The Push is proud to announce the mentors for the 2010 FReeZACentral Program!

FReeZACentral is honoured to have over 50 high profile musicians and music business professionals from around Victoria sharing their wisdom with young mentees in the program.

Artists mentoring in this year’s program include Deborah Conway, Clare Bowditch and Monique Brumby; plus FReeZACentral is pleased to have some of the most successful “behind the scenes” music industry professionals on board, like Catherine Haridy (Manager, Eskimo Joe, Bob Evans) and Caroline Moore (Festival Director, Apollo Bay Music Festival).

This year also sees many mentors returning to the FReeZACentral program for the second or third year, such as Angie Hart, Bernard Galbally (General Manager, Mana Music Australia), Jimi Maroudas (Independent Producer/Engineer) and Steve Cross (Remote Control Records), to name just a few.

FReeZACentral 2010 brings together a record 55 partnerships between young people and music industry professionals. All representatives of the music industry are covered, from booking agents, label managers and publicity and marketing personnel; to musicians, producers, managers, festival organisers and much more.

Over the coming months FReeZACentral mentees and mentors will be spending time getting to know each other, organising internships, work placements and other opportunities to exchange wisdom and knowledge.

The recent Push Over event saw many of the program’s mentees actively volunteering and gaining valuable festival experience. Soon the FReeZACentral Event Management Mentees will head to the Apollo Bay Music Festival where they will spend three days and two nights working on the event.

The Push’s FReeZACentral Project Manager, Sarah De Borre says,

“We’re really pleased with the way this year’s program is shaping up and thrilled to have some of the industry’s highest profile artists and business people involved. It’s exciting to be at the helm of a program like FReeZACentral, which is at the forefront of demystifying and creating pathways into the music industry for our next generation of musicians and industry professionals.”??

First-time FReeZACentral Mentor, Clare Bowditch explains,

“I'm very pleased to be part of FReezaCentral’s Mentoring Program, mainly because my mentee is so amazing. Her name is Yelka and she's totally awesome. I have a lot to learn from her! More generally, I needed lots of guiding hands when I was starting my life as a full-time musician, and mentoring means a chance to pass on what I know.”??

Bowditch’s FReeZACentral 2010 Performance Mentee, Yelka Ishmakovich exclaims,

"I'm slightly beside myself in reference to being paired with the person who influences my music to the absolute and utmost degree. I'm incredibly excited, and the list is growing longer and longer as I think of things to pick her brains about. It's going to be a good year."

FReeZACentral is a free program to help young Victorians establish themselves in the music industry, run by The Push in conjunction with Mushroom Marketing and funded by the Victorian Government, as part of the Victoria Rocks program.

FReeZACentral annually pairs 50 young Victorians between the ages of 18 and 25 with a supportive mentor who is already established within the music industry. On top of getting to know and learn from their mentor, the mentees are involved in releasing a CD, working on festivals and putting on their own tour. ??

For a full list of 2010 FReeZaCentral mentees and mentors or for more information and program updates head to: www.freezacentral.vic.gov.au or www.thepush.com.au.