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The Music Trust Bulletin, April 2015
CONTENTS
THE GROWING EDGE
30 years of live music in Melbourne and Sydney
San Francisco Soundbox
Report on the ecology of culture
Dispute over copyright payments
Report: The ABC and art music
MUSIC IN AUSTRALIA KNOWLEDGE BASE
Main music sector scenario in place
Valuing the invaluable
JIG’S UP
Ruminations and revelations
MUSIC EDUCATION
No courses to educate primary school specialist music teachers?
Report of the Federal Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group
VIT Permission to Teach Review (PTT)
EOIs for the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program - Victoria
Applications invited, detail provided for The Music Trust Award for Research into
the Benefits of Music Education
REVIEWS
LIVE last month: A concert to honour Martin Wesley-Smith
CDs reviewed for April
Books reviewed for April
SHORT STORIES
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THE GROWING EDGE
The Growing Edge asks questions, gives opinions about the situation of music in
Australia and the world
30 years of live music in Melbourne and Sydney
What was the live band scene like for musicians in the early 1980s and how have things
changed? Musician and RMIT researcher Sarah Taylor has looked at local Melbourne and
Sydney gig guides going right back to 1983. Probably there are parallels in Adelaide,
Brisbane and Perth.
Back then, there was a lot more money “sloshing around” and bands had a clear route to
success: play inner city venues and then as success builds, pull in gigs in the suburbs. The
suburban gigs were mostly controlled by booking agencies and they had links to the
record companies. The record companies encouraged the agencies to book as many gigs
as possible, to the bands’ benefit.
Recognised bands could earn several thousand per gig; others might earn only $300.
Most were cover bands. There was not today’s emphasis on original songs.
The ABC’s television show Countdown was critical. It was Countdown that made bands
famous – and viable in the suburban venues. And it was with the cessation of Countdown
in 1988 that things began to change. Eventually its role was taken up by triple j although
there were a few tight years. Since then the number of gigs has steadily increased
although they have been distributed more thinly among the musicians, who have fewer
gigs more poorly paid. May of the suburban venues closed and in both cities gigs became
more concentrated in the central cities, although in Sydney the “centre” is itself
fragmented, a number of separate “villages”.
There is more interesting detail in the ABC’s news report.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-12/the-changing-face-of-melbourne-and-sydney-livemusic-scenes/6072620
The study is not yet published but this paper has information that will contribute to it:
Lost Venues, Long Nights: An Introduction to Historical Maps of Live Music in Sydney and
Melbourne. http://cordite.org.au/essays/lost-venues-long-nights/
THE EDGE >>> Live performance has taken over from recordings as a primary source of
income for most contemporary musicians – but the above research suggests that
generally, the number of gigs and the performing income per musician have declined.
What can be done?
There are fewer gigs in the suburbs – but music lovers still live there. What could drive the
establishment – or re-establishment – of live music venues?
A crucial issue everywhere is the impediments set up by government regulation of
performing venues, existing and new. In Sydney, simple removal of impediments resulted
in the opening of many small bars, a good number of which offer live music. In
Melbourne, tightening caused closures. In NSW, there are two sets of regulations
involved: liquor licensing laws administered by the state, Place of Public Entertainment
(POPE) regulations administered by local government. Venues are discovering that what
is allowed by the former may be stymied by the POPE.
Around the country, an issue is the disputes between venues and citizenry over noise and
amenity. To address this, some states are bringing in “agent of change” regimes. So, in a
dispute between residents and music venue over noise levels, the party that has caused
the most recent change loses the argument. If the venue has increased the noise level, it
must reduce it. If the resident is newly arrived, they have to wear the existing noise level.
It’s a good principle.
San Francisco Soundbox
Following is a US Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) interview about Soundbox, a San
Francisco Symphony program to attract a young audience. Cy Musiker is the host and
the famed Michael Tilson Thomas is the orchestra’s Music Director.
CY MUSIKER: Many who come here tonight may not know a lot about classical music, but
that’s part of the experiment.
MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS: Soundbox is designed to appeal to people, many of them
younger people, who never have attended many classical concerts before.
Michael Tilson Thomas
CY MUSIKER: This is a laboratory for the San Francisco Symphony and music director
Michael Tilson Thomas, who are looking for ways to create new musical experiences —
and entice new audiences.
MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS: Since the 1970s, I’ve been really interested in how the
installation of music can change the audience’s perception of it. Of course, for musicians
it’s all-enveloping, it’s all around us, it is a kind of separate world, but how to bring people
who are listening to the music more inside the world that we the performers are
experiencing?
CY MUSIKER: By day, the space is a cavernous rehearsal hall. By showtime, lighting, a bar
and custom acoustics designed for the event completely transform the space.
