Author - Nikki Wishart Music Curator

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Every September, the industry descends on Fortitude Valley for BIGSOUND. It always feels like a reset; three days of ideas, late-night conversations, and live music that jolts you out of autopilot. This year felt different. Alongside attending as a curator, I also had the chance to be a panelist, which gave me a fresh perspective on the conversations happening across the conference.

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Day 1 – A Shared Truth in "One Brilliant Thing"

The week started with First Word: One Brilliant Thing, a panel including Annabelle Herd, Jaddan Comerford, Josh Simons, Dan Rosen, and Neil Griffiths. What struck me was how different their corners of the industry are, yet all landed on the same truth: no one thrives in isolation. That hit home. In curation, the best moments happen when artists, platforms, and audiences connect in ways that feel human.

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Day 2 – AI, Country, and Young Audiences

The Sound of AI with Raph and Rowan from The Meeting Tree was equal parts weird and brilliant. It pushed me to think less about the tech and more about what the industry defines as “authentic.” AI will keep evolving, but meaning is ultimately a human decision.

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Meredith Goucher and Natalie Waller explored the global rise of country music, showing that genre shifts aren’t just trends — they’re signals of what audiences crave on a deeper, emotional level.

Later, The Push Presents: Young Australian Music Audiences 2025 highlighted how young people discover music through friends, creators, and communities, not just algorithms. It was a reminder to keep listening to real voices, not dashboards.

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Day 3 – Mastering Momentum & Showcases

One of my personal highlights was Mastering Momentum: The Independent Artist’s Edge, presented by Community Music with QSIC. We explored strategies for artists to stay in control of their careers. My takeaway: independent doesn’t mean alone. It’s about choosing your own path while building the right support around you. The room’s energy confirmed it, artists want independence, but they also want connection.

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The showcases didn’t disappoint. Flynn Gurry and rageflower stopped me in my tracks — Flynn’s set was intimate and magnetic, while rageflower’s raw intensity left the room buzzing. These performances reminded me why live music still matters. In a world of streaming and on-demand, nothing compares to being in the room when an artist truly connects.

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Carrying the Message Forward

By the end of the week, one message echoed through every panel, performance, and conversation: growth and innovation mean nothing without connection. Technology will keep shifting, genres will rise and fall, and data will shape our work. But at its core, music is still about people - artists, audiences, and the communities between them.

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My role as a curator is to make those connections visible, create meaning from the noise, and help artists and audiences find each other. BIGSOUND 2025 reminded me that the future of music isn’t about chasing more, it’s about going deeper.

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