ABOUT SOUNDCHECK AOTEAROA


SoundCheck Aotearoa is a charitable trust organisation with a mission to foster a safe and inclusive culture for the Aotearoa New Zealand music community. We believe that action is needed to address inequitable representation, challenge systemic discrimination, and advance impactful change across the music community.

In recognition of Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa, SoundCheck Aotearoa works in partnership with the Māori Music Industry Coalition in everything we do.

SoundCheck Aotearoa originally formed as an action group in 2020 by a small group of people in the music industry with the help of independent specialists.

 

The values of SoundCheck Aotearoa

We have hope in a future where everyone is safe and respected in the music community and we strive to do everything with:

  • Care – Value relationships and act in ways that look after our own and others’ dignity and mana.

  • Fairness and Diversity, Inclusion and Equity – Guide and empower people to do what is fair, and right for all individuals [1] in the music community.

  • Courage and Leadership – Take brave steps and model respectful and inclusive behaviour in everything we do.

  • Community – Connect and collaborate with music communities.

[1] all genders, genders, ethnicities, races, religions, sexual orientations, ages, disabilities (including illness), regional status, paternity/maternity and marital status.

 

Safer workplaces in the music community

The initial focus of SoundCheck Aotearoa is to foster safer workplaces through effectively preventing and responding to sexual harm. We believe that everyone is entitled to a safe workplace, whether that workplace is an office, a recording studio, a festival stage, tour bus or a meeting in a bar. Our work on safer workplaces has been informed by the ‘Amplify Aotearoa’ report conducted by Dr Catherine Hoad and Dr Oli Wilson and published by Massey University in 2020; our own independent review of the music community in 2021; and the independent report we commissioned in 2021 entitled ‘Creating Culture Change around Sexual Harm in the Music Community in Aotearoa’ by Rachel Harrison and Debbie Teale.

 
 

OUR PEOPLE

 

ANNA LOVEYS

Manager, Operations and Projects

Pronouns: She/Her Iwi: Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga

Joining us in late February 2023, Anna oversees day-to-day operations and SoundCheck Aotearoa programs, projects, initiatives and collaborations. Anna has worked in a variety of contexts including record labels (Sony Music, Flying Nun Records) to contracting and self-employment. Anna grew up in Aotearoa’s music community, adopting many kaumatua and whānau along the way, working in a number of artist support team roles.

 

MEL CALVESbert

Sexual Harm Prevention and Response Advisor (SHAPRA)

Pronouns: She/Her/They/Them

Melanie is our first ever Sexual Harm Prevention and Response Advisor (SHAPRA), providing our music community with independent, specialised support in response to sexual harm in the workplace. Mel brings over 25 years expertise working with people affected by sexual harm across organizations such as WellStop, Wellington HELP Foundation, and more recently the New Zealand Defence Force where she managed their Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Advisor team. You can see Mel in the community co-presenting our Professional Respect Training Workshops alongside Prevention Specialist, Rachel Harrison.

 

RACHEL HARRISON

Independent Sexual Harm Prevention Specialist

Pronouns: She/Her/They/Them

Experienced in sexual harm prevention, Rachel has worked with SoundCheck Aotearoa since 2019, following her work with the screen sector and a number of public and private sector organisations. Rachel developed the Professional Respect Training course and co-authored SCA’s independent report ‘Creating Culture Change around Sexual Harm in the Music Community in Aotearoa’ (2021) along with many of the resources available on our website. Rachel continues to co-present Professional Respect Training with Melanie Calvesbert, and provides independent advice to the music community regarding prevention measures.

 
 

Lydia Jenkin

After a decade enjoying the privilege of working as a music journalist, Lydia took up a role with APRA AMCOS NZ in 2016. She is currently the Communications and Events Manager, overseeing communications with 12,000 members, as well as their various songwriting initiatives, workshops, and awards, which includes producing the annual APRA Silver Scroll Awards Kaitito Kaiaka.

 

Nicky Harrop

Nicky is a Director of Collective Distribution, and currently holds the Independent Director position on the board of Recorded Music New Zealand. Nicky’s career has spanned multiple facets of Aotearoa’s music community, seeing her work closely with a wide range of artists, labels, live events and industry bodies.

 

Teresa Patterson

Teresa is Head of Music for NZ On Air and previously the Chairperson for Music Manager's Forum Aotearoa. Teresa is an experienced artist manager, winning MMF's Manager of the Year Award 3 x times, in addition to being a 4 x winner of MMF's Best Independent Tour Award and winning the MMF Industry Champion Award. She also worked on several festivals including Big Day Out, Auckland City Limits, SoundSplash and the NZ International Comedy Festival.

 

Wairere Iti

Wairere is involved in a range of activities across the music industry which include Kaitiaki for the Māori Music Industry Coalition, Board Member for SoundCheck Aotearoa and the NZ Music Commission, Tech Coordinator for MMF Aotearoa, and Operations Manager for Raglan music festival, Soundsplash.

 

Ninakaye Taane-Tinorau

Pronouns: She/Her Iwi: Ngāti Maniapoto

Ninakaye is older sister and artist manager to award-winning artist, Tiki Taane, managing his career and companies since 2007. A Kaitiaki for the Māori Music Industry, Ninakaye provides mentorship to self-managed artists and managers through MMF Aotearoa, of which she is also a Board Member. Additionally to her music industry work, Ninakaye works for Korowai Tumanako, a kaupapa Māori service supporting iwi, hapu and whānau who have been affected by sexual harm.

 
 
 

OUR FUNDERS

Our core training, prevention and community support work is funded by NZ Music Commission, NZ On Air, Recorded Music NZ, and APRA AMCOS.

In 2023 we obtained funding from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage for an 18 month pilot project to launch a Sexual Harm Prevention and Response Advisor (SHAPRA) service, alongside tailored communication strategy and an integrated Te Ao Māori project.