YEE YANG ‘SQUARE’ LEE 李羽阳

As an artist manager, I know firsthand the challenges our community faces—navigating complex international markets, building sustainable career pathways for artists, and doing this mahi while often feeling isolated in our individual practices. Since joining MMF as a mentor in 2020, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of our collective knowledge and support structures.

I want to acknowledge that MMF (and its key people over the years) helped make my own artist management journey possible. Lorraine Barry, Cushla Aston, Ninakaye Taane-Tinorau, and Scott McLachlan (and several others) have been incredibly generous with their time, knowledge, and encouragement. These veterans helped develop my take on what good management looks like—not just in practice, but in how we support each other as an industry, as a community.

Having essentially hung up my artist management cape recently, I want to contribute back to MMF at the governance level, helping ensure that the same generosity and support continues for the next generation of managers, especially those from BIPOC backgrounds.

WHY I WANT TO SERVE

There is a particular objective driving my nomination: I want to uncover and mentor Asian diasporic (and BIPOC) music management talent through MMF.

Despite co-founding initiatives like Where The Asians At‽ and ASIAN(SOUND)SCAPES Festival, I still regularly encounter talented Asian-Kiwi managers and self-managed artists—most of (if not all) whom do it part-time—who don’t see themselves refl ected in industry leadership. They’re doing the mahi, but are rarely visible—or they don’t yet realise that spaces like MMF are for them too. MMF’s commitment to representing “the wide diversity of voices and backgrounds” isn’t just aspirational language to me; it’s the kaupapa I’ve been building infrastructure around in Aotearoa for 17+ years.

WHAT I BRING TO THE COMMITTEE

Three interconnected areas where I think I can meaningfully contribute:

1. Cultural intelligence and diversity leadership: As a Malaysian-Chinese migrant fl uent in fi ve languages, I bring authentic cross-cultural navigation skills and lived understanding of the specifi c barriers facing managers and artists from diverse backgrounds. Through ORYZA (17+ years), Where The Asians At‽, and my creative producing practice, I’ve spent nearly two decades building sustainable infrastructure for underrepresented communities—not just talking about it, but actually doing the work of creating pathways, opening doors, and staying in it for the long haul.

2. Systems change expertise: Research I commissioned has helped infl uence national policy—NZ On Air’s Pan-Asian funding framework and Creative NZ’s Diversity Policy for instance. We listened to grassroots voices and translated those insights into structural changes, which were then shared with arts and cultural agencies and institutions. I understand how to move from “this is what artists are experiencing” to “here’s how we change the system that creates these barriers”—which MMF needs as the sector continues evolving at the current hyper-rapid pace in response to AI development and breakthroughs.

3. Strategic governance capability: As a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute with 16+ years of experience spanning start-ups/SMEs to billion-dollar organisations, I can help MMF strengthen its governance practices and organisational sustainability. I’m not interested in imposing corporate governance frameworks that don’t fi t. I want to help MMF maintain the collaborative, member-focused culture that makes it special while building the strategic and operational structures that ensure long-term effectiveness.

THE GAP I WANT TO ADDRESS

During COVID lockdowns, I had this inkling that I may have been the only full-time Asian music manager in Aotearoa–this was seemingly verifi ed by my peers, which directly led me to establish Where The Asians At‽ to build and fi nd community. Years down the line, I still don’t know of many, if any, Asian music managers in NZ, and certainly not anyone committed to it full-time, which tells you everything about the structural barriers we need to address. This isn’t about individual effort; it’s about building the infrastructure and support systems that make sustainable careers possible.

(Also, since I too am not a full-time manager anymore… Sigh.)

Additionally, I’ve observed that MMF excels at foundational education—the Back to Basics seminars and entry-level workshops are invaluable. However, there’s a growing cohort of early-to-mid career managers whose professional development needs have outgrown 101-level content. These managers need support around complex contract negotiations, international market navigation, building sustainable business models, and strategic career planning for their artists at scale.

We need to develop tiered programming that meets managers where they actually are in their journey—not just where they’re starting from. The recent Elevate programme was an excellent step in this direction, and I’d like to help expand and systematise this approach.

MY COMMITMENT

I can fully commit to bi-monthly committee meetings and additional project work throughout the year. My current governance roles have given me extensive experience balancing multiple board commitments while remaining actively engaged and contributing meaningfully. I may be stepping off Q Theatre’s board in due course, which would create additional capacity for MMF work.

Beyond meeting attendance, I’m prepared to:

● Lead or support initiatives around diversity and cultural representation

● Contribute governance expertise to strengthen MMF’s organisational effectiveness

● Leverage my international networks (PADA’s 400+ global producers, APP Camp, major markets) to bring valuable international perspectives and opportunities to our members

● Mentor emerging managers, particularly those from underrepresented communities

● Support the Manager of Operations with strategic thinking and sector connections

MY UNDERSTANDING OF GOVERNANCE RESPONSIBILITIES

I recognise that serving on the Executive Committee means acting in the best general interests of MMF Aotearoa and its members—not just my own roster or specifi c community. I commit to bringing diverse perspectives while keeping the collective good at the center of decision-making. I understand the need for regular engagement between meetings and the collaborative nature of committee work.

MMF has been instrumental in professionalising music management in Aotearoa over the past decade, but it is still incredibly challenging to sustain a full-time management practice here–I know this intimately from my own journey. Which is exactly why I want to contribute to the next chapter of that mahi—ensuring that our community of managers continues to strengthen, that diverse voices lead alongside established ones, and that we build the infrastructure and economic models that support sustainable careers at every stage of the journey.

MY PROFESSIONAL BIO

Yee Yang ‘Square’ Lee is a creative catalyst, governance professional and cultural consultant with over two decades of experience building sustainable pathways for artists and transforming sector infrastructure in Aotearoa.

Square’s artist management credits include Modern Māori Quartet, Troy Kingi, Arjuna Oakes, Mazbou Q, Tofi ga Fepulea’i and Ersha Island 二沙岛, with management, agency and touring experience spanning across Asia-Pacifi c, Europe, and North America. He has served as an MMF Aotearoa mentor since 2020, supporting emerging managers and self-managed artists through the challenges of building sustainable practices.

A Malaysian-Chinese fi rst-generation migrant to Aotearoa, Square is fl uent in fi ve languages (English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka, Bahasa Malaysia). He co-founded ORYZA in 2007, pioneering sustainable infrastructure for Asian diaspora performing arts in Auckland. In 2022, he founded Where The Asians At‽ (Aotearoa)—an independent record label and community network supporting 600+ Pan-Asian-Kiwi musicians—and ASIAN(SOUND)SCAPES Festival.

Square brings strategic governance expertise having 16+ years of board experience including Foundation North, Q Theatre Trust, and Wallace Corporation. His research on and work in arts governance and diversity has infl uenced national policy, and he is one of few Asian board members in the creative sector.

Currently serving on the Executive Committee of the International Alliance of Producers, Agents & Distributors (PADA), representing 400+ independent producers across 30+ countries, Square brings extensive international networks from regular attendance at major global arts markets.

He holds a Master of Arts in Arts Management (Honours) from Whitecliffe College and an LL.