The collaboration of two culturally diverse groups provided Charles Darwin University (CDU) music students with the opportunity to experience an exciting and unique master class today (Friday 25 May).
The students, who often attend guest lectures as part of their music studies, joined an open rehearsal by the Wangtunga Strong Women’s Group singers from Bathurst Island and a group of jazz musicians from Sydney and Darwin at Charles Darwin University’s Casuarina Campus.
Music lecturers with the School of Creative Arts and Humanities seized the chance to provide their students with this very unique cultural and musical experience when approached by the project convenor, Sydney-based classical musician Genevieve Campbell.
The master class was the culmination of a week of writing, rehearsing and performing by these musicians who come from very different musical and cultural backgrounds. Through these processes a connection was made that is artistically, socially and culturally meaningful.
Today’s open rehearsal and performance gave the students the opportunity to observe this unique combination and discover the complexities of fusing the two very different musical genres – one a very aural tradition while the other has a tradition largely based on notation.