For years we’ve been urged to buy Australian Made, not just to ensure a healthy balance of payments, but to support our local industries and keep Australians in jobs. Yet traditionally, Australians have not been kind to our own music industry and the songs released by Aussie artists.
Overseas, money and marketing techniques using all media formats have the ability to create stars, virtually overnight. Whereas the singing Aussie battler waiting to be discovered, has often gone hungry between one night stands in country pubs.
We should be proud of our ‘homegrown’ artists and the songs they write and perform. Just as we band together whenever there is a major catastrophe such as bushfires, floods and droughts, we always need to be conscious that our survival as a nation depends on us supporting each other.
For every Jessica Mauboy and Paul Kelly, there are many other Australian artists hoping we will buy their new releases, rather than the ‘one hit wonders’ from what are often overseas, overnight stars. Buying is the operative word, because just downloading music from illegal free websites doesn’t put money into our Aussie artist’s pockets.
There are many Aussies with talent, equal to, or better than, that of their overseas counterparts. However, it is difficult to be accepted in other countries if you can’t first be accepted in your own.
I’m Peter Mack and that’s life.