In tune ... ARIA chief executive Dan Rosen at his Bondi apartment. Photo: Anthony Johnson
"I like old stuff. It feels like it has something to teach you,'' Dan Rosen says as he stands next to his polished Howard baby grand piano in his Bondi apartment.
Rosen is one of the most important figures in the Australian music industry. And as the chief executive of the Australian Recording Industry Association, he is someone who likes to do things well. Exemplary even.
A former lawyer, Fulbright scholar and a musician himself, this incredibly tall and fit-looking man is impressive from the moment he opens his white wooden door.
Inside, is a sparse and open apartment with a grand piano in one corner and a 1965 Gibson acoustic guitar in another.
''This is a Sydney piano,'' he says, resting his arm on the baby grand his uncle gave him.
The piano is as much a frequent flyer as Rosen, having moved from Sydney to Melbourne (where Rosen grew up) to New York (where he was studying for a master's degree in law) to Tamarama and finally to Bondi (where Rosen moved to less than two months ago because his rented apartment was sold).
Taking up the position at ARIA two years ago, Rosen moved back from the high life of New York, where he lived for seven years.
''When I left New York I had two deals with myself,'' Rosen says.
''That I would have an apartment that was big enough for a baby grand piano and that I would live near the beach. I'm not going to out-city New York but I could out-beach New York.''
With the location sorted, a lifestyle change followed. Gone were the late nights out, the gigs, the 9.30pm dinners. In came the 6am running schedule, early dinners and a healthy lifestyle by the beach.
''In New York your body clock is completely different,'' he says. ''My old mates would be in conniptions if they heard I was getting up at 6am to go for a run.''
Surfing was going to have to be on the agenda of living in Sydney, he says. So within weeks of moving home, Rosen had bought a surfboard and started surfing with mates, which he says was a ''humbling'' experience.
''When in Rome,'' he says with a smile. ''If you're going to live in Sydney you need to embrace the beach.''
It is this driven, matter-of-fact attitude that has undoubtedly helped Rosen become so successful.
''I have been able to compartmentalise,'' he says. ''I am able to work and see something and deal with each thing as a discrete project. As when I was working in law, I try to do everything to the best of my ability for that particular project.''
This skill has been translated across his law career when he was working for the then minister for communications Richard Alston in the Howard government by day, and playing in his band Second Dan by night. And again when he was studying at the University of New York and touring with the band in the US. (The band won Triple J's Unearthed competition in 2003. ''I vividly remember Robbie Buck calling and saying we had won,'' he says.)
''My two great passions are music and technology,'' he says, with genuine enthusiasm.
With Rosen's thirst for creativity - which he says can be found in the most staid professions - combined with his knowledge of studying classical piano, singing and playing guitar, he became a natural fit for the role at ARIA.
''If you want to change the course of things you have to be creative and think how I can make it better. [ARIA] is an organisation that still deals with a lot of legal issues, particularly looking after the licensing and legal cases, and working a lot on policy with the government. Music is really based around copyright,'' he says, now reclining on his beige sofa as Alt-J, the newest band to emerge from Britain, plays softly in the background.
(For the sake of transparency, Rosen, a natural promoter of Australian music, asked me what music I wanted to listen to.)
His favourite musicians are Cold Chisel, the Police, You Am I, Radiohead and Jeff Buckley.
But when I ask him to name his favourite Australian band of the moment, his reply is calculated: ''Anyone nominated for an ARIA.''
This Thursday will be Rosen's time to shine - at the 26th annual ARIA awards.
For years, they have been booze-filled, three-course-meal extravaganzas at Homebush Bay costing about $500 a ticket. This year they're being held at the Entertainment Centre with finger food. Is this the stripped back version?
''It's really about focusing on putting on a good show,'' he says.
''This year the quality of releases have been phenomenal, which makes for a great show and when we look at the nominees and strong field of contenders, it's great.''
As we walk into his spacious white kitchen that overlooks an outdoor day bed and patio, there is a picture of Rosen shaking Barack Obama's hand.
''That was in Canberra and I got to have a bit of time with the President. He was super cool,'' he says.
Attuned to meeting celebrities, this is not the first president he has met.
When living in New York, he became friends with Chelsea Clinton via mutual friends and started working for the Clinton Global Initiative. Before long Rosen was meeting Chelsea's father, Bill.
''He's a legend. Absolute legend.''
Apart from meeting the two US presidents, Rosen is not particularly fussed meeting the famous.
''It's good to meet someone who has done something great but [people] don't appeal to me for celebrity's sake,'' he says.
''Paul McCartney - I would get excited about that. But you know [it] could be a great artist, architect or sound engineer. I am always fascinated by people who are doing great things and people who have devoted themselves to a craft or to acquire a lot of knowledge.''
Knowledge is important to Rosen. On his coffee table is an India travel guide. He's not going until the end of the year, but wants to have as much knowledge about it before he goes. On his bookshelf is a wide variety of books, political, historical, fiction and biographies of music legends.
''Someone said you don't learn anything by talking,'' he says.
''I am fascinated by people's stories and hearing what people have to say.''
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