Off The Couch Call Out for Bands, Musicians and Event Coordinators is now open.

Information and Application Forms

Off The Couch Team Information

Off The Couch Band Application Form

About Off The Couch

APRA Professional Development Awards

Professional Development Awards 09

Creating opportunities for composers and songwriters

2009 APRA Professional Development Awards are now open, eight young Australian songwriters and composers will win cash and prizes to the value of $16,000 as part of the 2009 APRA Professional Development Awards.

Young and Got Talent? Enter Now

Click the links below to download more details and an aplication form.

Entries close 1 December 2008. Winners announced March 2009.

APRA PDA Media Release

APRA PDA Application Form

Off The Couch

Off the Couch (OTC) is a series of live music events, run by, and for, young people 26 years and under. It’s a program philosophically committed to engaging young people’s participation. OTC provides opportunities for training and skills development, and pathways to the music industry. It provides young people the opportunity to be part of a team that will be responsible for planning all aspects of a major event. OTC provides a multitude of performance opportunities for young musicians to perform their original music in a professional arena. The making and performing of music to one’s peers and community is essential. Music IS youth and youth IS music.

OFF THE COUCH (OTC) BACKGROUND

Off The Couch (OTC) has made a substantial impact on the South Australian Music Industry by providing performance and training opportunities for emerging South Australian musicians showcasing to audiences of more than fifty two thousand over the past 13 years. 583 bands and musicians have pounded the boards at OTC events cutting their teeth in live performance and wowing audiences across the city. These performances could not have taken place without the strong support system that finds its roots in the OTC Team, a dedicated group of volunteer music event coordinators (629 Team members over the last 13 years) who have organised, promoted, and implemented the OTC events, proving that OTC is a premier music event by, for, and with young people 26 and under.

PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES

The program was developed in response to the lack of performance opportunities for young and emerging musicians. This need is as crucial and relevant as it was when OTC began. The making and performing of music to one’s peers and community is essential to the social health and wellbeing of our young people. Off the Couch utilises the unique strength of music to effectively create an inclusive, safe, and accessible youth friendly environment. Music has the power to engage and transcend language as a means of expression. Off The Couch supports a vital and sustainable City living culture which stems from activity and participation as well as presentation. OTC engages music lovers on many levels – as event coordinators, promoters, stage managers, musicians and audiences. Many well-know SA bands have played their first public gigs at an OTC show, with OTC now hosting a yearly industry showcase during the Fuse Festival where the top level OTC bands play to national and international band management reps, record label representatives, tour managers and festival producers. This is an invaluable opportunity for young bands to gain the exposure to propel them forward in the music industry.

Every two weeks throughout February, March and April 2009, there will be a free OTC event in a public live music venue.

There is a ‘call-out’ for team and talent each year, and a continuum of opportunities, for both musicians and team members to gain performance and music industry skills.

Off The Couch programs Musicians and Bands into the OTC events from all genres of music. It is a prerequisite that the majority of musicians are aged 26 years and under and that predominantly original music is played.

Bands who are keen to apply can download the application form found on the right hand side of this page under RESOURCES. Applications are accepted all year round as Off The Couch has now grown into multiple events. When sending in an application please ensure that you include a band Bio and Demo CD. The Demo doesn’t have to be great quality we just want to hear what you sound like.

TRAINING FOR MUSICIANS AND TEAM MEMBERSThe Team members will have the opportunity to participate in music industry training. Experienced industry professionals will give weekly free training sessions in areas such as sound engineering, marketing and promotions and stage management. Musicians will have the opportunities to attend seminars that allow access to industry professionals from management through to record company and legal representatives.

TEAMS
Teams of young people will be appointed to steer and program the events. They will make up the creative, administrative, production, promotion, and logistics teams. Training for the Team and musicians will occur regularly and assist in creating career pathways, and educate young people with the skills needed for working the music industry. All the different musical genres will be showcased at the gigs, while an e-newsletter will go out monthly to hundreds of SA music fans to promote the program and the events.

OTC TEAM MEMBERS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO:

Program the OTC Events: Assess the applications from the bands and musicians and program the OTC gig line ups accordingly as well as receive training in constructive criticism and listening objectively to the music applications.

Produce the OTC Events: Event manage and coordinate all production aspects while receiving training in the fundamentals of sound engineering, stage management.

Promote the OTC Events: implement the publicity and promotion of each event, photographers, designers, publicists, and writers will have the opportunity to shine as part of OTC.OTC conducts a variety of training

workshops and seminars which team members get to attend free of charge including: Review Writing, Stage Management, Sound Engineering, Marketing, Gig promoting, Band Photography, Press Kit info session, Tips on How to get gigs in venues, Stage Performance for bands, have the opportunity to attend the FUSE Festival Conference and sit in on info sessions from AusmusicSA and APRA