The musicians are members of the same orchestra that performs on the main stage of
Davies Symphony Hall, where they’ve honed their skills playing classical symphonies. But
in this venue, there are multiple stages…and opportunities to broaden the repertoire.
NICOLE CASH: Playing in Soundbox is a completely different experience. Musically, we do
get to do different things. The piece that I played was a very angular, loud, rambunctious
piece.
CY MUSIKER: Each set lasts 20 to 30 minutes, with ample intermissions to mingle and buy
drinks. And at $25, the price of entry here is a fraction of higher-tier symphony seats.
NICOLE CASH: It’s a more relaxed atmosphere and I think [the concert hall] is the first
thing that kind of turns younger, maybe, less exposed people off the whole symphony
experience. They think they’re going come in here and they have to be quiet and it’s
stuffy and everyone is wearing a tuxedo or a ball gown and you can’t talk and you can’t
move and you don’t know when to clap.
CY MUSIKER: The free-flowing atmosphere is targeting a younger, more diverse
audience, but the goal is to hook them into serious music.
MARY GOREE: It is very challenging music. I usually tend to, when I go out, go to more
kind of either rock-oriented shows, or hip hop shows, or kind of more modern shows. But
[this] blew my mind.
CY MUSIKER: The series is just four months old, and the symphony has made some
unusual marketing choices — like not putting a link to Soundbox on its homepage, says
classical music critic Joshua Kosman.
JOSHUA KOSMAN: It’s a sort of an anti-marketing strategy where you kind of make sure
not to give too much information that will bring in the regulars and squeeze out the new
comers and the adventurers.
CY MUSIKER: Kosman said that symphonies need to justify their existence in a landscape
crowded with entertainment options.
San Francisco Symphony board president Sakurako Fisher argues that Soundbox is about
more than selling tickets. It’s about staying relevant.
SAKURAKO FISCHER: It’s not a business. It is part of the necessity of the human heart. It’s
a part of what makes a vibrant community, and as long as we think that’s important, I
think that, sure, would we like to be more like a business? Who wouldn’t. It’s not. I accept
that. Let’s move forward then.
CY MUSIKER: If the current run of sold-out performances means anything, Soundbox may
be the prototype for the next era in classical music.
THE EDGE >>> The need to attract a young audience to classical music is shared
internationally. There are many ingenious initiatives especially in the USA, achieving
greater or lesser success. What is happening in Australia – and what is working? We don’t
know. If you do, please get in touch. 0400 925 333.
Report on the ecology of culture
UK researcher John Holden has just published a report that looks at culture as an
ecology. Holden interviewed people from fields including the visual arts, dance, fashion,
choral music, popular music, and film. Holden’s view of the ecology includes
interdependencies of publicly funded culture, commercial culture and homemade culture.
The ecological approach “concentrates on relationships and patterns, showing how
careers develop, ideas transfer, money flows, and product and content move, to and fro,
around and between the funded, homemade and commercial subsectors”.
Professor Holden said: “It is more helpful to understand culture in terms of how it is
organized, rather than simply stating what it does… New taxonomies, new visualisations,
and fresh ways of thinking about how culture operates will help promote a rich, diverse
and fruitful cultural ecology.”
http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/News-andEvents/News/Documents/AHRC%20Ecology%20of%20Culture%20(A).pdf
THE EDGE >>> Our own Hans Hoegh-Guldberg sees culture as an ecology and is working
this through as an element of his music scenarios project. See the Music in Australia
section of this Bulletin below, headed “Valuing the Invaluable”.
Dispute over copyright payments
Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) wants radio stations to escape the requirement to pay
royalties for streaming audio via the internet. CRA claims that this streaming is simply the
broadcast by another means of music programs already played and paid for on the radio
stations; they shouldn’t have to pay twice. CRA argues that the radio stations are
disadvantaged compared to Spotify and other online services: they pay a spectrum
licence fee, meet Australian music quotas and other regulations by the Australian
Communications and Media Authority.
The Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) represents record
companies and their performers. PPCA says that internet radio is a separate service,
capable of reaching a global audience and a separate copyright fee should be paid. It says
that internationally, radio pays an extra licence fee to copyright owners for online radio.
Singer Clare Bowditch is a PPCA Patron
CRA has already won this case but then lost on appeal by PPCA to the Federal Court. The
two parties are now in hearings before the Copyright Tribunal, which can decide an
outcome and set the copyright fees to be paid. Both the PPCA and the government want
this to be seen as a commercial issue to be resolved by negotiation between the parties.
