See the official SOUND WEST media release here
Today, Australia’s first major Music + Technology Festival was announced by The Hon. Stuart Ayres, Minister for Tourism and Western Sydney with The Hon. Dr Geoffrey Lee, Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education and one of Australia’s most important and ARIA nominated hip hop artists L-FRESH The LION. SOUND WEST will bring together the powerhouses of the Australian music and concert touring industries alongside tech innovation and will take place in the City of Parramatta from March 30 – April 3, 2022.
The five-day landmark festival will feature intimate and large performances from established and emerging artists and a two-day music and technology conference at CommBank Stadium, including sessions, workshops and mentoring from some of Australia’s biggest tech brands and music industry leaders.
NEC Ambassador Dylan Alcott OAM, along with Greater Western Sydney talent comprising hip hop star L-FRESH The LION, multi-platinum Grammy nominated producer and composer Khaled Rohaim and digital NFT artist Serwah Attafuah, are amongst the first to be announced in an impressive line-up of presenters and performers for the event.
The Hon. Stuart Ayres, said the landmark event will be a pivotal moment of recognition of the immense talent in the region and technology driven roots being laid down in the “engine room of Sydney.”
“This region is going from strength to strength through industry development, investment in research and innovation, and a rich cultural foundation that makes for a dynamic city to live, work, visit and host events,” Mr Ayres said.
“SOUND WEST is the first of its kind in Australia and will bring together brilliant minds, industry leaders and music enthusiasts to share ideas, network and enjoy the creativity of home-grown artists.”
Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said:
“I’m pleased that with $375,000 in support through the Morrison Government’s Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund, Sound West will shine a light on the talented and culturally diverse musicians of Western Sydney. The RISE Fund is helping to reignite the arts and cultural sector through grants such as these, which continue to unlock job opportunities, stimulate venues and showcase this nation’s talent.”
SOUND WEST Technology & Music Conference
The SOUND WEST conference will provide young music enthusiasts, creators, professionals and entrepreneurs within the technology and music industry the opportunity to explore and experience the unique pathways that exist in their fields in 2022. The conference will incorporate keynote addresses, workshops, panels, one on one mentoring sessions, live podcasting and unique interactive activations.
SOUND WEST Live Music + Events
Additionally, SOUND WEST will come to life through a number of live music experiences running from the 31st March – 3rd April 2022, featuring local, national, and internationally established and emerging artists. The festival will be a mix of stand-alone events, integrating existing live event promoters, live performance venues, festival / tour promoters, music companies, brands and industry bodies who will produce their own events.
Appearing on behalf of SOUND WEST foundation technology partner NEC Australia, Dylan Alcott OAM will discuss his ground-breaking endeavour Ability-Fest, the world’s most accessible music festival, L-FRESH The LION will collaborate with APRA AMCOS on a variety of Western Sydney songwriter initiatives , producer Khaled Rohaim will talk about his journey producing music from his Western Sydney studio for some of the world’s biggest artists including Rihanna, Ty Dollar $ign and Australia’s own The Kid Laroi. Serwah Attafuah, with her recent notable achievements of her participation in Sotheby’s ‘Natively Digital’: A Curated NFT auction, will be educating audiences about her work in NFTs and its significance in the music industry.
SOUND WEST will feature brands such as NEC Australia, The Edge (ARN), TikTok, Shopify, Warner Music, Universal Music Australia, Live Nation, Rolling Stone, SAE Creative Media Institute, The Area Movement, Apple Music, ARIA, APRA AMCOS, ACCLAIM and Complex, The Music, Purple Sneakers, The Brag, Information and Cultural Exchange, who will host sessions, workshops and activations.
