“Cosmic timing is a huge thing in music careers,” says Ella Hooper, Melbourne Music Bank’s 2016 ambassador. In the promo video for the competition, she states that in the recipe for a successful musician, there’s a pinch of luck, a sentiment she maintains.
“Luck and chance play a big role. My manager says talent is opportunity meeting preparation, so you have to be ready for luck to work for you.
“Yes it’s luck, but you can’t rely on that. Ideally you make your own luck by being ready for opportunities,” she says.
Hooper has first hand experience with not only the uncertainty of the early stages of a career, but the cosmic timing she talks of. She got her start in music in a similar fashion, winning triple j’s Unearthed at 13-years-old, back when the website didn’t exist, and the prize was high rotation radio airplay.
“The early days of a career are difficult because you’re learning your craft, and you’re learning it in public,” she says.
“There are nerves and insecurities. You wonder if it’s a crazy dream to be that one in a million who will succeed as a singer/songwriter, or a rock star, or whatever you want to call it. You don’t have to win Melbourne Music Bank to benefit. Artists come a long way and make fantastic contacts just by being in the running.”
Now in its fourth year, Melbourne Music Bank boasts a life-changing $60,000 prize for the winner, including media training, an EP, two music videos, and a spot on the Beyond The Valley lineup.
“It’s perfect for the person who knows what they want to do. There’s a lot of emerging artists that have a really detailed plan, and have educated themselves. They’re just lacking the funds to put it into action, or lacking the contacts,” Hooper says.
The last two winners of Melbourne Music Bank were the astoundingly talented, Jade Alice and Heloise, notably both women. In a time where women are grossly underrepresented on radio, and triple j’s Hottest 100 increasingly features less women, Hooper agrees this may be indicative of a shift in attitudes, at least within Melbourne.
“There’s a real moment happening now, where there’s going to be a time and focus on just how strong female musicians and women can be, how strong female songwriting can be, and how relevant our stories are as singers. There definitely has been an imbalance over the last, god knows how many, 10, 20, 30, 40 years, forever, and now it’s time to get those numbers up,” she says.
With a plethora of talent shows gracing our screens every year promising international fame and success, Melbourne Music Bank distinguishes itself by not only remaining locally focused, but by honing in on the song writing of contestants.
“I’ve been involved in a lot of songwriting competitions and a lot of talent development programs, rather than just popping up on TV shows and saying ‘she can sing the best,’ or ‘he’s the cutest,’ that’s just not my cup of tea. When you’re talking about longevity and Melbourne’s music community, it’s more of a writing focus that I’m interested in nurturing,” Hooper says.
BY CLAIRE VARLEY
