative industries with over 11 years’ experience working on complex placed-based activations, festivals, exhibitions, performances, and arts and cultural infrastructure projects at both small and large scales. As a former professional musician and with over 20 years’ experience performing, producing and facilitating music projects Jeremy shares a deep commitment to the development of the music industry and specifically the principles and objectives of MusicNT. Jeremy is also co-founder of Mycelium Studios, a multi-disciplinary creative hub, consultancy and exhibition/performance space in Melbourne’s north, where he oversees the operations of Mycelium Recording Studio.
Phillip Eaton
Artist Development Officer
Phillip has a Diploma in Contemporary Music from Charles Darwin University (CDU) and has been an active member in the NT music industry for more than 15 years. He is a skilled musician, previously bass player and percussionist for WildWater, Drum Drum, Cinco Locos, and has been involved in countless multi-cultural music and performance collaborations. He has extensive experience in music touring, having brought a number music acts to and from the Territory.
Phillip delivered the VET Certificate II in Music at Don Dale Juvenile Detention Centre for the Northern Territory Music School and CDU, and is passionate about mentoring young people in the areas of new media skills, audio engineering, production and live performance. In addition to his work at MusicNT, Phillip is the NT Writer Services Representative for the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA).
Emma Gerard
Safety, Access and Equity Officer
Emma has been playing and performing music across Australia over the last 2 decades. Her experience spans the running of community music groups, choirs, events, festivals, performing in bands and teaching music to young people and adults.
Concurrently Emma’s professional life started in Design thinking and Education Redesign projects. This has taken her around the world and through many academic institutions where she has advocated for positive behaviour change projects through quality education.
These two worlds combine in Emma’s work at Music NT where she aims to promote positive behaviour change in the Music industry through our training and advocacy projects. With a Bachelor in Social Design Thinking and an Honours thesis on Empathy in Society, Emma’s work speaks to the possibility of change to create a safer and healthy Musical world for us all to enjoy.
Jeremy Conlon
Regional Areas Music Program Manager
Jeremy Conlon, freelance sound recordist – sound engineer, musician, and composer, has had over 30 years experience in many facets of the music industry. They were a member of Adelaide band The Violets, and has continued their electronic persona Cooperblack for the last 20 years. Jeremy has a degree in Classical Composition and enjoys writing, arranging and composing for contemporary songs. Jeremy was employed by Skinnyfish Music as an engineer and producer, and also worked at CDU as a town based remote lecturer in Music - Technical Production
In Mparntwe (Alice Springs) they currently perform with Stellar Sea (bass guitar and voice), Cloud Sequence (Synth and production), and MATES (electric guitar and voice)
Jeremy’s music credits include ARIA award-winning albums “Gurrumul” and “Rrakala” by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu (Skinnyfish Music), “Muyngarnbi – Walking With Spirits” featuring Tom E Lewis and Ross Hannaford (Daddy Cool), Nabarlek – ‘Manmoyi Radio” (Skinnyfish Music), ‘Tjamuku Ngurra’ – Tjintu Desert Band, KND album ‘MUZIK IZ 4EVA” (CAAMA Music)
They run their own studio music production - sound business 'Left Of Elephant Sound' based in Mparntwe (Alice Springs).
Genise Williams
Indigenous Women's Music Program Coordinator
Genise Williams’ comes from Ntaria (Hermannsburg), 125km west of Alice Springs.
She is a musician and was raised in a very musical family. Genise has been singing with her family since the age of 5, and is also part of the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir, having toured with the choir since the age of 2014.
Genise originally worked with MusicNT in 2015 in a mentoring capacity with Sista Sounds and Saltwater Divas, and has also previously assisted with MusicNT’s Bush Bands Bash.
Genise is looking forward to working with the aboriginal women’s music community and keeping programs like Sista Sounds and Desert Divas strong.
Romana Paulson
Indigenous Music Development Officer
Romana is a Bundjalung and Mununjali woman from New South Wales but has lived on Larrakia Country and with the Darwin community for the majority of her life.
For the past seventeen years Romana has focused on Event Planning/Management, Stage Managing, the hospitality industry and volunteering within the Top End LGBTQI+ communities.
Roamana credits Event Management for opening doors for her to build a sense of community, a sense of belonging, and has helped her to create magic for those involved.
Romana is an achievement driven and goal orientated person, who says her personal success is measured by self-awareness and experience.
Romana is ready and excited to step up and take on the challenge as Music NT's Indigenous Music Development Officer, and is excited to increase her leadership capacity in this industry as a First Nations person.
'The Music Industry strongly aligns with my passion for making the world shine brighter through engagement with others.'
Fiona Carter
Finance Officer
Fiona obtained a Bachelor of Music degree (trumpet) from the Canberra School of Music, in addition to a Masters in Management and Cultural Policy from the University of Warwick (UK). She was Marketing Manager of Norfolk & Norwich Festival before moving to Darwin in 2000.
Fiona has managed several arts organisations since arriving in the NT, and is currently Company Manager of Corrugated Iron Youth Arts and Finance Officer at MusicNT. She is passionate about Asia and completed an Asialink Management Residency in Indonesia in 2003. She now produces independent arts projects, linking Asian and NT artists.
Jack Gumbula
Remote Music Officer
Jack is from Gove. His father, Jo Gumbula, played in the blues band Crystal Clear, and Jack grew up surrounded by music.
Jack loves listening to funk, jazz and the blues. Playing many instruments and rapping and songwriting, he believes music sends messages through the people.
Jack ran the Ramingining music room for two years, and his focus was on getting the young ones to learn about the two systems (law/lore) through music.