Young musicians invited to perform at Bay whale festival
A call is going out to young musicians on the Fraser Coast to register for a part in the Song to the Ocean performance at the Hervey Bay Whale Festival on July 29 and 30, 2021.
Mayor George Seymour said violin, viola, cello and percussion students aged 13 to 17 years with 3rd Grade Australian Music Examinations Board level (or equivalent) are invited to join the production.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our young musicians to participate in a professional event of such prominence,” Cr Seymour said.
“Our students will gain music expression skills and hands-on experience alongside professional musicians, industry contacts and certificates of participation.”
Cr Seymour said Song to Ocean was an adaptation of Song to the Earth which was performed at Bleach* Festival/ Commonwealth Games Arts and Culture Program and Flowstate Festivals in 2018 involving young Gold Coast musicians.
The Hervey Bay Whale Festival production will involve 12 DeepBlue string players, 24 YoungBlue string players, Dr Michael Askill, Skylar Sansome, 5 gong players, and Whaia Whaea.
Participation is free but participants are required to attend every call in the lead-up to the event.
To be involved, register to participate. Registrations close on April 30 and successful participants will be notified on May 7.
In late May, they will receive the sheet music and audio recording of their 30-minute part and are encouraged to learn it with their teacher.
In late July participants will participate in the Song to the Ocean residency, involving three after-school workshops/rehearsal to develop playing ability and expressive performance techniques facilitated by DeepBlue, Dr Askill and Whaia Whaea.
Immediately following the residency, participants will perform two consecutive evenings as part of this professional production at the Hervey Bay Whale Festival.
Cr Seymour said Fraser Coast Regional Council was working with Fraser Coast Tourism and Events to bring this very exciting performance to the region for this year’s whale festival.
The project is funded by Festivals Australia and The Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) which is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Fraser Coast Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.
About the project
Song to the Ocean is a love-song to the extraordinary marine life that visits the Fraser Coast. It is an immersive, outdoor music installation suited to a socially distanced audience.
Audiences are invited to enter a circle of awe-inspired light sculptures, stroll among the orchestra and experience music and nature sounds up-close. Or they can sit and experience the work in picnic mode with live feed of the show interspersed with cinematic marine life images.
Working alongside Fraser Coast Regional Council and Fraser Coast Tourism and Events, this workshop-driven project will connect with local high schools to develop the musical component of the project, and the broader community to develop the artistic component of the project.
Direct input from the Butchulla community in both elements will ensure that local indigenous stories are recognised and woven into presentations, including Butchulla language elements, building community pride and connectedness.
About the creative team
Composer Corrina Bonshek who writes nature-inspired music that has been described as ‘beautifully shaped and contemplative’ (Clare MacClean, 2013) and ‘deeply spiritual in intent’ (Anne Boyd, 2002). Her music is performed regularly in Australia by soloists and ensembles (Jason Noble, Alex Raineri, Ady Ensemble, Sirius Ensemble, Charisma Ensemble, Kupka’s Piano).
Emerging from research begun in 2005, award-winning DeepBlue reinvents the classical string ensemble combining artistic excellence with electronics, choreography, and perceptive, insightful repertoire to engage new audiences.
Dr Michael Askill is a percussionist, composer, musical director, musical ambassador, and educator – an icon of Australian music, known and admired for his enduring contribution to the Australian contemporary music landscape and his original blending of Asian and Western Sounds.
WHAIA is a Maori Sonic Weaver, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and retreat facilitator for Kurawaka Australia Empowering Women Through Culture and The Arts. For the past decade she has been walking with an array of Crystal Singing Bowls and Taonga Puoro/Traditional First Nations Instruments creating her own unique cradle of embedded healing phonics.
Click here to view a Song to the Earth Highlights video