Milly Petriella, Director of Member Relations & Partnerships, APRA AMCOS said: “We’re excited to help shine a light on the immensely talented, culturally diverse music creators of Greater Western Sydney. Together with L-FRESH The LION, we look forward to discovering and developing talented songwriters, producers and artists through collaborative opportunities at SOUND WEST. We’re aiming to lay the foundations for Greater Western Sydney artists to be propelled onto the global stage.“
Warner Music CEO Dan Rosen said: “Warner Music is proud to be an industry partner of the inaugural Sound West Festival. Greater Western Sydney is home to a community rich in cultural influences with many stories to tell and has become an incubator for future recording artists, producers and industry professionals who are now ready to showcase their talent to the world. We look forward to contributing to the vision and long term ambitions of Sound West to be a landmark event for Australia.”
SOUND WEST is supported by an alliance of organisations from both government and enterprise including: The NSW Government via Destination NSW, City of Parramatta, Western Sydney Business Connection, Western Sydney Business Chamber and Foundation Partners NEC Australia, The Edge (ARN) and SAE Creative Media Institute.
Lord Mayor Cr Steven Issa, City of Parramatta said: “The City of Parramatta is proud to be a major partner and the host city of the inaugural SOUND WEST Music + Technology Festival. As a Smart City at the forefront of innovation and with an eclectic mix of cultures, a vibrant food and arts scene, and world-class hotels and venues in the centre of global Sydney, Parramatta is the perfect home for this cutting-edge event. We have a long history of creating and hosting much-loved events, from the Parramatta Lanes Festival to Parramasala, so we are looking forward to welcoming visitors, musicians and professionals to another extravaganza.”
Amanda Brisot, General Manager, Western Sydney Business Connection, foundation advocate of SOUND WEST said: “We have been working with the Western Sydney tourism sector to grow the visitor economy since 2016. Western Sydney’s pivotal developments like the Sydney Science Park, the Aerotropolis, Sydney Powerhouse and the CSIRO will reshape the workforce opportunities for Sydney’s West whilst the eclectic mix of cultures and perspectives is proving fertile ground for new creative talent in region SOUND WEST is an important piece of the puzzle and will showcase the unique character and unbelievable talent of this culturally diverse region. The festival will provide our local artists with opportunities on the global stage while giving Western Sydney residents a world class event in their backyard.”.
Mitsuhiro Murooka, CEO & President, NEC ANZ said: “NEC Australia is immensely proud to be the foundation technology partner of SOUND WEST. For over 50 years, NEC has been at the cutting edge of innovation and technology transformation in Australia, for the betterment of society. As a Value Creation company, we believe in the power and convergence of technology, music and creativity to unlock future opportunities and untapped potential in Western Sydney. We are so looking forward to helping deliver the Sound West experience.”
Emily Copeland, General Manager, The Edge said: “The Edge is proud to be the foundation media partner of SOUND WEST. We have been championing the sounds of Greater Western Sydney and connecting local artists with passionate music fans for many years via 96.1FM. We look forward to sharing the stories and music of SOUND WEST, while helping to build this exciting new Australian festival.”
Matthew Evans, Executive General Manager, SAE Creative Media Institute said: “SAE Creative Media Institute is delighted to be partnering with industry and government on the inaugural SOUND WEST, and hosting our Future Directions in Technologies panel discussion during the festival. SAE are leaders in creative media education, supporting more than 10,000 students globally every year to develop the skills and experience needed to carve successful careers. Following a tough couple of years for the creative industries, we look forward to supporting SOUND WEST for what will be a celebration of the creative community.”
Sam Jackson, Director Premium Media and SOUND WEST Executive Producer said: “Premium Media has embarked on an extensive process of stakeholder, industry and community engagement to curate a festival that will deliver real value to audiences and professionals. We are proud to be involved in a project that has ambitions to develop the next generation of artists, professionals and entrepreneurs through exposure to the music and technology industry.”
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST ARE NOW OPEN for producers and promoters to hold live music events during the first-ever SOUND WEST Technology and Music Festival, taking place in Parramatta from Wednesday 30 March to Sunday 3 April 2022.
