Few people have shaped – and safeguarded – Northern Ireland’s music community quite like Charlene Hegarty. From her years at the Oh Yeah Centre, where she helped establish Scratch My Progress, Women’s Work and Sound of Belfast, to her work as a manager, label boss and festival co-ordinator, she has long been a force for both opportunity and protection.

Now, as the first permanent Musicians’ Union Regional Officer for NI, she continues to champion fairness, solidarity and sustainability for artists. In this latest Conversations feature, Charlene reflects on her journey so far, the challenges musicians face and the values that keep her fighting for change.

Hi Charlene. You’ve long been one of the fiercest champions of NI music. What first pulled you in? Was there a moment, a band or a scene that made you think, “this is it, this is my world”?

Okay, it’s a developing plot.

I was raised on Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Celine Dion and Shania Twain. Music was motivation for my mum and I was lucky to have such strong voices in my life from a young age. 

The first LP I bought with my own money was Tracy Chapman by Tracy Chapman. I just liked the cover, but I spent a whole summer with that record and it’s now pure nostalgia and joy.

Then, the Spice Girls exploded in 1996, I was 10. I remember seeing them play ‘Wannabe’ on a Saturday morning kids TV show and sprinting up the road to my friend’s house to agree on our favourites. That same friend, who lived 4 doors away, had Sky in the year 2000, which was very fancy in our little council row. That created a vortex into the world of global pop and alternative angles. I was hooked on MTV, MTV2, VH1 and occasionally some Scuzz. We literally sat wedged on an armchair, flicking the channels all day and schooling up on all the most exciting music videos and building lifelong bonds with the performers. That led naturally to live music gigs from age 14, as many as my pizza shop job could afford. 

It was no going back from there – my mum was terrified, I was elated and firmly focused. 

Looking back across your journey so far – spanning festivals, management, projects and more – what moments feel most defining or rewarding for you personally?

I feel really proud that I have been able to offer safety and support to people. I mean, the industry is full of awards, social stats and special live shows, and I am proud to say I have been a part of some artists’ journeys towards those hard-earned accolades. But for me, what matters above all else is how you hold yourself over the longer term. The industry is tough, but you can act with honesty and integrity and still find rewards and excitement in it. 

You’re the very first permanent Musicians’ Union Regional Officer for Northern Ireland. What does that role involve day to day, and why was it so important that NI finally had its own representation?

Working as a musician is one of the hardest jobs. My job involves helping musicians who face unfairness, exploitation, uncertainty and/or lack of support. I feel so proud to be a part of the Musician’s Union because my bosses are the musicians who make up our members – as it should be. I feel very committed to making things better for musicians today and in the future. I believe the first step is establishing a clear communication about the realities for everyday musicians free from the hype and often stigma that spills over from perceptions around those at the top of the chain. I am proud to represent members who work their music to feed their families, to pay their rent and in doing so ignite our social scenes and communities in ways people don’t always appreciate. 

What are some of the biggest challenges facing musicians here that you’re trying to address through this role?

In my view, being a musician should be viewed with the same respect as being a doctor or a dentist. That process begins at school with fair access to music education for kids of all ages. A career in music should be treated with the same incentive as a career in STEM. Since the Musician’s Union started in 1893, musicians have been asking for the same thing – to be able to work in a fair, safe and transparent way in return for their skills. I firmly believe that isn’t too much to ask but we are still a long way off. The work of the Musician’s Union is more vital than ever and I ask all musicians to join us in our collective effort. Our key campaigns are around AI, Streaming and Fair Pay for musicians and we are quite relentless in our quest. 

How do you see the MU shaping the future of the industry in NI over the next few years?

The MU is a committed community across Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales. I believe the key characteristics of that community are working musicians, asserting their rights and fighting for them regardless of the challenges. As a worker within that community, it’s my job to be steadfast. I want to make sure Northern Ireland’s voice is loud within the MU community as we need that solidarity more than any other part of the British Isles. My first priority is making sure that our existing NI members fully utilise the access and benefit of having a union worker on the ground here in NI. Beyond that, I want the MU to be at the forefront on the issues that matter most to NI musicians – top of that list is the attack on the arts from our Stormont Executive. Funding the arts isn’t at odds with healthcare budgets or housing budgets, but it has been framed in that way and we need to redress that.

Your time as Talent Development Manager at the Oh Yeah Centre left a huge mark: Scratch My Progress, Sound of Belfast, Women’s Work Festival… the list goes on. What did you take away from those years of working so closely with emerging artists?

I took away a lived experience of how hard music charities like the Oh Yeah work to advocate and offer opportunities to musicians and the wider music community. I took away a stronger sense of what feels possible and the vital importance of respectful collaboration. Women’s Work, Sound of Belfast, Scratch My Progress are all simple ideas built from the ground up through commitment, dedication and perseverance by many, often against the grain. I took away best friends. I took away songs that have shaped a full section of my life and will continue to bring me back to those wonderful memories. Long live Oh Yeah. 

You’ve been a label boss with Smalltown America, a music manager, project manager, tour manager, festival co-ordinator, and of course, a mother. How have those different roles shaped the way you approach supporting artists today?

Musicians have always been my bosses and I am good with that. To be honest, I don’t know how the industry has turned so far upside down on that front. Kate Nash is selling pictures of her bum to fund her tour, while non-musician CEOs are earning $120m+ annually from the music. 

Each of the roles has helped me understand the various competing factors a musician has to contend with to break through on any level. I hope that has helped me have a compassionate approach. But also a clear-headed and informed approach to genuinely help guide the musician to useful actions to improve their chances. 

And let me be clear, I felt that 8+ years of babysitting boys in tour vans and tour buses would prepare me for mothering two boys of my own. I was wrong, and happy to be wrong – my two little anarchists have their own plans and I am just happy to be granted a front row ticket for the show.

Not many people fight as hard – or as consistently – for musicians’ rights and for nurturing new talent as you. What’s been your guiding light through it all?

Can you imagine how grim life would be without music? I genuinely don’t want to live that life, so protecting and promoting the musician feels like a very logical use of my time on this mad orb.

With Belfast now a UNESCO City of Music, what do you think we can be most proud of – and what should we be striving for next to make that recognition really matter?

UNESCO has provided a wonderful platform for us to jump off from. I feel we have walked taller under the title and I believe that should accumulate over time rather than dissipate. In terms of what to strive for next, let’s make sure whatever that it is we ask the musicians first. I’m not a musician, so I could only hazard a guess. We have a rich supply of the most talented, creative, hard-working and resourceful musicians in this city willing to make things work, willing to elevate things and shape things. I will be fighting to ensure their views are embedded into everything. 

Looking ahead, what do you hope the future of music in Northern Ireland will look like, especially in terms of solidarity, equality and sustainability for artists?

Music has been medicine to Northern Ireland. It’s helped to bond bruised communities like no other. Born from that is a brilliant DIY scene where there is a healthy cooperation between musicians helping to strengthen opportunities across the board. I really wish to see the values of that remain while the overall volume around what we do goes up and quality of life for musicians improves. 

If you had to pick one song from the NI music scene during your time in it – one that sums up what we’re all about – what would it be and why?

Human by Kitt Philippa – always, forever, on repeat.