I bet some of you are wondering, when looking at the invite for Yellow & Co Market Day, firstly what is support act and then secondly why I support, Support Act.
Lets start at the very beginning…
Support act is a charity that supports musicians and related artists that have fallen on hard times, be that physical or mental.
Once a year they have a charity drive called “Aus Music T-shirt day”.
Why am I supporting them?
2 main reasons.
Reason 1 - Significant value, little compensation
Musicians provide a soundtrack for our lives, reminding us of moments and times in our life. I could not imaging for one second being without music, it is with me always. If there is no external sound, bopping and singing away to, I am bound to be singing something in my head.
Musician often have erratic earning patterns, with recording and releasing or touring. If you add the fact that a lot of earnings are tied up in what they get from streaming, it can be hard to earn a living. Plus musicians don’t have a company contributing to their super on a monthly basis, they have to create that themselves.
If you add onto that mix women artists, who if they want to have kids, give up their career for a period of time - interrupting their earning potential. They don’t get maternity leave from their employer, there is no back to work plan or transition for them. And are often under-represented at festivals and like events. Making it much harder to have a sustainable career.
So erratic earning patterns, not paid very well, at least in the beginning, and no-one contributing to their super, it is no wonder they sometimes need help. That is where support act comes in.
For those people that create a soundtrack for our lives and can capture how we are feeling in a single song, it is a pretty raw deal. You can help in two ways:
Support Support Act - contribute to my Aus T-shirt day charity here
Purchase their music, in anyway you can digitally or physically
So where do they make their money?
They often make a better margin on Merch (merchandise), like t-shirts, stubby holders etc. which brings me to my second reason for supporting Support Act.
Reason 2 - Merch
Not only is merch a really good source of income for the musician, it also allows them to express their creativity in another way. For Fans, they are joining the club, showing each other how awesome their taste is.
I love merch and the more creative the better. I will be showcasing some of my favs in the lead up to Aus Music T-Shirt day.
What is Aus Music T-shirt day?
Aus Music T-Shirt day taps directly into the merch vibe for musicians, raising funds for Support Act on the way. You can support me and my campaign here.
I am also holding a Yellow & Co Market day on the 16th November. I will contribute part of my profit to Support Act and the other stall holders will as well. I would love you to come and support me, supporting Support Act and in the process, grab some cool stuff in time for Chrissy. Link to the event is here.
About CMM
Christina Morgan-Meldrum (CMM) is an author, speaker, curator, change professional and podcaster. She particularly loves helping people and organisations unearth what’s possible to design a future that suits you perfectly (Organisations call it a Strategic Roadmap).
She has cultivated the ability to walk into any industry; see what is not seen, distil what is complicated, and simplify the chaos. This skill has been forged in a deliberate and concentrated way for over 20 years, through Personal Coaching and working in Organisational Change Management (before it was even a thing).
Christina fills her time on various side hustles, blogging, podcasting - Quirky & Chenille (Christina is Quirky), and learning the piano. If you are looking for her, she is likely at her spiritual home JB Hi-Fi or exploring stationery stores or artisan markets.