THE EDGE >>> Our sectional interest is that composers, musicians and record companies
are fairly remunerated for use of their intellectual property. This property right has taken
a battering, both through absence of payment in illegal downloading and paucity of
payment through services such as Spotify. Since (or if) commercial radio pays copyright
fees, we also have an interest in its financial viability or as it would say, profitability.
Experience says that commercial radio’s motivation is to maximise profit by minimising
copyright payments. Australian content quotas, obliging broadcasters to devote specified
minimum percentages of broadcast time to Australian music, result in copyright
payments to Australian copyright owners as well, of course, as cultural benefits.
CRA managed to have Australian content quotas waived for digital radio although
professing support for Australian music. This interim waiver was supposed to be followed
by a review which, to our knowledge, never happened. It would be interesting to know,
then, how much Australian music is heard on unregulated digital radio and online
streaming by Australian broadcasters; but since they are unregulated, they are also
unmeasured. All up, the Edge remains: how are artists to be fairly remunerated for use of
their music in the digital realm?
Report: The ABC and art music
In the February Bulletin, The Music Trust reported its proposal for development of digital
programs at ABC Classic FM, redefining it as an art music broadcaster with an audience
drawn from all age groups. At present, only 1% if its listeners are younger than 30. We can
report that the proposal was further developed and has not been sent to senior people at
the ABC for consideration. The full proposal can be read at www.musictrust.com.au, under
PROJECTS.
You are invited to send items for inclusion in Growing Edge.
Send to [email protected]
www.musicinaustralia.org.au
New on the Knowledge Base
Main music sector scenario in place
The best case scenario for the Australian music sector (the one to be described in most
detail) is now online. Even the best case is handicapped because the 2015 base year is
below trend. But it is sensible to expect that weaknesses will be overcome gradually over
the 20 years of the scenarios and that Australia can provide a good future for its citizens
over the scenario period.
The three less favourable future scenarios – each one as likely to happen as the best case
– will be online within the next few days following this bulletin. It is important to consider
them as first steps towards political preparedness. Scenarios are based on assumptions
which include political factors, and writing them down works as a wake-up call. Looking a
possible adverse but plausible future in the face makes it possible to say, something must
be done. Many avenues of remedial action are within our control.
Watch this space for all four alternative future scenarios!
http://musicinaustralia.org.au/index.php?title=A_First_Set_of_Music_Sector_Scenarios
Valuing the invaluable
This was the title of a paper entered on the Knowledge Base in early March. It provides
insights into the similarity between the natural ecology and the preservation of our
cultural assets.
Our natural capital is threatened by a formidable battery of environmental factors from
climate change and overpopulation to degradation of local environments through
pollution – the greatest challenge to our planet over the next century.
Failing to deal with the natural plight may as a plausible worst case ultimately jeopardise
our ability to survive as a global society. But there are close parallels between nature and
culture because decisions on both can be postponed. The screams will be louder if
insufficient action is taken to curb the threats to the national environment, because
survival may be at stake. Damaging our cultural heritage will “merely” damage the
strength of our national and global society.
The paper, Valuing the Invaluable, demonstrated the close parallel between ecological
and cultural capital, including the fact that you cannot objectively value the invaluable but
basically only what can be measured in economic terms. There are vast dimensions that
miss the valuation test but which are literally invaluable for keeping our future viability as
national and global societies, and keeping our (multi)cultural soul intact.
The introduction to this bulletin describes a new report by Professor John Holden on
the “ecology of culture” which reinforces the parallel between nature and culture that
we made in Valuing the Invaluable. We have added a summary of his report to the
Knowledge Base paper which makes us even further convinced of the close connection
between natural and cultural ecology. It is highly recommended reading. The link below
points straight to the added section of the Knowledge Base paper.
A new dawn is breaking, we hope! It’d better, and we all have to help for it to happen.
http://musicinaustralia.org.au/index.php?title=Valuing_the_Invaluable#The_Ecology_of_C
ulture
Regular news and commentary
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Jig’s Up (monthly)
Music and book reviews (monthly)
Music World News (fortnightly)
Blogs (as they arrive)
Editor Hans Hoegh-Guldberg
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Jig’s Up
Ruminations and Revelations
State designer and director John Senczuk has come up with an imaginative proposal to
kick start a vigorous Australian musical theatre industry. He proposes Perth as the
incubator but has welcomed interest in the idea from both Perth and Brisbane. (A
summary is at http://musictrust.com.au/reviews/this-months-book-reviews/ )
Senczuk divides the world into jukebox musicals – where a story is added to a collection
of existing popular songs – and book musicals, written from scratch. It’s the book
musicals he is interested in. Australia has had some recentish success with jukebox
musicals like Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and The Boy from Oz, but almost nothing at that
level for book musicals.
Matilda, the musical
The exception is Matilda, written by Tim Minchin and already a success in London and
New York. It will open in Sydney later this year.
