Are you a local musician, music student, promoter, venue operator or someone who works in the music industry? Come and join acclaimed jazz and improvisation quartet Delay 45 and Central Coast Conservatorium of Music teachers Gerard Masters and Guy Strazz for a Tour Ready workshop and concert at Robert Knox Hall on Thursday 29 May.
One of Sydney’s premiere creative music ensembles, Delay 45 will be joined by the CCCon Tutor Band – featuring  esteemed and nationally recognised composer/ performers piano and voice tutor Gerard Masters and Head of Guitar Guy Strazz – for a dynamic panel discussion, workshop and live performance, from 5pm onwards.
This free event is part of the Sydney Improvised Music Association (SIMA) Tour Ready mentorship program which aims to develop and maintain sustainable touring networks for jazz musicians, presenters, promoters, festivals and venue operators. This is a rare opportunity to ask the questions you need answered and get the insights that will lift your own capacity to craft a successful future as a touring musician in Australia.
About Delay 45
Delay 45 is an acclaimed jazz & improvisation quartet led by trumpet/composer Tom Avgenicos, alongside close collaborators Roshan Kumarage (piano), Dave Quinn (bass) and Ashley Stoneham (drums). The band has performed at some of Australia’s most prestigious concert venues and festivals including Sydney Opera House, Phoenix Central Park, The Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Melbourne Recital Centre and MONA.
With a musical relationship that stretches back as far as their high school years, the quartet has made a nationwide reputation as an explorative, dynamic ensemble, able to connect composition, improvisation and immerse performance practices. Their three recordings show a band with remarkable agility, musicality and finesse, demonstrating how they are one of the most exciting ensembles to emerge in recent years from Australia’s jazz and improvised music scene.
About Tour Ready
Tour Ready is a SIMA and Sound NSW-funded program which aims to develop and maintain sustainable touring networks for contemporary music, fostering mutually beneficial outcomes for artists, venues, and festivals across NSW, with particular focus on regional and remote communities. Through consultation and data collection, Tour Ready seeks to create a comprehensive report and database to support the sector.
The moderated roundtable discussion will focus on:
- The challenges currently facing the jazz sector
- Strengthening national jazz networks
- Increasing performance opportunities for Australian touring artists
- Enhancing national touring circuits to promote more extensive Australian tours
- Developing integrated touring networks to improve affordability and sustainability
- Strategies to engage a broader, younger, and more diverse audiences
Registration
- When: Thursday 29 May
- Workshop, 5pm-7pm
- Concert, 8pm – 10pm
- Where: Robert Knox Hall, Central Coast Conservatorium, 45 Mann Street, Gosford
- Tickets: The event is free, but registration is essential. Â https://events.humanitix.com/sima-tour-ready-workshop-and-concert-feat-delay-45-and-cccon-tutor-band-with-gerard-masters-and-guy-strazzulo
