FReeZA

As a part of an educational collaboration between RMIT and the Australian Music Vault, this article was written and researched by students of the Bachelor of Arts (Music Industry) degree under the guidance of Dr Shelley Brunt. The authors are Harry Dwyer, Indigo Eisner, Marven Lim and Violet Tolhurst.

FReeZA: Innovating Youth Music Culture

Imagine this: your all-time favourite band has just announced that they’re coming to play a gig in your hometown. You begin to envisage the perfect night singing along to your favourite songs. Seeing the band live will outweigh all of the experiences you’ve had with their recorded music. However, this excitement comes to a devastating halt when on second look you realise the gig is for over 18’s only. You’re underage and can’t attend. And so ends a perfect night out.

The 2017 Melbourne Live Music Census found that on an annual basis, 17.5 million patrons visit live music events in Greater Melbourne. The music scene in Victoria more broadly is an incredibly important one that captivates its audiences all year round. It fosters talented artists and entertains crowds, as well as supports skilful teams that work to bring these events to the public. However, despite its benefits, the industry isolates many. Live music events often have restricted attendance to persons over the age of 18, excluding 24.6% percent of the Victorian population.

In 1996, The Push – a youth music organisation and registered charity – alongside the Victorian Government, developed a program titled FReeZA in an attempt to address this injustice. FReeZA is a youth music development program that aims to create accessibility for Victorians aged 12 to 25 to attend gigs at an affordable price and welcome live music and cultural events that are drug, alcohol and smoke free. Young Victorians participating in FReeZA are provided with the opportunity to become part of a committee responsible for leading the decision making for events. FReeZA currently has 70 committees which stage up to 400 events each year with roughly 150,000 attendees. When producing these events, committee members can develop professional relationships and explore a variety of employment pathways within the music industry. The program provides young musicians with rare opportunities to perform at live music events and be paid for their expertise. It also allows committee members to gain skills in event management, booking, sound engineering, lighting design, marketing and more.

Jay Misfud, 22, runs the FReeZA program in Banyule, a council area in the north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

“My inspiration to become a facilitator and coordinator of a FReeZA program comes from the invaluable experiences that are given to young people. Music brings value to all people, but [given that] venues are licensed in Victoria, young people have disproportionate opportunities. Although I have enjoyed all kinds of music events in my time in the contemporary music industry, the most purposeful and gratifying projects I’ve undertaken have been within FReeZA,” says Misfud.

Although I have enjoyed all kinds of music events in my time in the contemporary music industry, the most purposeful and gratifying projects I’ve undertaken have been within FReeZA.

One noteworthy aspect of FReeZA is that it also offers young people in regional Victoria to interact with the community further creating a sense of belonging. Lilly Hodge runs the FReeZA program in the regional area of East Gippsland Shire.

“In towns where these things are already limited, I think that FReeZA definitely has a positive impact on youth engagement and encourages beneficial interaction with the local community,” she said.

Isabella Fortuna, 20, grew up in Victoria’s regional town of Castlemaine. After winning the semi-finals in 2018 at FReeZa’s annual Battle of the Bands event, she went on to perform in the grand final at Melbourne’s iconic St Kilda Festival in 2019, which routinely attracts over 400,000 patrons. As a young musician isolated from an inner-city music scene, FReeZA enabled her to make connections with like-minded individuals.

“FReeZA have been very generous in sharing their knowledge of the music industry as well as performance opportunities,” says Fortuna.

FReeZA have been very generous in sharing their knowledge of the music industry as well as performance opportunities.

The main reason that live music events ban underage patrons from attending is the legislation and culture surrounding alcohol often connected to the live music industry. Most live music venues are licensed as they rely on alcohol sales to make a profit, leaving venue managers with little financial incentive to host underage events. FReeZA’s way of combating this and ensuring all participants' safety is to host events in alternative spaces that are drug, alcohol and smoke free, and supervised by adults. Misfud states that the best way to create a positive environment at FReeZA shows is to provide a space where “social lubricants are not necessary: this is done by ensuring that the entire planning and development process for the event is fully informed and, where possible, led by young people.”

Kate Duncan, CEO of The Push, says that “music can play an important role in finding your people and being connected to your community... Having access to live music can really form your identity and connect you to people, which will then support your pathway into the future.”

In the 25 years since its creation, FReeZA has proved to be beneficial for all involved, providing participants with connection and community, skills and knowledge while also equipping them with resources to embark on creative projects and journeys.

Having access to live music can really form your identity and connect you to people, which will then support your pathway into the future.

FReeZA is also changing with the times. In April 2021, The Push with support from Youth Affairs Council (YACVic) launched a new campaign coined #EvolveFReeZA. Funding for FReeZA sits at $2.4 million annually and has not seen an increase in 12 years. #EvolveFReeZA calls on the Victorian government to review the funding and structure of FReeZA to better reflect the wants and needs of youth today. Duncan explained that “there's been lots of shifts in the way that young people create and consume music. This could be a pivotal moment for the program to be updated to reflect government priorities and continue to be a really important program for another 25 years of live music and young people's connection to community.”

Now imagine, your all-time favourite band has just announced that they’re coming to play a gig in your hometown. You begin to envisage the perfect night singing along to your favourite songs. Seeing the band live will outweigh all of the experiences you’ve had with their recorded music. On second look at the information for this event, you realise that the show is put on by FReeZA meaning that even though you’re underage you can still attend. And so begins a perfect night out.