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The North Coast region of NSW is a magnet for musicians from all over
Australia.
And it's not just the great Byron Bay beaches and the
laid-back lifestyle bringing them here. The region lives and breathes music.
For a start, the north coast boasts an impressively wide range of quality boutique recording studios.
Then there are the specialised and accredited music schools and
courses, including Southern Cross University, where you can study for a
Bachelor of Contemporary Music, and the state-of-the-art teaching
facilities at the world head quarters of the internationally recognised
School of Audio Engineering.
There are over 40 active live music venues, such as the Railway
Friendly Bar in Byron Bay, which has offerred live original music 7
nights a week for over 20 years, and the beautiful and stately Hotel
Brunswick, where top quality music is played every weekend in a
gorgeous setting by the lazy old Brunswick River.
And of course there are our fabulous local festivals...the simply
incredible East Coast Blues and Roots Festival is the biggest in the
southern hemisphere, and Splendour in the Grass has become one of the
most popular and important youth music festivals in the Australia. But
they're just the big ones. The range of interesting niche festivals
which have emerged in recent years has further enriched our cultural
life.
...and the fact that it is a regular stop for major touring acts, makes
this the envy of other regions and often the major cities.
 Byron Bluesfest It is certainly true that we have become accustomed to a
great deal of quality music-making - but sometimes we take our hard
working and dedicated local musicians for granted. Yet the standard of
musicianship, song-writing, recording and live performance in the local
region, across a range of genres, is outstandingly high.
What is NCEIA?
The North Coast Entertainment Industry Association works behind the
scenes to serve and develop the local music industry in this thriving
region. We aim to foster professionalism, build networks, act as a
conduit to the latest industry information and create special events to
further enhance and strengthen the solid foundations of our vibrant
music scene.
For 16 years NCEIA has run as a volunteer organisation and has built up
a comprehensive music industry network and strong links with local
businesses and venues. It represents over 1000 members.
If you have an interest in music, whether as an enthusiastic punter, an
aspiring songwriter, or a dedicated pro muso, join NCEIA and you are
helping to make our music industry thrive and move forward. It is your
voice and your energy that makes a difference. It is a great
opportunity to network, and to get to know how the scene works, and
what is going on.
We began this introduction by listing some of the many entertainment or music related
venues, events and organisations in the Northern Rivers region -
testament to the importance of the Entertainment Industry to the local
economy and community. Many people apart from musicians find employment
and enjoyment within the local Entertainment sector and they all have
the common goals of setting high quality standards and offering
customer satisfaction in the form of good entertainment. These common
goals can best be achieved by co-operation, understanding and
communication between active players and the North Coast Entertainment Industry
Association welcomes any member of the local community who has an
interest in the industry, both professional or for pleasure, to join
our association and contribute their voice. If you are an event
co-ordinator, a music teacher, a venue operator, promoter, journalist, academic or
work behind the scenes in production, NCEIA's work is relevant to you
and we seek a broad cross section of members.
And we also stress that the word is Entertainment
- so if you're a comedian, an actor, a compere, busker, or do
gorilla-grams - however you entertain, this is your forum and your
networking group.
The Dolphin Awards
Our major iconic event is the annual Dolphin Awards
Presentation, a gala evening featuring the best of local entertainment,
a great night of gossip and networking and serious fun, at which the
winners of each category and the year's best vocalists and
song-writers, producers, designers and behind-the-scenes operators are
acknowledged.
Since 1991, the Dolphin Awards have served to celebrate our home grown
talents and to give peer recognition, while significantly boosting
their profile locally and nationally.
Each year NCEIA receives more than 600 entries for the Dolphin Awards.
See the Newsflash (left menu) for details of the upcoming Gala Presentation of the 2007 Dolphin Awards
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