‘TEEN SPIRIT’ IS GOING NATIONAL!
The Note goes national via Teen Spirit – distributed directly in to Schools around the nation, thanks to the support of the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia.
After our majorly successful first issue of Teen Spirit, launched a year ago to South Australian teenagers, Teen Spirit will now be distributed nationally.
Alongside our national features, every Australian state and territory will carry locally tailored content, spotlighting emerging artists from each region – written by locals who know their scene inside and out.
Thanks to the support of the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body, Teen Spirit will be kicking off it’s long awaited encore.
With the social media ban now firmly in place, Teen Spirit offers a tangible alternative. We’re encouraging Australian teenagers to ditch the screen and pick up a ‘zine, distributing directly into schools nationwide. If the choice is Teen Spirit or a science textbook in spare time, we know the decision is obvious.
Distributed across every state and territory in Australia, directly into schools, this ink and paper magazine will make it into teens hands across the country, into school backpacks, and taken home to flick through all the music filled pages.
Teen Spirit National will feature interviews with beloved national and international artists and bands, upcoming all-ages gigs to get teens out and about at gigs, reviews for the latest Australian tracks, stories of young people working in the music industry, curated sections; unique to each state and territory, highlighting the voices of local artists and young culture makers, and much, much more.
Freelance writers across Australia with a great involvement with their local music scene are encouraged to contact The Note if they would like to get involved with the project.
Photos by Saige Prime
The first edition of Teen Spirit was created in partnership with Carclew, with the ambition of getting kids to gigs and involved in Adelaide’s vibrant music and arts scene, and now it has evolved to be for teens across all of Australia.
So, what is Teen Spirit, and why was it created?
Teen Spirit is a guide to everything music, arts and culture for young people in Australia.
Back in February 2025, in partnership with Carclew, the first-ever teen edition of The Note was born with the ambition of getting kids to gigs and involved in Adelaide’s vibrant music and arts scene. And it was met with open arms from teens across the state.
We all remember our first gig: the butterflies in the belly threatening to overspill, the buzz of bodies singing along in unison and the elation that arrives from witnessing live music. It’s formative. It’s addictive. It’s life-changing.
However, right now, young Australians are missing that crucial coming-of-age experience.
In 2023, Music Victoria surveyed 500 people under 35 and found 22% of respondents lacked the motivation to attend live music concerts/festivals. Further, 16% of participants between 16-18 had not yet attended a concert before, compared to 3% of those aged 19 and above. These findings were reflected in a recent Creative Australia report, which found people between 18-24 were no longer the primary ticket buyers at festivals - a position they held pre-pandemic. Lastly, research commissioned by youth music organisation The Push found Australians between 16-25 are more likely to attend a music event featuring an international artist (curiously, 24-25 year olds are more likely to see local artists!) and that 52% of its survey respondents discover new music via TikTok.
Teenagers' music participation and consumption had shifted, and with the social media ban looming – and now in full affect – young people were at risk of being even more shut off from discovering new music, experiencing live gig experiences and interacting with music and arts in social environments.
And that’s where Teen Spirit came in.
In February of 2025, in collaboration with Carclew, we did what we do best at The Note – interviewed Adelaide artists, reviewed songs and showcased why SA is Australia’s only UNESCO City of Music – and combined it with the building blocks teenagers need to be life-long music lovers to produce an engaging youth magazine.
Adelaide’s youth were involved in creating the first volume of Teen Spirit, from choosing what artists we profiled, to penning reviews of hits from previous decades. Because of this, the magazine spoke directly to the generation shaping the future of music, encouraging them to be excited about the sounds emerging from their backyard.
The results, spoke for themselves.
“By engaging directly with our youth, we [created] a space for their voices to be heard and their talents to be showcased,” said former Carclew CEO Mimi Crowe when commenting on the partnership. “Teen Spirit is about empowering the next generation of artists and audiences alike.”
“Teen Spirit was sparked by many conversations and reports highlighting a decline in live music attendance among Australia’s youth,” says The Note’s director, Olly Raggatt. “Teen Spirit aims to not only spark greater interest in the local scene but also drive live music attendance and inspire career pathways.”
“Music is essential for children’s development and for the workforce of the future,” states the Hon. Blair Boyer. “This partnership represents our government’s commitment to ensuring that every child, young person, and community has access to connect with their creative future.”
Watch this space for more information regarding Teen Spirit national.
Want to get involved? For enquiries about partnerships and collaborations, contact Olly Raggat - oraggatt@hwrmedia.com.au. For enquiries about editorial and freelance, contact Millah Hansberry - mhansberry@hwrmedia.com.au.
Read Teen Spirit Vol 1 online here.
