My Voice, A Trigger for Change
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Research Statement
Research Background
Substantial ‘Jazz’ compositions that are totally derived from or interrelate to a written source of text are scarce indeed, as are the music performances that accompany them. This music composition and performance research used a substantial poem from W.A. beat poet Fable Goldsmith from her recent publication ‘Bloodlines’ to produce a novel piece for the large forces of Big Band combined with Jazz Vocal Choir. Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding’s 2020 opera based on the Iphigenia myth would be a recent and rare example of work this research aligns with, along with the plurality of styles the Australian Art Orchestra (AAO) embodies within their programming. The piece sits within a suite of new commissions (curated by the researcher) entitled ‘Grand Designs – Jazz and the World’, and composition and performances occurred throughout 2021.
Research Contribution
This piece interrupts the conventions of how a typical jazz choir and big band are composed for and represented. The written text in turn produced musical outcomes that injected a novel sense of jazz phrasing, changing tempi and compositional form and structure. The Baroque device of ‘word painting’ is harnessed, as are more direct theatrical-like interruptions of mood and emotion (phrases that juxtapose outrage against a Dixieland style etc). The piece both in concept and artefact sustains the idea that large jazz ensemble works can be derived from a much wider source of stimuli, and thus stretches the genre.
Research Significance
The piece was competitively selected to be a part of the 2021 Perth International Jazz Festival, was presented live in Forrest Place as well as over three nights at WAAPA. ‘Grand Designs - Jazz and the World’ included other internationally noted composers such as Vanessa Perica, Matt Jodrell, Troy Roberts and Johannes Luebbers. ABC Jazz are currently investigating releasing the material for broadcast, a further indicator of national excellence.
Keywords
music, musical performance, jazz, music composition
Non-Traditional Research Output
Original Creative Work
Document Type
Non-Traditional Research Output
Date of Publication
2021
Location of the Work
Perth
School
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
RAS ID
43319
Event Title
Grand Designs - Jazz and The World
Event Dates
May 6-8; November 7, 2021
Event Venue
Perth International Jazz Festival
Duration
16 mins
DOI Statement
The DOI refers to the repository metadata record only and serves as a documentation identifier.
Recommended Citation
O'Halloran, T. (2021). My Voice, A Trigger for Change. [musical score, musical performance]. Perth International Jazz Festival. https://doi.org/10.25958/q8j7-8d93
Documentation Statement
This record presents a documented representation of the research output, including the research statement and associated contextual metadata. The creative work itself is not included. Where available, external links are provided to representations of the work.
Content Type
Documentation only