I was invited to talk about the music industry and Big Music at the Long Listen Festival held in Palmwoods. The artistic director Louise King is imaginative and bold, and her program was musician and artist driven and presented a mix of genres. 

Classical, blues, world, experimental and audiences were offered as well as events the festival subscribers could be involved in like yoga and visual activities like painting. Unusual perhaps but it all hit the spot with local audiences who loved it. 

I liked the idea of Louise programming two Festival Conversations which were expertly chaired by Emily Winter, a cellist, writer and musical philosopher. I was offered two spots but due to problematic clashing of dates I could only be involved in one with Dr Hope O’ Chin on the 4 October. A pity since I missed out on a panel with Ed le Brocq and would have loved to have heard more about his latest book Sound Bites which journeys through a millennium of classical music.

The Long Listen Festival is a boutique music and cultural festival held in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Australia. The most recent event took place from October 3–6, 2025, in locations Palmwoods and Mapleton. 

The festival, much enjoyed by subscribers and locals, presented a diverse range of genres, including classical, world, folk, and experimental music, with an emphasis on artist collaboration and community connection.  

This year's program included 14 events, 11 genres, and 54 artists, featuring highlights like the Chamber Music Gala, Festival Conversations, and specific concerts such as "Road Movies" and "Didge Didirri." Some of the other events included: 

• Opening Concert: Migrating Bird Veronique Serret, Mary Rapp, Richard Daniell + William Barton & Layla Havana
• Morning Meditations: A Song & Sound Immersion Nienke Berghuis & David Clayton
• Road Movies: A Classical Recital Courtenay Cleary & Alex Raineri
• Ensemble Q Concert Paul Dean, Trish Dean & Emily Granger
• Horizons Concert Cerulean Collective
• Appalachian Spring Gala Festival Chamber Orchestra, String Quartet & Alex Raineri
• Adrift with Gosti
• Roots on the Range Closing Concert State of Appalachia, Hat Fitz & Cara, and Phoebe McLennan
• Festival Conversations (both sessions at The Little Book Nook)
• Didge Didirri Sound Bath & First Nations Art Workshop

This list of activities indicates the variety of sessions involved and the ambition and endeavour behind it.