WAM Festival Speaker Profile: Bourby Webster

Organisation and Position: North Street Music, Executive Director

How did you first become involved in the music business? I've been a musician my whole life, but classically trained. A reply to an advert at music college resulted in being part of the first all-female electric string quartet 'bond' signed to Universal's Decca Label. The things I learned, and realised I didn't know, from that experience have led me to where I am today running North Street Music.

What's your area of expertise and what experience do you have? I understand business. I have 15+ years commercial corporate experience and an MBA degree which has run in parallel to my music career. I now consult to musicians and the music industry, programming, producing, marketing and running business skills courses and workshops.

What topics will you be mostly talking about at WAM? I am part of a panel that will be sharing insights in the business side of music, why it is so important to have a basic understanding of business to complement talent, and what musicians can to to maximise their chance of 'making it'.

What do you hope to personally take away from the WA Music Conference and WAM Festival events? Every time I go, I learn so much - the industry is evolving, and the conference presents an amazing way to hear what developments are happening, and meet the people behind the changes. I am particularly interested to learn more about the digital side from promotion to distribution, as I'd like to share that knowledge with the musicians I work with.

What's one question about the music industry you'd love to have the answer to? How can Western Australia raise the profile of its musicians nationally and internationally despite the tyranny of distance? The talent we have here is frankly insane - we need more people to know who is here doing what.

One piece of advice to make it in the music biz? Be brave, be memorable, be relentless. (Ok that's three but you can't do it on less!).