-0Well that was the exception until last week. Australian brothers Paul and Michael Hodge
have a new show Off-Broadway: Clinton The Musical. And it has just (April 10) had a terrific
review in the New York Times.
Excerpt: Smartly silly, hilariously impudent and sneakily compassionate, it is nearly
guaranteed to leave you humming a bouncy, exuberant tune called “Monica’s Song” — the
lyrics are unprintable — and thinking far more fondly of the eight scandal-plagued years this
country spent with a president from a place called Hope. In this frothily satirical political
history — which has a book by the Australian brothers Paul and Michael Hodge, and music
and lyrics by Paul Hodge — No. 42 is actually two presidents: the urbane, silver-haired WJ
Clinton (Tom Galantich) and the louche, rutting Billy Clinton (Duke Lafoon).
“In my whole life I have only ever loved two men,” Hillary (Kerry Butler) says. “And they
happen to be the same man.”
Presumably by accident, Hillary Clinton intends to announce her run for the Presidency on
April 16. But the NYT writes that she is sympathetically treated in the musical. Not that
this will deter the Tea Party from finding a way…
Paul Hodge
-oA very inventive production of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice at the Art Gallery of NSW carried
a few surprises. Jig’s was a bit disorientated for the first couple of scenes, eventually
realising that Orpheus and Euridice were a same-sex couple.
Mezzo Silvia Colloca played Orfeo, in a skirt. It’s irrelevant but good goss
that Silvia is married to Richard Roxburgh AKA Rake.
The vision was comprehensive: the other principals were women and the only (two) male
supernumeraries were dressed in frocks so this was an entirely female underworld.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? We’ll have to ask Tony.
-0Andrew Ford’s radio series interviewing film composers is being rebroadcast on ABC RN
on Sundays at 11am and 10pm. On Easter Sunday there was an interview with Sally Porter,
an English film director who also writes or contributes to the musical soundtracks of
some of her films.
A fabulously interesting person with wonderful insights into composition for film. These
interviews were recorded in the past. There is a new series, Earth Dances, on Wednesday
mornings. The two-hour Music Show, long at 10am on Saturdays, is being split into two,
an hour each at 11am on Saturdays and Sundays. Why? Because RN says so.
-0Easter greetings… According to expat Aussie comedy writer Chris Bearde, “a time when
you’re attempting to explain to really bright young kids the connection between
chocolate bunnies and the resurrection of Jesus”.
-o-
The US-based International Songwriting Competition has just announced that 62 of this
year’s finalists are Australian. Last year, it had 18,000 entries; we guess 2015 will have a
similar number. “Finalist” must be a term generously applied at the ISC. But some of our
already best-known contemporary musicians have entered and won in past years.
-0The concert celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Sydney Conservatorium will present
Leonard Bernstein’s Mass.
Sydney Conservatorium’s original building was the
stables for the nearby Government House, designed
by Francis Greenway two centuries ago in 1817.
Verbruggen Hall was built in 1915 in the former horse yard. Here is the plan.
There are those who are unhappy with this choice and wondering why an Australian work
was not chosen. The Conservatorium under previous director Kim Walker did after all
commission 100 new works to mark each of its 100 years. What happened to them?
The new additional building is mostly underground. The excavations leave
the original building more or less intact, standing on a podium of sandstone.
-0Nightclubs typically play music at 100 decibels, the equivalent of a jackhammer and safe
for only 15 minutes. In Australia, the HEARing Cooperative Research Centre is launching a
pilot study to help venues become less damaging for hearing.
Researcher Elizabeth Beach says the study is aimed at coming up with practical solutions
to help live-music venues reduce their noise exposure. “… just by equalising the sound
differently, you can make a fairly significant difference."
The World Health Organisation reports that nearly half of young upper- and middle-class
people play their headphone volume too high. The WHO recommends listening to loud
music on headphones for less than an hour a day.
MUSIC EDUCATION
No courses to educate primary school specialist music teachers?
The Music Trust’s policy proposition for music education in primary schools is that it
should be taught by specialist music teachers. The present system in which music is
taught by musically unskilled classroom teachers is broken. In fact, at an informal level,
many school principals are moved to solve their problem by hiring music teachers,
supposedly specialists, our of their discretionary funds.
Specialists, but not necessarily qualified specialists. The Music Trust is conducting a
survey to discover which universities provide a qualification in primary school music
teaching. It is not yet complete, but the answer may be: none. Qualifications are provided
in a good number of universities for secondary school music specialists, a small number of
whom may discover and take the opportunity to teach music in primary school. But a
switch by school systems to employment of primary school specialist classroom music
teachers would run into the obstacle that there are hardly any.
