In late 2011, Jan Grant a much-loved ANAM supporter and audience member, came to Nick Bailey with an idea to build support around ANAM musicians: “I don’t have a spare $10,000” she said, “but I do have ten friends, each of whom have $1,000.”
And so began a very significant ANAM journey.
“The idea that Jan put on the table in that meeting, and has pursued with her formidable energies ever since, was the ANAM Syndicate program. One that has created significant joy and connections for ANAM musicians and audiences alike,” said Nick Bailey.
“What started as a revenue-raising initiative quickly became so much more; wrapping hundreds of ANAM friends around our young musicians; friendships that have become families that have both endured beyond ANAM and at the same time keep renewing themselves.”
To recognise Jan’s role in conceiving and establishing the ANAM Syndicate program, ANAM is delighted to announce that Jan Grant be honoured as the Patron of the ANAM Syndicate Program - a title that will be recognised in perpetuity.
Additionally, in recognising Jan’s lasting contribution to ANAM and her deep empathy and connection with our musicians, the Board of ANAM has agreed to name the new musicians’ lounge in the renovated South Melbourne Town Hall, the Jan Grant Musicians’ Lounge in her honour.
The Jan Grant Musicians’ Lounge will be one of two new structures proposed by Peter Elliott Architects to be incorporated into the building. It will sit at the organisational centre of ANAM’s renovated, permanent home as a symbol of Jan’s hard-work, dedication, vision and grace and a reminder for generations to come of the committed contributors who care so deeply for them: their happiness, their success, (their matching socks) and the art form itself.
Life-long friendships built through the ANAM Syndicate Program
Joan and Barry Miskin have become known not just for generously supporting ANAM’s Syndicate Program, but also hosting ANAM musicians at their home for dinner.
“I like to think of Joan and Barry as akin to my Melbourne family,” says Dario Scalabrini (Clarinet, 2024) who relocated from Brisbane.
“They always want to know what concerts you have on the horizon and how you’re getting on. Being from an Italian background – and Joan also has an Italian background – It’s honestly like going to your Mum or Grandma’s house. Joan’s an amazing cook, she always brings out a five- or six-course meal!”
Crucially, Dario adds, the couple also knows their music, and are unafraid to explore new sounds. At one dinner party last year, he told them that he was rehearsing a Klezmer piece called The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind. Immediately, their “eyes lit up”, he says, and they quickly disappeared around the corner, only to reappear a moment later with a recording of the piece on CD.
“That’s a great example of who they are as music appreciators,” Dario says. “They’re constantly striving to listen to new things, and love hearing even avant-garde music. That’s really special.”
For Barry and Joan, the dinner parties are a natural follow-on from their experience of the Syndicate Program. For over 10 years they have supported the program, sharing with fellow music-lovers in providing financial assistance to support ANAM musicians while they are dedicated to their training.
In return, they receive personalised and regular contact from ANAM staff, and updates on their musicians’ recitals, concerts and significant career milestones. They have also been invited to performances by syndicate musicians in the homes of several generous ANAM supporters.
“We feel we get more out of it than we put in,” Barry says.
A feature of the Syndicate Program has been the variety of approaches taken by donors and musicians alike, he adds. Understandably, not all musicians or donors choose to take a hands-on approach, and he says the program is flexible enough to accommodate all preferences.
The couple’s support dates to a chance encounter Joan had with the widowed mother of an ANAM musician. Joan was blown away by the sacrifices she had made to support her child’s lifelong music passion.
“I thought, there must be a way of helping, and then coincidentally soon after I heard about the Syndicate Program from Jan Grant. That’s where it all started.”
Barry says they were also drawn to the idea of supporting very good musicians to become truly excellent. “That is a wonderful idea, no matter where they end up. It’s a concept they’ll take with them for the rest of their lives.”
Ruby Shirres (Viola, 2021) was supported by Joan and Barry during her time at ANAM, and says they are among the most “well-listened members of Melbourne’s music community”.
“Joan and Barry are very special people - they are so generous. They have really fostered a relationship that’s built on more than music, but has a foundational appreciation of what music does for people.”
Joan and Barry’s generosity has had a lasting impact on Ruby, who is now a member of the multiple prize-winning Affinity Quartet, which Joan notes the couple follows religiously.
“We email each other about our many interests, from veggie gardens to craft activities,” she says. “In many ways, we’ve been the beneficiaries of watching these young people blossom. You actually see the change from the beginning of their time at ANAM to the end. It’s thrilling to see.”
As well as being a way for them to support their love of music, the couple’s giving to the ANAM Syndicate Program has also given them a new circle of friends at a time of life when they weren’t expecting it.
“We’re at what you’d call retiring age, and you don’t think you’ll be forming new friendships or meeting people with similar interests now,” Joan says. “We’ve developed good friendships, through our shared passions for both music and ANAM.”
Ruby adds that these are the kinds of relationships that are “essential” for young musicians, bolstering their confidence and helping launch their performance careers.
“The ripple effect that has is enormous. I feel lucky to have been connected with them. Their support makes me feel like there’s a strong future for music in Australia.”
Words by Anders Furze.
First published in volume 51 of Music Makers.