Why Make Music

Ben Abraham is a singer-songwriter originally from Naarm/Melbourne, now based in Los Angeles. He spent his early years as an independent artist in his hometown, eventually crowd-funding his first album Sirens. This caught the attention of US indie label Secretly Canadian and major publisher Sony/ATV, who started putting him in writing rooms for other artists. This led to cuts on records by De...

Dropping in with a short update on the future of this podcast - episodes will return soon!  And if you think you might be able to help keep Why Make Music going in 2025, get in touch. You can DM me on Instagram @timshiel  or email me here: timothyryanshiel@gmail.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ed Service is a producer and DJ originally from Aoeteroa/New Zealand. He is also one half of the musical duo SHOUSE. Since moving to Melbourne about 15 years ago, he’s juggled his creative practice with day jobs that reflect his personal interest in arts infrastructure and community engagement. In 2021, Ed’s career trajectory took an unexpected turn when SHOUSE's song "Love Tonight" became a sleep...

If you are in Naarm next week and want to come see me interview Ella Thompson for the podcast, get your tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/why-make-music-x-breakfast-club-2-with-ella-thompson - - - Montaigne has explored a truly eclectic creative career over the last decade, working across pop music, theatre, video games & more. They've represented Australia at Eurovision, picked up a...

Tim Hollo is a musician, writer, environmental advocate and campaigner.  He's been playing viola in FourPlay String Quartet for almost three decades, releasing music and touring the world. He is also the founder of Green Music Australia, an organisation that strives to reduce the environmental impact of the music sector while empowering artists to use their platforms to drive social and cultural c...

Are you in Naarm? Would you like to come to our next live event in November? Register your interest here and you'll be the first to know more details: https://forms.gle/LWBP2CiyBXs4C6V18 - - - - - Tiana Khasi is a jazz-educated, community-focused singer/songwriter & musician based in Naarm/Melbourne. Drawing on both Samoan and Indian heritage, Tiana puts concepts of home & ancestry at the...

Dr Sam Whiting is an academic and musician from Meanjin/Brisbane.  His research focuses on issues of capital, labour and value as they relate to the creative industries and the cultural economy more broadly.  He is an expert on Australia’s live music landscape, with a rare holistic perspective backed up by deep and exhaustive research.  With festival cancellations and Live Nation in the headlines,...

One last chance to join us for our first live event next Friday morning in Naarm, with literally only a handful of spots remaining at the time of posting this.  Head here for more info, and to register your spot: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/spirit-level-presents-why-make-music-x-breakfast-club-tickets-1042447958907 - - - - Noelani is a singer-songwriter, also known as MONRXE. Raised in Meanjin...

If you live in Naarm and are free on the morning of Friday October 25, please join me for the first ever live recording of Why Make Music!  I'll be talking to local duo SHOUSE about their commitment to communitas and collective joy, and their surreal transition into EDM superstars. This event is in collaboration with Breakfast Club, and Francesca Gonzales will be helping to facilitate some discuss...

Why Make Music will be recording live for the first time soon (!) in Naarm/Melbourne on Friday October 25, in collaboration with Breakfast Club.  If you'd like to join us, please register your interest here: https://forms.gle/8CEaG2HZpxfSuF4v8 - - - - - Ben Lee’s life as a professional musician started earlier than most. He was just a teenager when, in the early 90s, his lo-fi punk band Noise Addi...

No guest this week as Tim takes a chance to reflect on his recent conversations with Elijah, Dr Anita Collins & Maggie Tra. Missed an episode, or haven't found time to finish listening?  This is your chance to scroll back and catch up.  And if you believe in the value of these conversations, consider sharing this podcast with a friend who you think will get something out of it. You can also wa...

Maggie Tra is an Australian-born DJ and producer with Vietnamese and Cambodian heritage. She has lived all around the world including London, Brussels and Hanoi, and is currently based again on Eora land in Sydney. Her music is kinetic, generous, and playful - just like she is - and in both her productions and her DJ sets she continually embraces not just her own heritage, but also the culture of...

Dr Anita Collins is an award-winning educator, researcher and author, widely recognised for her work in brain development and music education. She is a tireless advocate working in our schools, in our boardrooms and in government consultation, to champion music at a fundamentally human level. We talked about how music helped her process learning difficulties early in life, but that as a young adul...

Elijah is an artist, DJ & all-round creative force based in London. With a deep-rooted connection to grime & electronic music, in recent years Elijah has become known to many for his “Yellow Squares” project on social media, where he shares insights into the nature of creative work in the digital age. Ahead of his first ever speaking tour of Australia, we talked about how his experiences g...

But really, why?   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.