Industry Mums - Simone Schinkel

Broadcaster and mother Jane Gazzo continues her series asking women to describe their triumphs and challenges as working mothers in the Australian music industry.

Simone Schinkel is CEO of Music Victoria, the state peak body for contemporary music in Victoria which represents musicians, venues, festivals, music businesses and music lovers across the contemporary Victorian music community.

Simone took the reins at one of the most challenging of times for the music community with her appointment in March 2021 coinciding with lockdowns across Victoria which impacted the entire live industry. Thankfully, as the industry navigates its way post-Covid, Simone can focus on leading the organisation and sector through its next critical stages.

Simone was born in Brisbane and currently lives in Brunswick, Melbourne with her partner and two children.

Describe your current job:

Doing everything I can to make it a little easier to make, hear, share, and enjoy music in Victoria.

Music Victoria provides advocacy on behalf of the music sector, actively supports the development of the Victorian music community, and celebrates and promotes Victorian music. On a day-to-day basis this involves research, the delivery of professional development workshops and networking opportunities, and championing our members and their needs in every boardroom, meeting, and bandroom we find ourselves in.

Right now, we are supporting local communities in flood-impacted areas to put on live music events as part of the recovery, gearing up for the launch of the annual Music Victoria Awards and delivering the Victorian Music Development Office, a major initiative of the Victorian Government that’s keeping the Victorian music scene at the cutting edge of music globally.

What is your earliest musical memory?

It’s not a memory as such, but there is video evidence of me singing 'Accidently Kelly Street' by Frente and dancing around the house with a whole choreographed routine, probably at around seven years of age. My Dad also loves telling the story of me recognizing Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA album cover at a record store when I was really little.

First record you bought?

The Tin Lids on CD with my own money. But I also remember giving a lot of listens to a cassette tape of Mariah Carey’s The First Vision and some Tina Turner.

First concert you went to?

I went to see Paul Kelly with my parents when I was little, but the first concert I remember missing out on and being sad about was Michael Jackson – we could hear it from the stadium – it was torture. I would have been eleven at the time.

What kind of household were you raised in?

A fairly strict one. My Mum was the Deputy Principal at my primary school so I couldn’t get away with anything, including very few sick days. She made a point of NEVER giving me any preferential treatment at school, much to my disappointment.

What were your mother’s morals and values?

She was a high achiever who instilled in me a drive to succeed, as well as my own independence, but she was also very generous in supporting those less fortunate. She was able to offer my sister and I so much more than she ever had so didn’t want us to take it for granted. I remember that we often had ‘Orphans Christmas’ at our house with people who had no one else to spend it with.

When I told my Mum I was moving to Melbourne she said, "Took you long enough - you'll love it!". She is from Melbourne herself, so she knows Victoria well. My response was, "Why didn't you tell me to move sooner?" She responded, "If I told you, you wouldn't have done it." She was so very right.

Did she have a favourite saying?

No, but I remember that her thing to play in the car was soundtracks to musicals – think Cats and The Phantom of the Opera and funnily enough my daughter loves Tim Minchin’s songs from Matilda and now changes the lyrics to suit her current situation!

Was there a time when you and your mother didn’t see eye to eye?

I remember that Mum really didn’t want me moving in so early with my boyfriend (just the two of us in an apartment in Fortitude Valley, and not long out of high school), but I did it anyway and now 20 years later were still together, so I guess I showed her!

What teachings/values/morals from your mother have you taken and/or implemented into your own family?

To do your best. That way, you won’t have anything to regret.

When did you know you wanted to work/be part of the music industry?

I am very much the late bloomer. I studied music in high school and played many instruments and while I always thought it would be super cool to have a job in music – e.g. dreaming of putting on a festival where all my friends and I programmed/booked/curated different elements, I was really just a huge fan.

I found my people (and partner) thanks to our shared music interests, so it’s really nice to now be paying that back in a way.

What was your first industry job?

Officially, it is this one! I went straight to the top. Oh, I also hand made and sold merch for my friends bands – does that count?

What about your professional career that got you to Music Victoria?

My career started with a degree in technical production, which led me to working on heaps of festivals as a crew member. This was quickly followed by wanting to produce the festivals and events myself, so I got a job at an events company doing just that. When I moved to Melbourne, I was spoilt for choice for festival work and did the circuit producing events across multiple art forms before becoming a financial manager for the creative industries. While that sounds like a strange turn, it was such a rare and unique opportunity to learn how a wide variety of creative businesses balanced their books. I really think that this one job has set me apart from many others in the industry.

