School life, what it meant to me...
Western Springs was the first place I felt allowed, within formal education anyway, to truly be a creative. I know that sounds clique, but my teens, as for many of us, were not an easy time and finding that I was allowed to make art, music, write, tell stories and experiment at school helped me through a rough time. I maintain to this day, that had I not been in such a supportive and ‘just-give-it-a-go’ environment at school I would have never found the confidence to sing (probably other than in the shower). So despite looking back on my time at high school with a glance to the side and a little bit of relived teenage shame, I’m still profoundly grateful for my time at Western Springs. I now know that it was such a blessing to spend hours painting, developing film in the old dark room, making music, writing and just generally getting my hands messy without fear. It has all helped me sink
into the everlasting, confusing and lifelong process that is creative work.
My greatest achievements...
The things I am proudest of within my work often come from performing a new work or taking old works and performing them in new ways. For example, I spent a few months working in the art gallery as part of a performance installation by an artist called Lee Mingwei called ‘Sonic blossom,’ which involved offering strangers the gift of song. It was a strange and powerful experience, and really brought home to me the importance of art makers and creatives of all sorts in our communities. In a hostile world being a creative can feel like an indulgent choice, but living and breathing with people through their own unique experiences of art, and what it frees within them, proves completely otherwise.
Another performance I am particularly proud of came as part of my masters degree, where I performed a one woman, one piano modern opera: At the Statue of Venus, by an incredible American composer called Jake Heggie. It is, coincidently, also set in an art Gallery, and tracks the course of one woman, Rose’s, 25 minute wait for a blind date standing by a statue of Venus. During her wait Rose has a hilarious crisis of belief about her choice of clothing (pants rather than a dress), fears that whoever is suppose to turn up has probably walked in, seen her, and disgusted, left without a word. She also reminisces about her childhood and what ‘love’ might actually be or mean. She considers being adored by an artist, as surrounded by portraits, she feels somewhat intimidated by the idea of being or becoming someone’s muse.
I worked on the project for about six months. It was a labour of love and finally performing it after months of research was a total dream come true. After I’d finished my masters and feeling that empty feeling you get when a massive work has reached some sort of conclusion, I got the opportunity to fly to the States, meet the composer and sing an extract of the work for him in a master class. I was totally starstruck, it felt a bit like singing for Beethoven, but I’ll always remember how that felt and I hope our paths cross again some time. I would absolutely love to sing more of his works, and would hopefully be less starstruck (aka terrified) next time!
A source of inspiration...
My beautiful niece and nephew fill me and my family with energy and opportunities to see everything anew (They are a constant and inexhaustible source of inspiration to me). Also research, namely books, I absolutely love reading. Classical Music of all kinds. Mozart (He’s a category all on his own). Art of all kinds. Travel. Nature. The list is endless, there is always something!
My working style...
I’m very processed based. By that I mean I try to learn by staying open to different approaches and being present while I do something. By always remaining open to new learning or other pathways I don’t ever get to be a total perfectionist (which is my tendency). If you’re performing you really can’t be a total perfectionist all the time, things will go wrong, and you have to be able to get back on the horse and love it and find meaning in it all the same, despite whatever might not have gone to plan.
Special to me...
Nature, especially spending time in the bush or at the beach, listening to birds and the sea. The Music of Beethoven and Schubert (their music is so often about light breaking through the dark and about all the best kinds of hope).
I love...
Fresh Strawberries, anytime, anywhere, yum. Old school Jazz, my ears eat it like my mouth eats strawberries.
I dislike...
That the art form that chose me has terrible gender representation. Where are the classical female composers from before 1950? Don’t even get me started on some of the works themselves.
Thought on life...
One thought that is playing on my mind a lot at the moment is that the greatest barrier to learning is thinking you know everything. It is like that wonderful quote from Hamlet: “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” It reminds me that being grateful, optimistic and hopeful is born of being open to the fact that we never know anything exactly. Also that everything and everyone has something to teach us if we give them the opportunity.
|