Wait! – you might say. Nearly all Queensland primary schools are officially provided with a
specialist music teacher by Education Queensland. But know what? (bow to Kevin Rudd).
There are no primary specialist courses in Queensland universities either.
We’ll present detail in the May Bulletin.
-oThe following items are from the School Music Action Group in Victoria – so far as we are
aware, the only active and effective state-based music education advocacy group.
Report of the Federal Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group
The March Bulletin reported sMAG’s response to the report of the Federal Teacher
Education Ministerial Advisory Group (TEMAG). sMAG reports that since then, many of
the sMAG committee were able to attend a Q and A with members of TEMAG and Mr. John
Hattie, hosted by the Australian Council for Educational Leadership (ACEL) and Mr. Jeremy
Beard.
We are pleased to inform the music education community that Mr. John Hattie [Chair of
AITSL] agrees that all teachers should have at least one specialisation, possibly two. He
stated that this area of the conversation was needed, and would welcome any debate by the
community. We followed up on email, and putting Prof. Gary McPherson and Prof. Brian
Caldwell in touch with Mr. Hattie. AITSL offices have responded positively, welcoming
sMAG’s correspondence as a stakeholder, and assured us that ongoing conversations will
occur in the future.
sMAG has also been active in addressing the
VIT Permission to Teach Review (PTT)
The Victorian Institute of Teachers (VIT) [the state teacher accreditation authority] has
announced a review of the Permission To Teach policy, which has been discussed at
length in the Victorian Inquiry into Music Education regarding the implications for
instrumental music delivery.
…there are problems with the current implementation aligned to the VIT definition of
Instrumental Music as co- or extra-curricular. Refer in particular to section 2.11 of the
discussion paper, which can be viewed at
http://vit.vic.edu.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/PTT%20Policy%20Review%20%20Discussion%20Paper.pdf
The sMAG Instrumental Music Teacher Working Party’s submission has addressed item
2.11. Essentially the argument is around the definition of a teacher. IMTs assess student
learning (as/of and for learning), develop specific curriculum according to student needs,
assess progress and subsequently report to parents in formal documentation. The current
PTT does not acknowledge these professional practices in categorising IMTs as co-curricular
providers.
Whether delivering individual/small group instrumental education, or ensemble (another
form of classroom) education, all IMTs need to be acknowledged for their professional
practice as recognised teachers under the definitions. Failure to do this undermines the
status of instrumental music teaching and, therefore, music education in general; and it
pulls in the opposite direction to that of the Victorian inquiry into music education and its
seventeen positive recommendations. With proper recognition in the PTT documentation
the VIT will allow for both recognition of the high calibre professionals in our music
education community, and provide some quality control around who can be appointed to
such important positions that develop student capability.
Music Trust comment. Victoria funds instrumental music instruction in many secondary
schools but only one primary school.
Much of the research showing the non-musical benefits of music education (eg brain
development, IQ, accelerated learning in other subjects) was conducted with students in
the process of learning musical instruments. There could be arguments for giving priority
to this type of musical learning; the practical difficulty is that these instructional programs
are much more expensive than classroom programs. (Many teachers would also claim
that classroom music is more effective.)
We congratulate sMAG on its continuing efforts on behalf of school music education.
EOIs for the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program - Victoria
Elizabeth Pearce has publicly announced Richard Gill's National Music Teacher Mentoring
Program (Prep – Year 2) for Victoria in the weekly DET school's bulletin. Expressions of
interest are now sought for Music teachers to train as Mentors with Richard Gill OAM.
Information on how to apply can be found via the DET School Update Tuesday 24 March
2015. The flyers have been uploaded to the Music Education NING:
http://musiceducation.ning.com/main/authorization/signIn?target=http%3A%2F%2Fmusice
ducation.ning.com%2F. Expressions of Interest Due: Monday 20 April 2015
For the Victorian Music Community, participating as a mentor in the National Music
Teacher Mentoring Program is Action 3 in a long line of actions that professionals can
contribute to the improvement plan following the Victorian inquiry.
Applications invited, detail provided for The Music Trust Award for
Research into the Benefits of Music Education
Applications for the award are now open. New guidelines have been written. The panel of
judges has been appointed. It will be chaired by Professor Gary McPherson, Ormond
Professor and Director of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of
Melbourne, and international leader in music education research. Members of the judges’
panel are Dr Richard Letts, Director of the Music Trust, Assoc Prof Nikki Rickard,
President of the Australian Music and Psychology Society and Assoc Prof Jane Southcott,
President of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Research in Music
Education.
The award is for research that is judged to best explore the non-musical benefits of music
in education, at any level or stage of life. The educational setting will not be restricted to
formal education situations such as schools, but may encompass informal situations such
as are represented in life-long learning. The benefit must be to the students.
