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Joined: Sep 2005
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greetings musical folks...
this may come off as a very strange posting but i feel the creative minds of the human species offer the best and most rounded of opinions on just about any subject. so here goes...
to get to the point, my wife and i are considering leaving the united states of america. we are in the process of doing the research on where we would like to settle and begin a new life. australia and new zealand are at the top of the list.
the reasons why we wish to do so are numerous and way too complex to get into on this post. suffice it to say the future of this country is, in our minds, suspect, fragile in areas and broken in many. i'm not making these claims lightly and my wife and i have seen this coming for some years now. we have also been very active in trying to fix or mend these problems, but have met with so much resisitance, we have given up.
we are both professionals with skills. i'm a graphics specialist / illustrator / art director and my wife has a graphic design degree as well. she's also very strong in i.t. / database design and integration.
so, my question to you is about the quality of your life. is it what you want? are you happy with the policies of your country and government? do you enjoy the benefits of being where you are and your freedoms? do you sometimes wonder if the grass is greener on the other side? or is grass still grass, no matter where you are?
i would like to open a dialogue with you about life in australia / new zealand... the pros and cons.
we're not expecting to find perfection anywhere on this planet, but there are levels of peace and harmony where many human beings can adapt and live happy, fulfilled lives.
thank you for your time and attention.
if you would like to inspect some of my music and art, please feel free to browse the links below.
sincerely,
richard murrey

http://www.murreytunes.com
http://www.chevyfordband.com
http://www.2cre8tif.com

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G'day Richard,

This is the third time I've tried to post so I'm not going to rewrite everything all over again! Have you ever been to Australia? What is attracting you to us? What are YOU seeking in the way of life in a new country?

My suggestion would be to make a list of what you want and what you don't want and take it from there. If you've never been here before, I would recommend you come down for a visit to see for yourselves if this is where you really want to be. A sort of 'try before you buy' concept! All the online research and glowing recommendations in the world are no match for personal experience.

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lisa...
thanks for the reply! will do.
i know australian wines are "auss-some"! are there any great vineyards close to your abode?
r.

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Hi Richard,

Actually, I live about 90 minutes south of the Hunter Valley http://www.winecountry.com.au/ which is one of two Australian premier wine producing regions (the other being the Barossa Valley in South Australia). I live on the New South Wales Central Coast http://www.centralcoastaustralia.com.au/ about an hour north of Sydney http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/ http://www.sydney.com.au/ and an hour south of Newcastle http://www.visitnewcastle.com.au/visitnewcastle.asp. I live o the southern-most end of the Central Coast on the Woy Woy Peninsula http://www.openwindows.com/Peninsula.htm, wedged between the beautiful Hawksbury River, a national park and the ocean. Its lovely here, and still close enough to Sydney for all the city action!

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Hey Man, the government may suck but the beer is cold the red is smooth and there are plenty of places to go where politicians can't be bothered to find ya smile People in the country are relitvly friendly and to some extent trustworthy... just wouldn't trust the sons with daughters ... All up I wouldn't live anywhere else...

Come for a visit I live in the Hunter Valley smile

Al Alvarez from Florida came for a look see up our neck about 18 months back smile

Cheers




http://www.soundclick.com/noeldownsandfriends


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Hey Noel,

When am I going to get your sign up for the ASC? Come on! I've reduced the fees and everything! Get your bum into gear before you miss out on the 'early bird' specials! And I just KNOW you must be a member of at least one of the organisations getting a 15% discount.

Call me! wink

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I can't even afford the deposit... smile Nope not a member of anything that cost money these days..




http://www.soundclick.com/noeldownsandfriends


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No problem Noel. Maybe next year.

FYI, the Imaginotion Songs Music Industry Networking Group (ISMING) http://www.imaginotionsongs.net is free to join and members are entitled to 15% discount off ASC packages.

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Hey Lisa,

What you are doing is great, but is clashes with the APRA/AMCOS Song Summit 2008, which is sponsered by the industry and by government. It's really bad timing, so I hope things work out OK.

