Janelle K Johnstone

For nearly three decades Janelle Johnstone has worked across a range of sectors including the music industry, community broadcasting and community arts development. Her practice background takes in roles as music curator, creative director, communications strategist, musician and events producer.

Janelle is a current PhD candidate at La Trobe University. Her research titled Sonic aGender explores barriers and enablers to gendered participation in Melbourne's independent live music community. Focusing on mid career and established artists who work in punk genres, the research uses participatory action and practice led approaches to produce a range of public outcomes, including two feminist punk retrospectives of Melbourne music, and the composition of a feminist punk guitar orchestra.

In analysing relationships between gender and genre, the research provides critical insight into mechanisms to better support women and gender diverse people to maintain music careers over time, as well as reveal broader socio economic implications for women and gender diverse people. This project is supervised by Dr Tarryn Phillips and Dr Carolyn D'Cruz.