Examples of the types of benefit that might be investigated:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Improved well-being and personal functioning: e.g. increased self-confidence, ability
to concentrate, socialisation, empathy
Increased expressivity, creativity
Increased curiosity, self-initiated exploration
Increased motivation
Improved school attendance
Increased social engagement (e.g collaboration with others in school or community)
Enhanced value system (eg more inclusive, humane, ethical)
Increased spirituality (not the same as religiosity)
Accelerated brain development induced by music education activity
Improved academic performance in other subjects.
The deadline for entries is July 31 and the award will be presented to the winner at the
end of September.The guidelines and the application form can be found at
http://musictrust.com.au/research-award-2/.
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REVIEWS
LIVE LAST MONTH
A concert to honour Martin Wesley-Smith
Music Workshop, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Saturday 21 February 2015
Reviewed by Elizabeth Silsbury
Five years ago, Martin Wesley-Smith was diagnosed with a rare and lethal form of lung
cancer – bronchioloalveola carcinoma.
Don’t wait until he ‘carks it,, or is ‘called home’ (his words) to tell him how much he is
loved and admired.
DO IT NOW!!
Thus spake, and did, Ros Dunlop.
‘Awesome’ is the only word for the concert mounted in his honour.
Tickets (free, thank you Sydney Conservatorium of Music), were snapped up immediately
the word was out. Only 200, and a waiting list.
We were treated to a kaleidoscope of his composing life, all the way from hilariously
funny to deadly (literally) serious. For many of us, items were all the richer for evoking
memories. The printed programmes, choc full of pictures, stories and texts, will become
collectors’ items.
Earliest was I’m a Caterpillar of Society (Not a Social Butterfly) (1975) written for John
Anderson to play on his bass clarinet, ‘fashioned into a hookah’, sitting on a mushroom.
Wendy Dixon (flaunting red boa) and David Miller in cabaret mode, minus mushroom and
hookah.
Martin and Peter Wesley-Smith, then
From Boojum, (1985) first performed at the 1986 Adelaide Festival of Arts before Her
Majesty Queen Elizabeth in a less than faithful production, ‘Two Songs for Snark Hunters’.
Paul Stanhope conducted the Sydney Chamber Choir for ‘What is the Snark?’ and ‘The
Hunting of the Snark’. Karen Cummings and Robert Constable added another Boojum
gem, ‘For More Than Sixty Years’ – sitting alongside a poster from the 2010 production
mounted ‘brilliantly’ says its composer, by Chicago Opera Vanguard.
The Second-Hand Sale lyrics were updated recently by gifted wordsmith, twin brother
Peter (as with most of the songs) to include today’s politicians of a certain persuasion.
Some of them, …’sad to say,/We’ve tried but we can’t even give them away’.
Geoffrey Collins and Darrell Pratt fluted and percussed with Miller for Janet, a whimsical
trio named for a neutered male alpaca, but really about a woman who could be feisty,
tender and sad, and loved jigs and romantic pop ballads.
Martin is a bowerbird. Don’t Let Me Persuade You is a lovely love song, originally for
clarinet and cello, a voice line later rifled from Bach. A critic mocked it as ‘ an academic
counterpoint exercise’. ‘Well,’ was the retort. ‘as it happens, I like academic counterpoint
exercises.’ Nicole Thomson was partnered by Miller and cellist Rachel Scott, the latter
musing on our icon with Uluru Song, composed, we are told, from stories and images. It’s
all in the imagination.
Martin, now, with his favourite news source
Just over half of the items (7/12) were inspired by the keen interest of all three WesleySmith brothers in political injustice in Australia and beyond. 1 The programme was
obviously compiled with some sequential logic in mind. Ergo, the pieces are listed here in
the same order.
Weapons of Mass Distortion called on George Orwell, Humpty Dumpty and Donald
Rumsfeld to deride ‘double-speak’. Steve Bell cartoons and photographs by George
Gittoes plus many more backed Ros Dunlop’s clarinet and a computer score. 2
Timorese folk song Kolete Mai, lyrics by Xanana Gusmao, was woven into the fabric of
Tim Kain’s guitar solo from 2002 and The Fighters Who Fell, in Thomson’s bracket,
alongside the horrible, beautiful Baghdad Baby Boy.
Dunlop on bass clarinet and computer for Papua Merdeka, material ‘begged, borrowed
and stolen from many and varied verbal and pictorial sources; horrific illustrations for
Welcome to the Hotel Turismo in Dili, bomb-blasted but still welcoming guests.
