Hiding the mechanics and avoiding dead air: Designing a seamless, innovative and captivating WAAPA Music Gala performance

Author Identifier (ORCID)

Tim White: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6620-3474

Abstract

Multi-ensemble musical performances are notoriously disjointed: marred by awkward silences, dead air, technical glitches, and aesthetic dissonances.

This research involved the interrogation of curation and music direction pathways to adopt new performance practices to produce a coherent, seamless and satisfying flow for WAAPA’s 2023 Music Gala Showcase. In addition this program included seven new works which adds complexity to the music direction. These works had at this time been untried and untested in a full program to challenge and innovate further. Drawing on the experimentation of the film Russian Ark by director Alexandre Sokurov (well-known for its innovation of a one-take single 87-minute camera shot), and informed by the work of performance artists Stephanie Richards and Claire Chase, White designed, curated, directed and compéred a single unbroken kaleidoscopic 95-minute 285-performer musical experience in the Perth Concert Hall.

Non-Traditional Research Output

Live Performance

Document Type

Non-Traditional Research Output

Date of Publication

2024

Research Statement

Contribution to knowledge is located in: 1: A novel approach to performance practice, involving staging, lighting, sound design, and the architecture of the Perth Concert Hall, producing a seamless performance across 95 minutes, 19 works and 285 performers. 2: Seven world premiere performances, including two composed by White himself: ‘Call to Action’ and ‘Searching’. The performance was attended by a Perth Concert Hall capacity audience of 1,750 people, and received a positive review in ‘SeeSaw’ magazine: “A spirit of creativity and collaboration energises and tranforms”. Professional peer feedback was positive, and led to White’s invitations to be the Music Director for the closing performances of WAAPA’s 2024 ‘East Meets West’ research project at the Nanjing University of the Arts, to direct and perform in the 2024 Armadale Arts Festival, and to host Percussion Australia’s ‘BOOM!’ international percussion festival in September 2024.

School

Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts

RAS ID

70309

Event Title

2023 WAAPA Music Gala

Event Dates

30th July 2023

Event Venue

Perth Concert Hall

Additional Information

A curated performance program of 19 musical works, 7 world premieres, 240 performers, total duration 95 minutes, total live audience of 1,750.

Find more details about the event here: https://www.seesawmag.com.au/2023/07/waapa-talent-raises-the-roof

Metadata record only

Comments

White, T. (2023). Hiding the mechanics and avoiding dead air: Designing a seamless, innovative and captivating. WAAPA Music Gala performance. [Musical Performance]. Perth Concert Hall.

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