Hey, I’m Jess, I’m 23 years old and currently working my way through this wonderful little life. I grew up moving around a lot, and it was just my mum, my brother and I. One thing that was always consistent was my love for music. I would sing all around the house as a child, and even though I had no musical background in my family, my biggest supporter, aka Mum, found out from my choir teacher that I had good tone and pitch, so she went along with it! I was put into music lessons and continued all the way through to my HSC. I was surrounded by the most supportive environment, where I was encouraged to pursue music, which eventually led me to university. I moved away from my hometown to attend a regional university, where I studied a Bachelor of Music and Performing Arts. I found friends, made connections and started to understand what it meant to be part of the industry. Coming into the last year of my degree, I began to panic about what the future would hold for me and my love for music and being in the industry. I came across The Push’s mentoring program through a MusicNSW social media post and decided to apply that very day. I was fortunate enough to be part of Round 2 in 2024, during the last six months of my degree. I was selected as a mentee at Moshtix, and I haven’t left since! Working with the most incredible and supportive team, continuing to build connections and networks every day in the music industry, and consistently attending live music is honestly a dream.

Today, I work as a Client Manager in the Venues team at Moshtix, looking after NSW clients, with Sydney as my base for work. My day-to-day involves working with clients such as venues and bookers, supporting them through the Moshtix platform and making sure their events run as smoothly as possible, from the moment they’re announced right through to customers walking through the doors.

No two days are ever really the same, which is something I love about the role. I get to work across a range of events, collaborate with different teams and be part of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making live music happen. It’s really rewarding to work in an industry I’m so passionate about and see the events I’ve helped support come to life.

Do everything you can that relates to music (maybe even if it doesn’t), take every opportunity and write it down!

My application for The Push’s mentoring program consisted of exactly that. I wrote down every opportunity I had taken, from musical productions during high school and local eisteddfods to singing in church, local open mics and workshops at university.

Although The Push’s mentoring program might be considered my official ‘start’ in the industry, I was taking every opportunity long before that, and it all came from my love and passion for music.

Ever since I was a child, music has been a gift to me. It’s something that inspires me every day, makes me happy and encourages me to keep going. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else, and honestly, I’ve never even considered it!

No, I don’t believe it’s necessary. However, for me, coming from a rural town where there were limited opportunities and little education about the industry, I felt I had to take that next step into higher education to really grow, build networks and better understand the industry and the importance of those connections.

The biggest challenge I’ve faced has been growing up in a rural/ regional area and the lack of education around what a career in the music industry could look like. I remember being 16 and speaking to my careers advisor before work experience week, and there was very little guidance or understanding of the opportunities available in music.

 Although this was my own experience, I think it highlights how difficult it can be as a young person in a small town to pursue a career when you don’t know what’s possible or where to start. I’m proud of my younger self for continuing to push forward, and it’s made me passionate about creating more visibility around music industry careers so other young people, particularly those in rural/ regional areas, can see what’s possible.

One piece of advice that has really stuck with me is, “It’s just as important to figure out what you don’t want to do as it is to figure out what you do want to do.” This was something we spoke about a lot during The Push’s mentoring program and our fortnightly mentee catch-ups. It’s honestly something I still say to myself and other mentees all the time. I think there’s so much pressure when you’re starting out to have everything figured out, but every opportunity teaches you something, even if it’s just helping you realise what you don’t want to do.

Another piece of advice I always come back to is “fake it till you make it”. Not in the sense of pretending to know everything, but in taking opportunities even when you feel unsure or scared that you might not know enough. Sometimes you just have to back yourself, put yourself out there and trust that you’ll learn along the way.

• Being part of The Push’s mentoring program.
• Travelling to Canberra for the launch of The Push’s – National Plan for Young Australians and Music
• Getting a full-time job in the music industry.
• Attending and working across multiple festivals, including Listen Out, MOS, Strummingbird and Spilt Milk.

Although Newcastle definitely has its struggles, including closures of venues due to rising costs and financial pressures, a smaller audience pool and the challenges of developing emerging artists, there is still so much passion and talent behind the scene.

I love how community-driven Newcastle’s music scene is. It’s not the biggest market, and there are definitely challenges, but I love that local venues and artists play such a big part in shaping the scene and that there’s still so much potential for it to grow. It’s where I first started discovering the industry, networking through my peers at university and discovering local artists.

 I’m also loving the festivals and events coming through to Newcastle Foreshore. They really bring everyone together, and honestly, there’s no better place to enjoy live music than by the beach!

Sam Fender 2025 Brisbane Riverstage

•  Jess Humphries
•  Charlie Pittman
•  Luella Deville

Shallow – A Star is Born Lady Gaga