Australia’s turn. Cummings and Constable with She Wore a Black Ribbon for the stolen
children, When We Are Old and Gay from 1988 – when same sex marriage was not
mentioned in public – Dixon and Miller performed.
Arguably the most moving, and the most impressive display of the composer’s huge skills
of assembly and invention, was Balibo. Collins and his limitlessly expressive flute followed
a written and recorded on CD score of frightening complexity. Finally, Dunlop and Julia
Ryder (cello) plus computer in Merry-Go-Round. Amid scenes of death and destruction in
Afghanistan a home-made wooden carousel jerks and wobbles around to music that
matches both.
Heavy? Yes, but not overwhelming.
And leavened. Jon Rose told tales out of school on his talking violin, Coles Seniors and
Juniors sang and danced the old Playschool classic about walking in the street.
Martin The Unstoppable is currently working on a new arrangement of Black Ribbon for
Canberra Choral Society and other ‘musical housekeeping’ stuff.
His thank you speech was funny, generous, gracious, affectionate. We all stood. In awe.
1
2
Lucky me, seated next to brother Robert, prime mover of support for independence in East Timor.
Images were projected for most of the political statements. Not all are specifically named here.
APRIL CD REVIEWS
New reviewers. The Music Trust welcomes Eugene Ball and Dave Goodman to
its review pages.
Eugene Ball Multi-award winning Australian trumpeter Eugene Ball has received
widespread national and international recognition throughout a professional career that
has featured performances with some of the biggest names in music. Eugene is also a
prolific composer, music director, arranger and educator. He lectures at Melbourne
Polytechnic, Melbourne University Faculty of VCA and MCM, and Monash University.
Dave Goodman is the drummer with some of Australia’s most important jazz ensembles Ten Part Invention, the Kevin Hunt Trio, Warwick Alder’s Jazzgnostics and the Matt
Keegan Trio. He has worked with many luminaries - both Australian and international including Joe Lovano, Bob Berg, Bernie McGann, James Morrison, Don Burrows, Vince
Jones, Mike Nock and Mark Isaacs. Dave holds a PhD from University of Sydney.
The reviews
Click on any CD TITLE to see the review.
Click on GENRES to see all reviews in a particular musical genre.
Click on REVIEWER’S NAME to see all reviews written by that reviewer.
Aubade & Nocturne: Music of Sally Greenaway
Sally Greenaway; Royal College of Music Symphony Orchestra; Luminescence Chamber
Choir; Trichotomy; others
Big Band, Classical, Jazz, Music, New Music
Self-release. www.sallygreenaway.com.au
Reviewed by Simon Hukin
Every Eight Seconds
Matthew Sheens, piano, with octet
Jazz
Self-release. www.matthewsheens.com
Reviewed by Chris Cody
First Intersection
Daryl Pratt Band. Daryl Pratt (vibraphone), Matt McMahon, Richard Maegraith, Philip
South, Emile Nelson, Jared Underwood
Jazz
Self-release. http://sydney.edu.au/music/staff-profiles/daryl.pratt.php
Reviewed by Dave Goodman
A Little French Cello
Zoe Knighton, cello, Amir Farid, piano
Classical
Move Records MD 3367 www.move.com.au
Reviewed by Mandy Stefanakis
A Little Variation: Variation Form as Used by Australian Composers
Jeanell Carrigan, piano. Works by McKay, Webb, Hannan, Polglase, Davidson, Isaacs.
Classical, New Music
Australian Music Centre VAST032.2
Reviewed by Houston Dunleavy
Live at PBSFM 1981
Ted Vining Trio
Jazz
Newmarket3314.2
Reviewed by Gavin Franklin
Mahler. Teddy Tahu Rhodes. Lieder – Five Rückert Lieder, Kindertotenlieder and
four Lieder from Lieder und Gesänge aus der Jugendzeit
Teddy Tahu Rhodes (bass-baritone), Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Marko Letonja
(conductor), Sharolyn Kimmorley (piano)
Classical
ABC Classics 481 0484
Reviewed by Inge Southcott
Mosaic: Australian Guitar Concertos. Works by Richard Charlton, Ross Edwards,
Philip Bracanin, Peter Sculthorpe
Karin Schaupp (guitar), Benjamin Northey, Richard Mills, Ronald Spigelman
(conductors), Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Classical, New Music
ABC Classics 481 0961
Reviewed by Alistair Noble
A Rain from the Shadows
Zephyr Quartet
Classical, New Music
Self-release. www.zephyrquartet.com
Reviewed by Elizabeth Silsbury
Schumann Piano Trios
Susan Collins, violin; Sue Ellen Paulsen, cello; Duncan Gifford, piano
Classical
ABC Classics 476 5165
Reviewed by Alistair Noble
Seasons of Love
Gian Slater, Eddie Perfect, Tony Gould and Graeme Lyall
Jazz
Move MD 3365
Reviewed by Eugene Ball
Seven Stations. Love poems for Sydney
Alison Morgan and Anna Fraser, sopranos; Josh Hill, percussion; Joe Manton, bass;
Stefan Duwe, viola; Ezmi Pepper, cello
Classical, New Music
Hospital Hill HHCD12130741
Reviewed by Gordon Kerry
Volume Two
The Cope Street Parade. Justin Fermino, Ben Panucci, Aaron Flower, Sam Dobson, Grant
Arthur
Jazz, Traditional
Yum Yum Tree Records YYTR 016
Reviewed by Eugene Ball
APRIL BOOK REVIEWS
Earth Dances: music in search of the primitive
Andrew Ford
Books, Music Criticism
Black Inc., Collingwood, Victoria, 2015. 242pp.
