Live music and the pandemic

Live music performance plays a critical role in the development and sustention of musicians’ careers. Recognised for their capacity to facilitate the development of creative and performance skills, live performance is also a prominent source of income for working musicians. Live music performance – and the spaces which they take place -  also form a key component of the creative and cultural identities of cities. It is a sector however, which has been all at once been shuttered and reconfigured in light of the public health measures enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Live performances have been primarily restricted to live streams, and while some in-person live performances have returned in parts of the world, the sector has faced substantive losses – venues have closed and promoters, musicians and stage workers alike have all lost income and livelihoods. As a result, the sector faces continued uncertainty as we traverse the pandemic. At the same time however, this pause, and disruption offers an opportunity to reconsider the ways in which live music activity is staged given how the pandemic has changed the ways in which we are able to go about not only our daily lives but how we are able to engage in cultural activities such as live music. Drawing on a combination of research into the working lives of Australian musicians, insights offered across her most recent edited collection Geographically Isolated and Peripheral Music Scenes: Global insights and perspectives as well as a range of music cities guidelines and frameworks, Dr Ballico will explore live music as a potential neighbourhood and community place activation strategy as we traverse and emerge from the pandemic.

Christina Ballico is the editor of Geographically Isolated and Peripheral Music Scenes: Global insights and perspectives (Palgrave, 2021), and the co-editor (alongside Dr Allan Watson) of Music Cities: Evaluating a global cultural policy concept (Palgrave, 2020). She sits on the Editorial Board of the IASPM Journal, is a Collaborator with the global research NGO Center for Music Ecosystems, and an Adjunct Research Fellow with the Creative Arts Research Institute, Griffith University. She has undertaken a range of consultancies for music advocacy bodies and state government arts' departments, and was the Research Fellow (2016 - 2019) on the Australian Research Council Linkage Project, Making Music Work: Sustainable portfolio careers for Australian musicians.