The music performed at OUR MUSIC 2012 was a mixture of many styles. The Yabun Yaguna re-compositions of the Sydney Chants, music by the Eora TAFE composition students, Sainsbury’s contemporary classical music, and various popular music styles that ranged from rock using the larger ensemble to duets and solos. An ensemble of musicians made up of the Eora TAFE and Sydney Conservatorium music students accompanied the various soloists of the varied program.

It was at the rehearsals for this collective music ensemble where the genuine magic of OUR MUSIC was observed for the first time. The 2012 OUR MUSIC ensemble was made up of keyboard, guitar, bass, drums and saxophone students of the Conservatorium jazz faculty, with backing singers, guitarists, saxophonists and keyboard students from Eora TAFE. The ensemble was directed by each of the professional performers, as they rehearsed their particular songs. The Eora student performers each directed the rehearsals of their pieces. In several cases the Indigenous professionals knew or were even cousins of the Indigenous students, so there was much laughter and friendship in the group. It soon became evident to me by the attitude and musical input of the Conservatorium students, that this was a very significant event. In some instances, these rehearsals were the first time the Conservatorium students had met Indigenous musicians. The music produced by this creative cross-cultural collaboration was thrilling for all involved, and life changing for some.

The Painted Piano

At the very same time the preparations for OUR MUSIC 2012 were under way, Wayne Stuart suggested that a good research opportunity was on offer for me, to go to Menindee Central school, in Western New South Wales, to supervise and musically participate in the painting of a Stuart piano! Stuart had noticed in a television documentary, that the highly regarded visual artist Mr Rick Ball was directing Indigenous art students at the Menindee Central school to produce art works of a very high standard. So Stuart offered them the project of painting shaped panels that would fit on the outside of the Stuart piano cabinet. My part in the process would be to host the Menindee school painters and musicians at the approaching OUR MUSIC day in Sydney. It was planned that this would be the first occasion the school students would see their art work actually on the piano.

The photo below is of one of the panels which is fastened onto the side of the piano cabinet. Art students Travis Philp and Shane Blore had been at work on this particular part of the panel.