Catherine Satour and Fred Leone have commenced their appointments to the NATSIMO's APRA Board Observership positions.
This NATSIMO-led program aims to build members' experience and confidence in serving on a Board and to learn more about the inner-workings of the APRA Board.
Catherine and Fred "bring their vast experience as musicians, songwriters and community leaders across the government and education sectors," said APRA Board Chair Jenny Morris.
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office (NATSIMO) is pleased to announce the appointments of Catherine Satour and Fred Leone to the NATSIMO's APRA Board Observership positions.
The new leadership opportunity for two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander APRA AMCOS members is a 12-month Observership program with the APRA Board (Australasian Performing Right Association), which commenced at the Board's February meeting, with four more meetings in the calendar year. The initiative is being conducted with support and training from The Observership Program.
This NATSIMO-led program aims to build members' experience and confidence in serving on a Board and to learn how the APRA Board works on behalf of its music creator and music publisher members and how it makes decisions.
Alice Springs/Mparntwe-based Satour is a singer, songwriter, industry leader and a founding 'Desert Diva' member. Leone is a Butchulla Songman, language custodian and cross-genre artist based in Brisbane/Meanjin. APRA Board Directors Bic Runga and Linda Bosidis (Mushroom Music) will mentor Leone and Satour during the Observership.
"Being selected for the NATSIMO APRA Board Observership program is a great honour. The opportunity for anyone with a vested interest in the music industry to take part in a program of this kind is something I would highly recommend to musicians and those who work in our industry," said Leone.
"I’m very excited to gain valuable insights into the industry I love as well as the opportunity to experience first hand operations and decision-making processes of APRA AMCOS while learning from experienced and influential professionals in the industry."
Satour said, "The NATSIMO APRA Board Observership program is new territory thinking. The opportunity to sit in on Board meetings and observe and learn Australian music business is the most exciting initiative within the industry right now. I am thankful to be selected and will be grabbing this opportunity with both hands."
APRA Board Chair Jenny Morris said, "The NATSIMO has a clear vision of what’s required for sustainable long-lasting change to enable self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music creators. A key component of this vision is building pathways to leadership and governance positions within the music industry.
"The APRA Board wants to support this idea by inviting two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as observers to our board meetings for the next year.
"I along with the APRA Board, am thrilled to welcome the successful candidates Catherine Satour and Fred Leone.
"After the first board meeting last month, it was clear why Catherine and Fred had been selected. They bring their vast experience as musicians, songwriters and community leaders across the government and education sectors. Their warmth, generosity, and excitement to be part of this program was infectious and will definitely create a strong foundation for shared learning about leadership, the importance of trust and genuine relationships and the challenges and opportunities that exist. I, too, am excited and I look forward to working alongside them in 2023," said Morris.
"The NATSIMO APRA Board Observership is part of a broader strategy to address the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation in executive levels of the music industry. At the heart of this program is the intention that the Observerships will help elevate our members' voices and presence so they can inform and guide organisations in the music industry to engage meaningfully with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music creators, while providing a supported framework for a hands-on learning experience," said Leah Flanagan, NATSIMO Director.
"Both the APRA Board and The Observership Program have welcomed this initiative with enthusiasm, commitment and support, which will no doubt enrich this professional two-way learning experience."
The NATSIMO Observership program will also run in the 2024 year with two new participants.
ABOUT
Catherine Satour is a singer songwriter who leads conversations focused on equity and change. With over 15 years of advocating and implementing programs across the Northern Territory, Catherine initiated a Local Government COVID Arts Recovery Package and successfully advocated for the Aboriginal Flag installation on Anzac Hill recognising Alice Springs as Mparntwe Arrernte Country. Catherine is the Chairperson of the NT Indigenous Women in Music Reference Group and supported MusicNT’s Strategic Directions for Women in Music Plan. A founding member of the MusicNT ‘Desert Divas’ Program supporting Indigenous women in music, she continues to perform and record her original music, most recently her song ‘Radical Seed’ was voted third in the 2022 Territory Sounds Countdown.
Fred Leone is a Butchulla Songman, language custodian, and ground-breaking, award-winning artist who works across genres and mediums to bring a distinctly original voice to his performances and recordings. Fred founded Queensland’s first Indigenous owned and operated record label, Impossible Odds Records, which was distributed by Metropolitan Groove Merchants (MGM) Sydney. His guest appearance singing in Butchulla on his cousin Birdz’s track 'Bagi-la-m Bargan' helped see the song become a hit, with close to two million streams, sync placements, a spot at #30 on triple j’s hottest 100 in 2021 and a Screen Music Award for Best Original Song Composed for the Screen. He will be a guest host at the 2023 APRA Music Awards in Sydney.