JAMs is Sydney's Music family
Aiming to build a thriving music scene & community in
"the greatest city in the world"*
*Quote from Samuel Killick everyday of his life.
@skillick #gcitw
Let's paint a scene...
You have a gig coming up or just released some new music and you want to get it out there.
You think 'hmm maybe I'll post this up onto Sydney Musicians Network on Facebook. 18,000 people, surely someone will be interested...'
Nobody even reacts to your post.
Part of you feels a little disappointed and also lost...and then you think 'ah well, fuck 'em, this group is stupid anyway'
All too familiar? But let me ask you this...when was the last time you took the time to react, comment or actually genuinely listen to something posted on a group like that? We've all been guilty of just scrolling on by.
THE DREAM
The core belief of JAMs is that our music scene reflects the support, care and love we put into it. How can we expect people to engage and give us the time of day if we're not willing to do the same? Let's build a family together that will slowly but surely create a wholesome and holistic music (and other arts) scene that proudly and properly represents the abilities and talents of our local artists, producers, sound engineers, etc.
The best music & art is created through collaboration
and through support from our own communities.
The Sydney / Australian arts scene is bursting with wonderfully talented people - but sometimes we get too caught up in our own journeys and stuck in our insular circles. Connecting with new people, exposure to new ideas, concepts and perspectives helps to ignite our imaginations and creativity in ways that we could never expect.
Support from fellow arts people can also go a long way. Even something as simple as knowing that somebody nearby is experiencing the same journey as you; the same anxieties and struggles that come with creating, performing and sharing music to the rest of the world. Art, as we all know, is so vulnerable and we need to band together to lift each other up and listen in a world that seems to always be running out of time.
How will JAMs help?
JAMs aims to become a hub for musicians to connect with each other in the following ways:
1. INTERVIEWS
We will be interviewing a new artist each week, telling their stories and getting an in-depth look into the artists' processes and lives.
Hopefully their stories will resonate, give insight, and make you feel that you're not alone. These will become podcasts and articles for your enjoyment and hopefully learning.
2. THE PODCAST
We'll be releasing a monthly summary podcast starting in January 2021. Each month will have its own particular theme and we will bring in industry experts and artists for insights + intertwine snippets from our past interviews. This will hopefully be a snappy, fun, educational and thought-provoking listen.
3. EVENTS
From social gatherings to songwriting workshops to discussion panels to gigs. We will create spaces that will help build and strengthen the music community.
4. GIG GUIDE
From free house gigs to shows on the big stage, our comprehensive calendar will make sure everyone knows what's going on in Sydney! We want our calendar to be the place to go if you have a free night and want to find some bangin' music or a show.
5. CREATING CONNECTIONS
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As people join the #jamsfam with different skills, talents and job descriptions, JAMs will become a centralised network. JAMs can then help connect you to the perfect visual artist, producer, bassist, animator or whatever else you're looking for.
6. ARTICLES
From tips & tricks to current trends to mental health, JAMs aims to give you interesting reads that will help you upskill, learn about the industry, keep up to date with trends but also discuss the real stuff. Discussion of mental health, gender imbalances, other inequalities, financial situations and more - we want to explore the less glamourous side of the music industry.
7. SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
JAMs' Jams is a carefully curated playlist of Sydney artists. Maybe you will discover your new favourite artist, new favourite song or find someone to collaborate with!
We'll be putting out other, themed playlists as well. Exploring new artists, looking back at old bangers and more!
8. OPEN DIALOGUE
JAMs will always be an open space to discuss how we as a community can further improve. We are always looking for thoughts and suggestions, and will use the resources we have to make these a reality :)
The SAM behind JAMs
Sam Latto
Sam's gravity has always been the arts and anything creative. Card making, music making, a terribly written screenplay about spies that are also sisters with the ground breaking title 'Spy Sisters', dancing, putting on the 80s space gig 'Space Girl Spencer and the Bumbag Adventure', buying a badge maker - are just some of the highlights.
Sam is a classically trained pianist and cellist turned pop musician thanks to a xmas present in the shape of an acoustic guitar and a large amount of teen angst to fuel her along the singer-songwriter road. However, playing and creating in a group has always been her one true love. This joy began with string groups, school choir, then at 9 years old as a keyboardist in her first band playing covers of Stevie Wonder, youth orchestra, being part of the duo Sam & Shenoa and playing for the artist SPENCER.
After a year of studying classical composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Sam realised that this wasn't the place for her. Which led to her consolidating her other passion...EVENTS. Sam strongly believes in the power of events and how they can really change the world.
This passion for music, people and events led to her involvement in the new music and mental health charity, Listen Up Music. Sam works as a volunteer on their events team and is extremely passionate about community building and breaking the stigma surrounding mental health.
Through this experience in both the classical and contemporary music scenes, along with 16 years of gigging under her belt - Sam felt there was something missing...and this was how JAMs was born. The Sydney music scene has so much potential and genius that is not nurtured or appreciated properly. Sam believes that community, collaboration and active engagement is the key to transforming and growing the music and arts scenes in Sydney to become something very special.
In memory of Mee hoong Gan
JAMs embodies the music love and spirit passed down by my aunty, Mee Hoong Gan. She adored music.
We would get together once a week and show each other new music we had discovered. She encouraged me to keep an open mind and appreciate all genres.
She could be found jamming with her neighbours into the night, well into her 50s. She had a collection of 60,000 songs which blew my mind (this was pre-spotify days).
For her, music was love, joy, emotion and community and new, interesting music was searched for and celebrated.
So I dedicate JAMs to her and her love of music.