Stephanie G. Mathis Music is one of the most complex arts. Music is a universal language that touches people of all cultures and backgrounds. Music can be a vital part of our lives.
Music is a very diverse experience. We live in a music-filled world, from bumbling our way through the Australian Anthem at school to singing a hymn or footy team song to TV jingles, Muzak, and stadium bands.
Music’s power lies in its appeal and engagement. There is room in the arts for music that challenges the notion of what music can be. Visual art has always been innovative, pushing abstract art, conceptual art, and performance art to the forefront.
It’s difficult to imagine Australian music without pioneers like Jim Denley or Carolyn Connors.
Music must be constantly evolving to remain relevant in our changing cultural identity. Our cultural fabric is shaped by imported and adopted forms, but are they the center of our culture?
In Australian culture, attempts to create a unique music have never been given priority. Gail Priest’s book Audio Explorations of Australia was a significant step within the community. And when the long-time violin experimenter Jon Rose won the most prestigious Australian Music Award, the Don Banks award, in 2012, there seemed to be a possibility for change.
It is still difficult to bring musical experiments into the public sphere in a way that goes beyond a “fringe activity” or merely attracting curiosity. Most of us use the term music to refer to something made for and played on existing musical instruments with certain “musical qualities,” such as melody and harmonies.
Anita Hustas performed ‘Reflections Of A Teardrop’ at La Mama Theatre in May 2015. Phil Bywater. Author provided
Music can reflect our current interests and concerns. To keep this reflection relevant and accurate, it is important to experiment and challenge the notion of what is musical. We must push music in unexpected directions.
The public is less likely to pay attention to unabashed attempts that challenge the status quo, as they are perceived to be a break in the link between music and entertainment. To be relevant, experimental music must be discussed, shared, and reviewed critically. This is a matter of opportunity.
In this respect, the infrastructure for music faces a significant challenge. It is also a complex web of facilities, education, and communities. The venues are intended to accommodate a wide range of heritage music, which our former art minister called orchestras and recitals. I would also add bands.
This is what I mean: a mass audience ushered in plush seats, squished with lights in the face, or standing on sticky floors listening to a bad PA while drinking a beer.
These venues don’t lend themselves to “experiments” or allowing people to do so. Future venues must be more adaptable, flexible, and accessible. They must be “art” spaces, not only music venues.
Three to four years in specialist music degrees is not enough time to explore this heritage music. Experimentation is now a luxury, and there’s no framework to understand it.
Students of music are the innovators of the future. They need the tools to transform their craft into an art form as they grow and mature, engaging with the world outside the classroom. The adoption of artistic research in music across universities offers some hope. However, it is still a work in progress.
The main obstacle to cultural respect could be. Respect for curiosity and innovation, the ability to create something relevant for our world and for our time. Respect is a prerequisite for support. Australians, as a unique blend of people, experiences, and places, have the rare chance to leave the baggage of previous masters behind with gratitude and respect.
We need to create an infrastructure that celebrates and facilitates innovation. This will encourage excitement, challenges, discussion, and our unique version of the new. Experimental music offers us this opportunity, and we should celebrate it.
