The courage to fail
SAE Creative Media Institute, Auckland
Degree and Diploma Graduation Ceremony 2026
Transcript of keynote speech. © Mark Roach 2026
Tena koutou katoa. It’s a privilege to be addressing you this evening, and I’d like to thank Suzette and the faculty for inviting me here.
I’m going to bookend my speech with two quotes from Edwin Land.
Now - that name might not be familiar to you, but his most notable invention will be. It was originally called the Land Camera. You’ll know it better as the Polaroid camera. And it was Edwin Land who, if you’ll pardon the pun, developed instant photography back in the 1940s.
One of my favourite quotes attributed to him is: “An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.”
You’re graduating into a creative life where failure isn’t a possibility, it’s a certainty.
Failure is an inevitable part of the creative process. Yes, you should always strive to succeed, but if you don’t learn how to fail, you will fail to learn.
I think that might be one of the most TED‑Talk things I’ve ever said.
Motivational Speaker isn’t what I ever had on my bingo card. But then again, most of what I’ve done professionally hasn’t been on my bingo card.
I’ve worked in the music industry my entire career, which is now 35 years deep. Even saying that out loud is kind of weird… because it wasn’t the plan at all.
I was at Auckland University back in the early 90s, supposedly doing an Arts degree, when I started helping out with music events on campus. And that was it. I got the bug and I ran away and joined the circus.
I came from an illustration and design background. I was a co‑editor of the student newspaper at university. But somehow - maybe because I was the weird art kid - I became a musician, and by extension, part of the music industry.
Back then, you had to be signed to a label to get a NZ On Air grant, so I started my own label… and signed myself.
Then friends asked if they could say they were signed to my label so they could apply for grants too. And that’s how I accidentally became a record label — and then, by association, an artist manager.
This is where a pattern started to emerge.
When something didn’t exist; but clearly needed to, I just went ahead and made it.
Advocating for artists individually evolved into advocating for them collectively, and then for all the independent labels supporting them.
I’m a serial hand‑putter‑upper. Whenever there was a call that “someone” should do something, that someone inevitably turned out to be me.
In 2001, I co-founded Independent Music NZ. After IMNZ, I went on to found the Music Managers Forum. From there, I moved to PPNZ, the copyright licensing arm of what is now Recorded Music NZ, to overhaul and grow that business for music rights holders.
That eventually led me to working across the whole organisation, where I ended up with the beautifully vague title of Special Projects Manager, which is a polite way of saying Jack of All Trades.
Under that banner, and using my creative skills, I worked on brand projects for Recorded Music NZ, the Aotearoa Music Awards, and the Aotearoa Music Charts, and created the names and branding for Recorded Music, Soundcheck Aotearoa and WeCreate.
I was also managing the NZ Music Hall of Fame. One The most common questions I would always get was: “Where is this Hall of Fame?” Again – it was something that didn’t exist… so I decided to build one.
The result was Volume: Making Music in Aotearoa, a million‑dollar exhibition at Auckland Museum, charting the history of popular music in this country.
Around the same time, I pitched Auckland Council on applying to UNESCO for Auckland to become a City of Music, which we were designated as in 2017.
Auckland City of Music then gave me a platform to help strengthen the infrastructure of our music ecosystem including kickstarting Girls Rock Camp, creating the Music in Venues programme, and launching Equaliser, a funding programme raising female representation across music and screen.
That mahi was recognised at the international Music Cities Awards - yes, that’s a thing - where Auckland City of Music was named Best Global Music Office two years running,
Last year, I stepped away from City of Music to focus on my creative agency, Muse which has been quietly designing for music industry clients for the last 30 years, alongside all that other good stuff I’ve just mentioned.
That reset has also given me the space to write and record, with a new album finished, and my first novel nearly complete.
Now… I apologise if that sounds like a lot of bragging. But there is a point and it’s this…
I’ve worn a lot of hats. This career of mine has been strange, and unpredictable. It’s also been deeply rewarding. And along the way, I’ve learned a few things I want to pass on to you today.
These aren’t rules, just things I wish I’d known a lot earlier on. Hopefully it’s of some use to you too.
So, here we go -
One. Don’t wait for permission. I started Independent Music NZ and Music Managers Forum because they were needed. I pitched ideas to Council and the Museum without knowing if they’d work. Believe in what you’re doing. Back yourself. If it doesn’t work, so what? The world will keep turning. If it does work then the world will be a better place.
2. Don’t stay where fear keeps you stuck. It might be fear of no income. Fear of the unknown. Rational fears, irrational fears. Whatever. Have the courage to walk away from what doesn’t serve you.
3. Imposter syndrome and cycles of self‑doubt never fully leave. Just learn to worry about them less, ok?
4. Don’t rush, and don’t panic if the things you want to achieve don’t manifest themselves immediately. We live in a world built for immediacy and instant gratification. But you will not spontaneously combust when you turn 30. Trust me. You have time.
5. You don’t always need to know the destination. Your qualification is a boat on an unknown river. Trust that the boat - and the river - will take you, eventually, exactly where you need to go.
6. Life will get in the way of your plans. Challenges will come. They will pass. Stay true to your course and stay true to yourself. Practice authenticity as much as you possibly can.
7. Build your community. Always. This work we are in can be isolating. Do what you can to support your fellow creatives: they are your tribe.
OK. You might remember I said I would bookend this speech with another quote from Edwin Land. Everything I’ve spoken about this evening - the risks, the unknowns, the strange career path - are summed up in this quote.
“Don’t undertake a project unless it is manifestly important and nearly impossible.”
You’re graduating into a world that needs creativity, courage, and people willing to try things that might fail.
I wish you all the success you’ve already worked hard for. More is coming.
Thank you.