ISBN 9781863957120 (paperback)
Reviewed by Michael Hannan
The Time Is Ripe for the Great Australian Musical
John Senczuk
Books, Cultural Policy
Sydney: Currency House. Platform Papers. Quarterly Essays on the Performing Arts. No.
42, February 2015. 74pp.
ISBN 978 0 9924890 3 8
www.currencyhouse.org.au
Reviewed by Richard Letts
Short Stories
One of One is a new website telling the stories of women in the Australian music
industry. At the time of writing, 15 women are featured with print interviews and video.
Most are on the management/marketing side but there are a few artists. It’s nicely
produced. Given the dominance of men in the industry, this seems a pretty good idea.
http://oneofone.com.au/
Making Waves has announced itself as a curated series of playlists streaming one hour
of quality Australian newly composed music. A fresh playlist is released on the last day
of every month. Composers are invited to send works. The March 31 playlist is very
diverse and includes especially the works of a number of young women composers. For
more information see http://makingwavesnewmusic.com/about/
Lisa Cheney and Peggy Polias curate Making Waves
Running since 1997, The 12th Totally Huge New Music Festival (THNMF – now, there’s an
acronym!) is a biennial festival devoted to innovative new music and sound art practice in
WA. Western Australian artists naturally get a good look-in alongside their national and
international counterparts.
The definition of ‘new music’ ranges from instrumental chamber music to pure
electronics. The festival includes concerts, installations, workshops and a conference. For
those who can’t make it to Perth, many of the festival’s concerts will be recorded for
broadcast on ABC radio. http://www.tura.com.au/ 15–24 May 2015
Cultural tourism contributes $6 billion a year to London’s economy. Consequently, a new
vision for cultural tourism in London has been unveiled by the Mayor of London, Boris
Johnson. Johnson says “If we are to remain a world capital of culture, we must stay
ahead of the game. That means bringing the tourism and culture worlds closer together
to make sure visitors are able to enjoy the fantastic range of cultural activities right across
our great city.”
The Australia Council has released a new statistical study, Arts Nation. Some findings:
Nearly all Australians consume at least one form of art and half participate in arts creation
each year. Creative participation levels have increased significantly for Australians with
disability or who earn low incomes.
Artists are among the most highly educated professionals in Australia; however growth in
numbers of tertiary students of creative arts has slowed. There are 44,000 practising
professional artists in Australia. Most have portfolio careers with less than one in five
working full-time on their creative practice, and for a relatively low income. Gender
balance in the overall artist population is relatively even, although female artists are less
likely to be nominated for selected major Australian arts awards.
Arts tourism has increased by 19% over the last four years to 2.4 million in 2013–14. Visiting
a museum or art gallery is the most popular form of arts tourism with more than one in
four international tourists undertaking this activity; this is similar to the UK and USA.
Australian artists are featured at international arts events and nominated for
international arts awards in line with OECD population benchmarks.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts are highly regarded in Australia and overseas.
The achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists are well represented in
major domestic arts awards and international arts events. The Indigenous visual arts
sector is a strong contributor to the Australian arts economy, responsible for some of
Australia’s most valuable works of art.
The cultural sector contributes $50 billion to Australia’s GDP, a similar share of GDP to the
USA and Canada, with over $4.2 billion estimated from the arts. Australian governments
spent over $7 billion on culture in 2012–13, including $1.3 billion on the core arts. The main
source of income to the arts is consumer spending with live performance generating $1.5
billion in ticket sales in 2013. Private support for the arts continues to grow with
philanthropic donations overtaking corporate sponsorship as the dominant source.
Australian artists are using crowdfunding as a way to raise smaller sums of money.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/international-tourists-choose-the-arts-oversport-and-gambling-australia-council-research-reveals-20150303-13tr76.html#ixzz3Wg4hH9aX
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