Back on topic, Richard, if you're going to immigrate, then come our for a month, and have a good look around. Australia is huge, has the same land mass as the US, but only 20 million people, so it's very diverse. If you're going to make such a move, it would be wise to assess your own goals/ambitions and then look around for a community which you would feel comfortable with, and then take it from there. We got plenty of room mate, and an ideology to suit most. Good luck.

cheers, niteshift


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Hey there niteshift,

The Song Summit in April is going to be really cool! Fortunately, the two events are completely different with focus on different topics. The Song Summit will incorporate everything APRA does so well with artist and song performance and promotion being the main factors. The Australian Songwriters Conference which is being held in June focuses on the actual craft of songwriting with some of the main business aspects (copyright, royalties, co-writing, contracts and legals etc) included. They really are two totally different events, and I think they will compliment each other well. I'm certainly getting a great response to the ASC, which is gratifying as it means that my research was spot on... Australian songwriters are really ready for this type of event.

I'll be posting another update here and at the ASC website shortly as there are more faculty and seminar confirmations coming up.

Good to hear from you!


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Parents immigrated when I was 11.

Unless you want to spend your time looking at old buildings Australia has it all ( ok , europe and america and japan have better skiing , but that's about it .)

Best place on the planet IMHO. You will find the attute of most Australians is closer to America than England , but as a rule we're more laid back.

Not perfect , but is any where . Lots of different places varying from cosmpolitan areas in Sydney / Melb though to idilic green fields in tasmania / southern highlands / lots of beaches / Plenty of places you can go exploring and never be heard of again... though to places from the set of Steve Irwin etc

Cliff


How many song writers does it take to change a light bulb ?

Change !!!! WTF ....

I Ain't changing nuthin ....
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thanks to all of you for your input and ideas.
plans are in the works to come over and check things out.
as time grows near, i may be in touch.
rock on,
r.

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Hi Richard,

I grew up in Sweden, traveled around Europe and spent almost a decade in Los Angeles before moving to Australia.

Pros: Great climate (choices range from tropical to Mediterranean), vast areas of uninhabited natural beauty, good balance between "welfare state" and free enterprise, great capital cities in most states with fantastic food, arts, culture and sporting events. A lot of talented people in all of these areas. Increasingly vibrant and multi-cultural society.

Depending on your point of view: Caught in a time-warp and physically isolated from the rest of the world.

Cons: Racist/redneck tendencies, lack of support for lateral and unique thinkers, obsession with fast food culture. General complacency in politics and society. A lot of talented people leaving due to lack of opportunity.

That's my take in a nutshell. I'm a full-time musician and street performer in Adelaide, and I feel like I see the best and worst of this place on a regular basis. I've left several times, but I have to say I've always been happy to come back. Oh, and the South Australian wine regions - Barossa Valley, Clare, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra are all world class.

Good luck,
Andy

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At least Adelaide has a music scene .... In the Hunter I can avoid the rednecks and the racists though I still run into a few issues with working in an Aboriginal Land Council but it works both ways and most folk are pretty good just don't think about it until you explain it to them...but the music scene up toward the top of the Hunter is very limited... I envy you in Adelaide but don't think I could leave here smile

Oh and our wine is not only better... but it's cheaper smile

Last edited by Noel Downs; 07/06/09 11:06 PM.



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G'Day Noel,

Adelaide is brilliant during summer and autumn.
February-March has so many events and festivals crammed in that we would probably be the envy of many big cities. The rest of the year everyone goes back into their shell though...And it's too cold for a busker in winter!

I love the Hunter Valley and spent some time in the Newcastle region. But seriously, about the wine....

Cheers,
Andy

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Anything that comes in drinkable form for 2 bucks smile Has my vote as the best kind... smile




http://www.soundclick.com/noeldownsandfriends


Tolerance means if you don't like something you ignore it

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