Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Experimental music and Australian culture

Jon Rose wins 2012 Don Banks Music Award, and speaks on experimental music in Australia in these choice quotes from an article in The Australian (21 March 2012, p.14):

Rose says the award recognises that experimental and exploratory music more than just exists in Australia but is fundamental to the health of all music and culture. “Without experimentation, there is no future for a home-grown culture with its own models, aesthetics and meaning”....

“In Aboriginal societies the most important person was the musician to carry on the oral history and make the connections...Everything had to exist in song, singing into existence the reality of the universe. Music (was) not a lifestyle option – ‘I might got to the opera tonight’ – it had to be done every day”.