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A first for the region, Warrnambool City and Moyne Shire Councils have teamed up to offer a three-day, live-in creative escape for young musicians.
Registrations are now open for the free “Band Camp” retreat, to be held at Kangaroobie Camp in Princetown from December 12-14.
Patrick Pierce of the Pierce Brothers will join a line-up of industry figures who will guide participants through a series of workshops covering everything from songwriting to production and personal branding.
He said that while touring the world and racking up millions of streams, he liked to stay involved in the different aspects of being a professional musician, and he was looking forward to sharing this wide range of knowledge with emerging artists.
“We’ve always been hands-on about how we run the business, so I felt I had a lot to offer,” he said.
“I feel like there’s a lot of things that I know now that I wish I knew when I started.
“(If you’re just starting out) you need to wear all the hats yourself.
“You really need to be your own champion, and there’s so much work that goes into it. It’s not just show up and do a gig.
“The best way I had it explained to me was that you need to get yourself to a Gold Record before a label can get you to a Platinum.”
Other mentors include musician Ainslie Wills, producers/engineers Jono Steer, Julia Wallace and Bridie O’Malley as well as image consultant/stylist Caitlin Stewart.
Patrick said that Band Camp would be a great way for emerging musicians to learn from some experienced mentors, but also from their peers who are on the same journey.
“With Band Camp, you’ll be able to communicate with a bunch of different people to see what works, what doesn’t, what people are having luck with and what they’re not having luck with and in the end, that’s really going to lead to people figuring out… where their strengths and weaknesses lie,” he said.
“I love the fact that there’s investment in creative minds in regional towns because they can tell stories and have experiences that metro artists don’t. Everywhere is different and it’s important that those stories get told.”
He encouraged all Warrnambool and Moyne musicians aged 16-25 who wanted to take the next step in pursuing a career as a musician to apply.
“Everyone starts somewhere,” he said.
“If (young musicians) are worrying about not being at a certain level, that’s fine because the whole point is for us to assist them in getting to the next level, whatever the next level is for them.”
The project is funded through the Victorian State Government’s Amplify Program.
Visit www.warrnambool.vic.gov.au/band-camp-2025-write-produce-connect for full details and to apply by November 30.