AROUND THE SOUND LEARNING EXCHANGE

The Around The Sound Learning Exchange provides valued content and a community that supports musicians to thrive.

Andrea Thompson has been writing about music on Around The Sound for around 10 years. Over that time she’s spoken to 100s of  musicians, from those just starting out on their journeys to those who’ve created a sustainable career as musicians. Ever curious  about what it takes to be successful in the music industry, Andrea takes the time to ask musicians what’s contributed to their success.

“The Around The Sound Learning Exchange and ‘Turn Your Music Into Money’ is a distillation of what I’ve learned from hundreds of interviews with musicians over more than 10 years,” said Andrea. “I’ve had sit downs with everyone from Paul Kelly to the latest unknowns from the backblocks of Perth, and there are some common things that successful musicians do that give them a greater chance of making a successful career out of music.

“The music industry can often feel like it’s quite cynical about success,” Andrea continued. “How to ‘make it’ is a closely guarded secret and there are plenty of people who want to hook into musicians with schemes to instantly increase streaming, online engagement and all sorts of other snake oil stuff. In reality, there is no quick path to becoming an overnight sensation. Like any career, making it as a musician takes years of hard work and persistence. I want to show emerging musicians how to make their hard work pay off.”

Andrea also brings with her insights from successful careers in the public and private sectors. “I’ve worked in education for much of my career, ending up running a division with 800 staff based all over Western Australia and an annual budget of $250 million. That role taught me value of planning and how to work effectively with a wide range of people in all walks of life. When I left the public service, I started a successful IT consultancy providing advice and solutions to organisations across Australia. In the end, I got bored and realised I needed to work in a profession that speaks to my heart. That same day, I switched my focus to working in the music business, applying my skill set to an industry where success is notoriously difficult to achieve.”