Following that I was the Executive Producer for a dance-theatre company and got into advocacy when that company was de-funded at both a Federal and State Level, while still being supported to tour internationally. That didn’t make any sense to me at a policy level, so I wanted to understand how such decisions were made and as such joined Theatre Network Australia as the General Manager. They are a very similar organisation to Music Victoria, but for theatre, and working at both a State and Federal Level.

Were there any female mentors you felt you could call upon when you started out or did you have to navigate your own path?

The women on the Music Victoria Board (past and present) have been really supportive – Sally Howland, Cath Haridy, Kerry Kennell, Chelsea Wilson, Fiona Duncan, Eliza Hull, Nkechi Anele and Sally Mather (who I went to primary school with!).

My first day on the job at Music Victoria was actually on International Women’s Day and my first task was attending the One of One Breakfast. That was a beautiful welcome filled with introductions to the many amazing women in music.

Did you always know you wanted children?

No, and to be honest they kind of scared me. I didn’t know what to do with them, especially babies.

Did you worry about how you would make motherhood and the music industry work?

I thought I had wanted a laid-back easy job after having kids, but I just kept taking on more and more, personally and professionally. So in the end, I just leant into it, and went for this Music Victoria role. Sometimes it’s probably easier going in at the top and being the boss, as I get to set the tone of how things can be done differently.

Was there a time when it fell apart? Or felt like it was?

Absolutely! Remember that pandemic we had! Trying to save an industry with two kids and no childcare was really hard.

As a mother and a CEO, there is an expectation in society and/or the workplace that you just have to get on with it and deliver, whatever the situation – you have to steer the ship, so to speak. What kind of pressure has this placed on you?

As already mentioned, a pandemic is one thing, but ultimately these days I push back. I certainly still feel the pressure, but I am also so acutely aware of the horrible impacts that this has had on the mental health, drinking culture, sexism etc of our industry. I know that I am better at my job if I stop and walk away at a certain point. I allow my brain to process (often without me knowing) and that’s when the breakthroughs happen. In my case, I am always “on call” but certainly not always working.

What skills have you learnt to deal with every day or occupational challenges which come your way?

The amount I can get done while the bread is toasting in the morning is a pretty good lesson in time management.

Since having your children – what has been your proudest moment?

So many, sometimes it’s just when they are playing happily together, adding ideas on top of ideas into the mix. Just last week they both graded and got new belts in martial arts. They have come such a long way since they first started, so that was really special.

How could the music industry be better at supporting caregivers?

Music Victoria is currently trailing a 4-day work week and while this is not just about caregivers, it certainly helps. For an industry that has been disrupted so many times, on this stuff we somehow seem less willing to change.

Before the pandemic a colleague of mine in a wheelchair was advocating for working from home for access reasons and it was a huge battle, but look where we are today – it is possible, we’ve made it work, so I guess we just have to be much more open to trying new things and to trust in your people to find a way.

How do you balance your time with work/kids/partner and family time?

I do four days across five so that I can do the school drop offs and some pick-ups, with at least 50% of my time working in the office.

What do you do to take time out for yourself?

I love riding my bike and swimming. I’ve also got a few home improvement projects on the go. After seeing the same four walls I decided to paint them.

Describe your perfect Mother’s Day:

My perfect Mother’s Day would start with a sleep in, followed by a coffee that is not made by me and zero obligations all day. Just saying that gets me excited by the possibility!

Become a member of Music Victoria today! We’re here for music - doing all we can to make it that little bit easier to make, play, promote, discover, share, and enjoy music in Victoria.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jane Gazzo
Jane Gazzo is a broadcaster, TV presenter, music journalist and published author who began her career in radio, aged 16. Since then, she has presented nationally on Triple M and Triple J as well as BBC Radio 6 in the UK and has hosted television shows such as Recovery on ABC TV. She spent eight years as a presenter on Foxtel's Channel V, where she reported from music festivals, red carpet events and hosted live TV shows, interviewing some of the biggest and best names in the music world.

In 2018 Jane became Chair of the Australian Music Vault Advisory Group and in 2020 she hosted ABC-TV's flagship music show THE SOUND and co-founded the popular Facebook site Sound As Ever (Australia Indie 90-99).