Gavin
Blench
Like a lot of people I was drawn to a traditional sound (50,000 years
of experience can't be sniffed at when seeking inspiration). This in
turn led to prolonged periods in Northern Territory where I was lucky
enough to be taught by Brendan Nangmarra and Djurrmuti Braurrangra,
and adopted into the Gumatj clan. Ultimately what I gained from these
experiences was the personal realisation that I could let go of striving
to perfectly emulate traditional song patterns (which seemed a pointless
enterprise once those songs were without the singer, and taken away
from the cultural context that birthed them) back full circle, to the
joy of allowing the body to express itself fully through sound via breath
and voice.
Obviously there are elements of traditional technique in the makeup
of what happens for me, as this is part of my musical background and
learning. But we also have a unique opportunity in the west to step
beyond traditional frameworks into something with the potential of the
present moment. We have everything inside us to fully sing our own sound.
Each day we wake up with nothing to show for our music; only the humility
to start from scratch again, and paddle back out into the current. Landscape
influences me a lot, and I guess I'm interested in expressing the flavour
of place into sound.
The best times are when I can take a back seat and let the music take
over without struggling to sound 'good'.
|
