Sure the perks of working in the music industry are many, but if you’re looking at making your way into the hectic yet rewarding music scene, there’s a lot more you need to know about the day-to-day life of your average industry worker!
Someone who is definitely not your average worker though, is Nic Kelly, who at the ripe old age of 20, has already started a music media empire that’s taking him across the world. As part of our campaign with AustralianSuper, helping you kick start your creative career, Nic runs us through some of the things that occupy his busy work schedule and imparts some wisdom on how you too can create the job of your dreams!
It sounds like a cliche, but a typical day literally doesn’t exist for me! Juggling the different pockets of my life that encompass blogging, digital content, radio, TV presenting, managing people and consulting with artists, means every day is all over the place, unpredictable and exciting.
I get bored really easily, so mixing things up every day is a great way to motivate me to get things done. To be able to kick start your career effectively, packing as much as you can into every day is critical. But don’t forget to breathe every now and then too!
Plane from LAX
I’ve just spent two weeks in Los Angeles and New York getting a vibe of the music and digital media climate over here. I’m freshly inspired and just need to get through this dodgy chicken to bring it back home! Going overseas on your own can be a daunting experience, but the different perspective I get every time I do energises me to inject fresh ideas into the way I work (and make the boring waits around airports totally worth it!).
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Radio Show
Today I’m filling in on a morning show on SeaFM on the NSW Central Coast, my hometown just outside of Sydney. I now get to do radio just for fun, and pop up on stations when I want to, whilst juggling all my other commitments.
Radio was the kick start for me when I was fourteen, I spent three years doing it for free in community radio and learning the craft. If you are interested in a media career, community radio is THE best place to start – and they’re always desperate for fresh blood.
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Project U Thinktank
I regularly get my Project U contributors together to spend a couple of hours eating lollies, throwing post-it-note ideas up on whiteboards, and proceeding to drink some beers afterwards and eat pizza.
It keeps our ideas fresh, our vision for the brand clear and our contributors feel like a part of the bigger picture – which they are! Collaboration and communication invigorates my work ethic and getting other people’s ideas involved in your own is a great way to work.
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Gig Night – Sidechains @ Plan B
As much as people will tell you Sydney’s nightlife is dying, I’m finding more and more places to have fun every weekend – and I find seeing live music and DJs the best way to learn about how people consume music and to make new, likeminded friends in the music world.
It’s the greatest feeling and it also reminds me why working in music media is the greatest – because music makes people feel and evokes a genuine reaction and euphoria. That’s a great thing to remind yourself.
Nic Kelly is a presenter, writer, content creator and general internet pest and you can follow him on Twitter and check out his music site ProjectU.
If you’re just starting out in your career, a few right moves early on can help set you up for life. For more stories in our AustralianSuper KickStart series, click here or go to AustralianSuper.
This article has been sponsored by AustralianSuper Pty Ltd ABN 94 006 457 987, AFSL 233788. The views and opinions expressed in any article accessed through Music Feeds are those of the author or Music Feeds and not the responsibility of AustralianSuper. For more information, please visit australiansuper.com
