In the 21st century digital music industry, the role of a designer has dramatically changed from what it was only a decade ago. This moderated panel session will discuss how designing for music projects can provide designers with different creative challenges, and how that can be beneficial for other areas of their practice; as well as considering what artists need to consider when planning a campaign. Our Q&A session features industry figures with experience from different aspects of the process.

Estère

Described by Bandcamp as a "a New Zealand producer and songwriter who has carved a unique space for herself, both sonically and stylistically,” Estère has received two New Zealand Music Award Nominations including Best Producer (2018) and Critics Choice Award (2015). Known for her captivating idiosyncratic performances, Estère has played at major festivals around the world including Glastonbury (UK) , Afropunk Paris (FR), Bushfire Festival (Swaziland) WOMAD (NZ), Aarhus Festuge (Denmark) and Sori Arts Festival (South Korea).

Tyrone Ohia

Tyrone (Ngāti Pukenga, Ngāi Te Rangi) is a designer at Extended Whānau. He designed the branding for Auckland UNESCO City of Music. His previous work with Alt Group includes Shapeshifter’s Stars album and Shihad’s FVEY.

Ben Howe (moderator)

Ben has been working in the music industry for over 20 years - as a musician, record label founder/owner and live music promoter. Ben started out in Flying Nun band Superette in the late 1990s, then subsequently founded influential record label Arch Hill Recordings - home to acts like Don McGlashan, David Kilgour and Street Chant. In 2010 he was one of the partners that transported St Jerome’s Laneway Festival from Australia to New Zealand, helping expand that festival to a 12,000 capacity event held at Auckland’s Silo Park. In 2012 Ben became Managing Director of Flying Nun Records and continues as Flying Nun Director overseeing the Auckland and New York offices. In 2013 Ben was a founding director of Flying Out Music - which is an Auckland vinyl record store, distribution and event company. Flying Out also presents an annual music festival called The Others Way, which features around 40 NZ artists performing across a dozen live music venues. Ben is also a partner in Aeroplane Music Services and Arch Hill Music Publishing.

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The Music Designer Series is part of the Recorded Music NZ Tui Music Series 2019. The Series supports the Artisan Awards creative fields of music production, design and film making. Go to nzmusicawards.co.nz/tui-music-series for more information.

Recorded Music NZ gratefully acknowledges the support of NZ On Air, The Designers Institute and Massey University College of Creative Arts.