u/Any_Description2768

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I’m trying to figure out where to start with pursuing music seriously and would love some advice from people who are actually in the Australian music scene.
I’m based in Brisbane and want to become a singer/songwriter, eventually releasing and performing my own music. I’m particularly interested in alternative/goth/metal styles. I don’t have any formal music training yet, so I’m starting from scratch.

I’m looking for somewhere that can help me build up my skills while also giving me opportunities to meet other musicians, collaborate, perform and start building industry connections.

I’m considering private singing lessons as a starting point, as well as looking into music courses such as JMC or TAFE, but I’m not sure what the best pathway is.
If you were starting from where I am, what would you recommend? Is there a particular course, school, teacher, program or pathway in Brisbane/Australia that you’d say “start here — this will help you build the skills and connections you need”?

I’d especially love to hear from people who are actually working in music or have been through this process themselves.

I’m looking at studying music in 2027 and I’m trying to decide between JMC, TAFE South Bank, QUT etc.
I’m mainly interested in singing/vocal development, songwriting and contemporary alternative music, particularly darker styles such as goth, gothic rock and metal, with the eventual goal of performing and making/releasing my own music.
I’ve seen quite a few older posts saying JMC was disorganised, but most of those seem to be 5+ years old, so I’m wondering if that’s still people’s experience or if things have changed.
For anyone who’s actually studied music at JMC, TAFE, QUT or elsewhere in Brisbane recently — where would you recommend and why?
I’m particularly interested in:
. How good the vocal/singing training is
. How much songwriting/composition you actually get to do
. How much performance experience you get
. Whether you get opportunities to collaborate with other musicians
. How flexible the course is in terms of genre — can you develop your own sound rather than being pushed toward a particular style?
. How good the industry connections/networking opportunities actually are
. Whether the course helped people get gigs, work in the industry, release music or make useful connections after graduating
. Whether you felt the course genuinely helped you develop as an artist

I’d especially love to hear from people who have finished recently or are currently studying there. 😊

Hi,

So I’m looking for some skin whitening products etc. my skins always dull looking and doesn’t look bright/fresh etc. nobody has even mentioned that there were such products to me when I would say my skin was dull and tired etc. anyone got any advice or recommendations?

Hi,
So I heard Korean skin care is a good place to as about skin whitening/lightening/brightening? I’m not trying to do anything dangerous obviously and I’m not saying that everyone needs to have white skin I think everyone is beautiful in their own way, but for myself I personally like the high contrast look like black hair, pale skin type of thing. I already have fairly light skin but I’m wondering if there’s any way to safely lighten it by a shade or two? I avoid sun, use sunscreen and wear long protective clothing, anyone have any advice?

Ok, so seriously, I’m so done. I can’t work out why I can’t seem to get rid of BV. Like my doctor gives me antibiotics for it then it’s fine for a while then it comes back again. I’m asexual so it’s not anything to do with being sexually active and I always shower and wash myself with unscented, gentle soap.

Then I heard something about you have to take a particular probiotic to restore the good bacteria to help prevent BV from returning, is that true? What one do I take? I’ll literally try anything atp. I’m also considering seeing a gynaecologist cause clearly my gp is of no help to find the underlying cause. I live in Australia if that helps for product recommendations etc.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Any Aussie goths here?

How do you protect your skin from the sun while maintaining your style? I live in Queensland, so the UV is pretty intense. I already wear sunscreen every day and I’m trying to build a wardrobe with more long sleeves, hats and sunglasses, but I’d love to hear what actually works for you.

My style is mostly everyday alternative/gothic, so I’d especially love recommendations that fit that aesthetic while still being practical in the Queensland heat.
Do you have any favourite fabrics, clothing brands, UPF clothing, hats, parasols, sunglasses, or even skincare/body care products that you’ve found helpful?

I’m trying to protect my skin long-term while also keeping the pale look I enjoy, so I’d love to hear any tips you’ve picked up over the years.

Hi,

I’m curious how other Australians who intentionally maintain a very fair complexion go about it, especially given how strong the sun is here.

(Please note: This is purely a personal aesthetic preference for myself—I think all skin tones are beautiful, I’m just curious about the routines of people who intentionally maintain very fair skin.)

For those of you who like staying pale rather than tanning:

What’s your routine?

Do you rely mostly on sunscreen, UPF clothing and avoiding the sun, or do you do anything else?

Have you found your skin became noticeably lighter over time after consistently avoiding sun exposure?
Are there any skincare products you swear by?
I already wear sunscreen, moisturise, wear long sleeves and pants and avoid the sun where I can (I’m also photosensitive), but I’m interested in hearing what has worked for other people rather than just looking for advice for myself.

I’d love to hear what everyone’s routine is!

Hi,

I’m just wondering if there’s any Australian goths here? I need some help in finding a good place to get clothing/shoes/jewellery etc. I’m located in Brisbane QLD Australia if that helps.
Do you guys mainly thrift and make stuff or are there places you can also buy some new stuff from? Like idk anyone else in the community so it makes it difficult and the places I’ve looked don’t really seem to have anything. I’m looking into stuff like romantic soft vibes. Also I find causal clothes to be the hardest to put together tbh.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Hi,

I’m eating much better than I used to and have lost a lot of weight but the cravings are a pain in the butt. Does anyone have a tips for getting past these cravings or is it just one of those things that takes time to go away/settle down? Any advice would be appreciated.

Hi,

So maybe I missed it but I couldn’t find anything on this sub about this. So I’m looking for some long sleeve casual alt t shirts. I just can’t seem to find any that have a graphic design and are a relaxed or oversized fit. I don’t mind band shirts either. I say long sleeves cause I’m quite sensitive to sun even when wearing sunscreen.

Anyone got any suggestions?

Hi,

Has anyone else that suffered from mental health issues gone on accutane? If so, did it affect your mental health at all? I’m just wondering cause it was offered to me by my dermatologist but as I tend to struggle with mental health and I’d heard it could affect mood, I was hesitant.

Hi,
So I was literally just prescribed tret for acne, scars etc, and I was told to use it twice a week for now, I wasn’t told to build it up or anything like that, so do I have to? Like was it an oversight on my derm’s part or does she just want me to use it for that many times until I see her next? But if I only use it that much, how will I know the true potential results I could have?

I also wasn’t told if I’d have to use a different moisturiser. Is e45 facial cream thick enough to use with the tret? If not, what’s a good moisturiser (that’s not over a $100) to help prevent tret from drying my skin out and messing with my skin barrier.

Also does tret make acne worse before it gets better? If it gets worse is that a good sign that it’s working? How long until you start to see results?

Also I was basically just told to cleanse my face with a gentle cleanser, sunscreen, moisturiser and then the tret. Does that seem like a reasonable skin routine? I’m just quite hesistant and concerned cause I don’t want my face to completely dry out and flake as I already get some itchy spots which I mentioned to my dermatologist but she didn’t seem concerned, so idk.

Any help would be appreciated.

Hi,

I was given tretinoin by my dermatologist and I was just wondering how other people with acne prone, congested, sensitive skin found it? My dermatologist did specify that it could dry out my skin or irritate it so I’m a little hesitant as I don’t want to be trying to fix one thing only to get more problems.

Anyone care to share their experience?

Hi,

I was just curious as to why every time I wear foundation it goes on nice then like an hour later it ends up cakey, blotching and coming off everywhere? I use moisturiser, primer and spray but it still comes off? Could it be a skin issue? Like maybe my skin is dry/dehydrated and it’s messing with how the makeup sits on my face? Any advice is welcome please.