Let the mentoring begin: female songwriters and composers selected for inaugural program
Drawing from an incredibly impressive pool of applicants, we are excited to announce the mentees selected to be part of our inaugural female songwriter and composer mentoring programs. These APRA AMCOS members come from an array of musical backgrounds and impressed the selection committee not only with their accomplishments but also with their individual reasons for seeking a mentor.
Here they are, their respective genre/area of focus, and who they will be working with:
| Mentorship | Mentee | Genre | Mentor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) | Nicolette Boaz | Film Composing | Nerida Tyson Chew |
| Jay Stewart | Larissa Agosti | TV Composing | Jay Stewart |
| Pop/Contemporary | Bri Clark | Singer-songwriter | Mark Lizotte |
| Pop/Contemporary | Gretta Ziller | Americana | Tom Busby |
| Pop/Contemporary | Mookhi (Olympia Henshaw) | Electronic | KLP |
| Pop/Contemporary | Demi Louise | Pop | John Watson |
| UNFD | Grace Drummond | Heavy Music | UNDF staff |
The mentorships will take place over a three-month period, with the goal of helping and encouraging the mentees with a current project. Mentees do receive some financial support over that time.
APRA AMCOS Ambassador and mentor KLP says, "I was fortunate enough to have a father that was in the music industry, so from such a young age (and still to this day!) I had someone I could honestly discuss the daily grind and the highs and the lows with. I am pretty excited to be able to be on the other end of that dynamic through working with Olympia (Moohki) on her next career steps, and to see the progress of all the mentees over the coming months.”
“Based on the sheer volume and the high quality of applications we received, it is very apparent that there are significant numbers of female songwriters and composers who are at a point where, with some meaningful professional guidance, they can continue to build their career. It will be insightful to see how both the mentees and mentors will benefit from the program, ” commented Jana Gibson, Director, Writer Services at APRA AMCOS.
This initiative is part of a firm commitment towards achieving gender parity in our membership ranks and supporting female and female-identifying songwriters and composers at all stages of their careers. A big thank you to all the members who submitted such thoughtful applications.
