08 Jul Our International Community: Hannah Lawes
Hi Hannah, thanks for speaking with us from Tasmania. Tell us all about you and your industry.
Hello! I am a musician based in beautiful Tasmania, Australia. I have a band with my boyfriend Zac, and together we have been writing and independently recording and releasing our work for the last four years.
We’re currently working on a new album which we hope to release soon, an acoustic album we are recording at home featuring songs we have been sitting on for a while, as we were working on other musical projects. In Tasmania, available recording studios are limited. Some people record music artists, but we haven’t found anyone we gel with. We do a lot of our writing while in the studio, spending time with our songs. The lack of options has created an opportunity for us to learn how to record ourselves, one of the biggest game-changers in our music.
How did you discover CLOCK?
I was fortunate enough to be accepted into a Music Mentorship Programme offered around Australia named Women in Music, a mentoring programme from the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR). As part of our mentorship, we had the opportunity to have subsidised access to train with CLOCK and achieve a professional development certificate. CLOCK sounded extremely beneficial and practical, so I wanted to be involved. I probably would not have been able to participate in the programme without the help of Women in Music due to the costs, so I am grateful I had the opportunity to do so!
Since doing CLOCK, has anything changed for you professionally? Has it opened any doors for you?
The biggest things I noticed were an increase in my confidence and a better understanding of the value of my skills. I always did very well in school-based education. I could join the dots and see how everything was connected and worked together. Once I left school and started working in the music industry, I had to learn to find my way and figure out how things worked myself. It didn’t make much sense to me for a long time. The music felt more like a hobby or a side project than an industry where I could establish myself.
After doing CLOCK and hearing from professionals in my industry, I realised my skills and experiences were my greatest assets. I had been slowly building them over time, adding to my knowledge base without even realising. I learned I knew more than I thought I did.
As an artist, how do you put what you learned through the CLOCK programme into practice day-to-day?
I try to recognise and see the opportunity for growth in everything. There are so many small and seemingly unimportant things in the background aside from the shows. In everything I do, I’m learning and expanding my craft. CLOCK has taught me that. Seeing that connection between the things I do as a musician and the qualification system enabled me to see that what I was doing was important and relevant on a larger scale. As a creative, that can feel a bit like another world. Drawing out the fundamental skills and professional processes I use daily was extremely helpful to keep me aware of the fact that I am growing and that I have more to offer to my industry than I realised.
What do you think CLOCK has to offer young people in your industry?
So much!! As I said, self-confidence was a massive part of it for me. As well as that, I was able to think critically about my process and practices, have opportunities to connect with industry professionals and bounce ideas off other people, and opportunities to make friends all over the world!
At the end of it, I walked away with a qualification in industry professional development that I can use on my resume and add to my name. In addition to that, I have made some great friends. I have learned a great deal about myself as an artist and feel better equipped to help my career and share my skills with others to grow the community around me.
Author Liz Appleby
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