Dunedin City Council Music Advisory Panel mixes experience, youth and passion

Following its Expressions of Interest for membership on a new Music Advisory Panel – opened in September 2024 - Dunedin City Council has selected a blend of experience, youth, passion and highly tuned knowledge for the Panel.

The Music Advisory Panel will advise and support the DCC in implementing the Ōtepoti Live Music Action Plan, which represents a commitment to the communities who experience, participate, create, and support live music in the city, now and into the future.

Councillors recently chose representatives from a strong applicant pool to fill five community vacancies on the newly established Music Advisory Panel.  They also confirmed the youth representative and two elected members, Crs Mandy Mayhem and Steve Walker.

Mana whenua are currently in the process of nominating a representative to the panel.

Cr Mandy Mayhem shared “the final selection balances both the experienced and emerging voices of Ōtepoti’s music ecosystem, ensuring that the skills and knowledge of the past and present will be carried into the future.”

Cr Walker added “Like Mandy, I’m looking forward to working closely with a group of talented people who are not only well entrenched in the local music community, but clearly passionate about helping others. The Music Advisory Panel is an important platform for the voices of the city’s diverse music communities to be heard.

“The list of applicants was exceptional, so it was unfortunate that some very capable and talented people ultimately missed out.”

Members of the Music Advisory Panel will meet at least four times per year to advise and support the DCC’s implementation of the Action Plan, monitor its progress, and share developments with their communities and other stakeholders. Advisory Panel members are not remunerated.

The Ōtepoti Music Advisory Panel comprises the following members:

Youth representative:
Charlie Brough: Charlie finishes at Taieri College this year and intends to enrol in a music degree at the University of Otago in 2025. His band Valetta placed in the top 10 at the 2024 Smokefree Tangata Beats competition and Charlie has had his songs selected for recording as part of the Play it Strange competition in 2022 and 2024.

Community representatives:

• Dave Bennett: As one of the founders of Save Dunedin Live Music, sound engineer and live music advocate Dave has been involved in the Ōtepoti Live Music Action Plan since its inception.

• Karl Brinsdon: Karl graduated from his music studies at the University of Otago in 2021 and is the lead singer of Saurian, whose latest EP, Bled Dry, came out on 7 November. Karl has recently taken on the role of president of the Dunedin Musos’ Club.

• Francisca Griffin: As bass player for 1980s band Look Blue, Go Purple, Francisca needs little introduction. She has continued to write and perform over the years, most recently as Francisca Griffin and the Bus Shelter Boys.

• Stephen Stedman: Stephen has been part of Ōtepoti’s music community for decades as a musician, sound and recording engineer and producer. In recent years, he has been instrumental in helping run the Whare Flat Folk Festival as its director.

• Abby Wolfe: Singer-songwriter Abby taught herself to play the guitar at the age of 15 and hasn’t looked back. As director of AWOL Creative, she runs mentoring programmes in songwriting, production and recording for young people.

Councillor representatives: Cr Mandy Mayhem and Cr Steve Walker

For more information, visit: dunedin.govt.nz/otepoti-live-music-action-plan

Image. Credit: Save Dunedin Live Music. Dave Bennett, one of the founders of Save Dunedin Live Music, sound engineer and live music advocate has been involved in the Ōtepoti Live Music Action Plan since its inception.