Music staff contact peers for artform advice where the music genre or style represented in an application falls outside the immediate experience of the Music Board members. The Music Board also draws on peers to attend Fund Assessment meetings as 'participating advisers'. These advisers play a very important role in sharing their expertise with the Board with regard to applications, assessment processes and policy. We do have members with specific knowledge and practice in contemporary music. Board members are appointed by the Federal Minister for the Arts for their experience and expertise in musical practice in Australia.
Members usually have knowledge of several musical styles.
The Board also invites at least one guest called a participating 'adviser' to assessment meetings to further widen the knowledge of different musical styles available during the assessment of applications. Artistic merit is generally interpreted as the merit of the proposal itself in terms of what it is trying to achieve artistically, considered in conjunction with the most recent work of the key artists in the proposal, as evidenced in the supporting material accompanying the application. In the New Work category, it is possible to apply for more than one work, for example, a suite or the creation of a number of songs. However, the applicant would need to demonstrate that the proposal is a one-off project where the proposed works are linked in some way and would form a complete and integrated project. Potential applicants should speak to Music staff before submitting an application.