Jordan Tito

I was extremely lucky to learn young that I wanted to be in the music industry. From dreams of auditioning for Australian Idol at 10 years old to researching higher tertiary education when I was still in primary school, I wanted to work in music but in the only way I knew how – which was to be a teacher.

It wasn’t until I was 15 that I realised I could pursue a career that went beyond teaching. At a Slipknot concert, I saw the crew move on stage for changeover and it had me thinking – who are they? What do they do? Are they part of the touring team? Is this something I could do? It changed my perspective on everything. The options were endless and I wasn’t sure where to begin but it lit a spark that never went out.

I completed a handful of vocational courses at Music SA in music business, songwriting and performance, event management and more. These courses changed my life. I fell into a community of like-minded people and made lifelong friends – some who I went on to play in bands with and still work with to this day.

After high school, I went to university and completed a Bachelor of Media Arts in Music & Drama at UniSA. I loved studying and being the first person in my family to go to University was really important to me. Despite it being a great experience (and now I can say I have a degree!), I definitely learnt more in the field getting my hands dirty.

Now, 15 years later, I’m still extremely lucky and now I earn a living in my dream role. I now predominantly work in touring, mostly as a tour manager, helping artists deliver their live shows to audiences across Australia and the world.

Getting where I am now took years of building. Outside of Uni, I worked many different roles in different fields. I worked in a tattoo studio, at events, at the circus, the cinemas, in football clubs and even in a naval shipyard. Though these roles didn’t always directly relate to music, they paid my bills and helped me build skills to become the person I am today. Always open to any opportunity, I tried everything. I put my hand up for anything and everything which means I’ve volunteered, interned and taken any opportunity that came up. When I first started, I even emailed venues and offered to clean their toilets – I just wanted my foot in that door and to take a peek behind the curtain.

I’ve worked behind bars, wrist-banded and scanned tickets at the gate, slung t-shirts in merch, sold tickets in the box office, played in bands, wrote for local arts and culture publications and handed out flyers which built into bigger roles like being a venue manager, artist liaison, tour manager, backstage manager and more. During this time I networked, I went to local shows and was fortunate enough to find my people, to connect with mentors who shared my passion and learnt lessons that became significant to my career.

One of the biggest battles was questioning moving interstate. Time and time again, I’ve watched as SA’s industry heavyweights have moved interstate for bigger and better opportunities. I love Adelaide but making a career here in music has been all the more harder with a very small industry and limited opportunities. Yet, here I am living proof that you can make a career without relocating across state lines. The older I get, the more I want to stay. I want to be able to inspire and create opportunities for the next generation of creatives – just like my mentors did for me when I was a 15 year old kid.

What do I wish I knew before I started? Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there – you’ll never know until you try. You’ll either have a good time or a good story to tell! Most importantly, burn out is very real. Look after yourself, make the effort for quality time with family and friends and prioritise your mental and physical health above all else.

I won’t lie – it’s been a very challenging career but that has only made it all the more rewarding.

Pronouns: She/Her

Content supplied by: Jordan Tito

Edited for clarity by: Dahlia Opala

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