Community Music, Place and Belonging in the Bega Valley, NSW, Australia Andrea Gordon University of Wollongong

University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2012 Community music, place and belonging in the Bega Valley, NSW, Australia Andrea Gordon University of Wollongong Recommended Citation Gordon, Andrea, Community music, place and belonging in the Bega Valley, NSW, Australia, Masters of Science - Research thesis, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, 2012. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/3718 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] Community Music, Place and Belonging in the Bega Valley, NSW, Australia Andrea Gordon A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Master’s of Research degree in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Australian Centre for Cultural Environmental Research, University of Wollongong. ii Executive Summary The uncertain future of country towns in Australia has triggered wide-ranging discussions of their social, environmental and economic sustainability. Another, ‘fourth pillar’ of sustainability is cultural sustainability: encompassing questions of amenity, mobility, identity and belonging. These important aspects of rural living can have significant impacts on retaining populations and providing quality of life, yet cultural aspects of sustainability remain under-examined in research on rural areas. This thesis discusses the contributions that music makes to cultural sustainability in one Australian rural setting in transition – the Bega Valley, a rural area on the Far South Coast of NSW. Previous examinations of music’s contributions to regional development, studied predominantly in an urban context, have emphasised creative industries and commercial music markets. Music has become a popular means for cities – from Memphis to Liverpool and New Orleans – to rejuvenate economies and identities. In a rural Australian setting, however, low and sparse populations, physical distance and isolation combine to limit prospects for commercial music markets. In such locations musical creativity takes different forms. By looking beyond ideas of creativity forged within research on urban spaces, this thesis explores music in an Australian rural region, beyond commercial markets, where those markets have failed to be viable. Community-oriented music practices beyond the market economy are rooted in everyday, meaningful community engagement. Such rural musical practices reshape existing discussions surrounding cultural sustainability and creative industries. The specific aims of this thesis were: 1. to document the extent and significance of musical activities in an Australian rural region; 2. to illustrate the musical creativity that emerges in an Australian rural area where commercial markets fail (including a sub-case study of community choirs); 3. to highlight the particulars of place when considering the potential benefits of music for iii individuals and communities; and 4. to illustrate the importance to rural residents of music (and creative outlets) for fostering community, a sense of identity, and overall increased sense of wellbeing. Participant observations were combined with a mix of semi-structured and ‘vox pop’ interviews to gain an understanding of how music shapes individuals’ sense of self and belonging when living in a rural area. Results are framed in two sections. The first highlights the specifics of creating and participating in music in the Bega Valley, the limits to commercial music markets and opportunities, and the emergence of a non-market, community music scene. The second focuses on one type of community music, choir singing, and delves into the way in which choirs, and living in ‘The Valley’, have shaped the experiences and benefits of choir groups for participants. There are four key findings: first, individuals in the Valley use music as a way to carve out their identity and foster a sense of belonging in an at times isolating and difficult environment. Second, despite that there are minimal commercial markets for music performance and consumption in the Valley, musical activity is prolific and very much a part of everyday life for many residents. Third, a much clearer understanding of the benefits, and contributions of music to the participants, and their community, requires consideration of the place where the Valley’s choirs have formed; and fourth, lifestyle migration, a phenomenon documented across Australia, has been crucial in bringing flows of professional musicians into the Valley, with resulting creative community initiatives giving residents alternative ways to socialize and self-identify. iv Acknowledgements First I would like to thank Chris Gibson for all of his support throughout this project and for encouraging me to come to Australia. Chris was an inspiration throughout my undergraduate degree and proved to be a great match for my post-graduate work. His knowledge, support and experience were crucial to all aspects of this thesis, but I would like to especially thank him for his dedication and guidance as the project came to a close. I have learned so much from his attention to detail in writing and research in general. Thank you for providing me with the tools to engage with, and enjoy my research. I would like to thank participants Geoffrey, Don, Fiona, Arati and Mareta for your openness and enthusiasm to share your stories and the place you live. You all added tremendously to this project and made my time in Bega, and Australia, memorable. I would also like to thank Anna de Jong and Chris Brennan-Horley for your edits and ideas in the final stages. And thank you to Chris Brennan-Horley for a place to stay during research visits and my first introduction to Bega and the Valley. Finally I want to say thank you to my family. Thank you to my supportive parents for bringing Christmas to Australia and for encouraging me to follow my interests (however far they may take me from home). And to Samuel whose support has been unwavering. Thank you for taking a chance and coming with me on this Australian adventure. v Table of Contents Executive Summary iii Acknowledgements v Table of Contents vi List of Tables x List of Figures x 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Creative Economies, Commercial Music and Academic Research 2 1.2 The ‘Rural’ 3 1.3 Music and Academic Research 4 1.4 Community Music and Choirs 6 1.5 The Bega Valley, NSW, Australia: Why Study Music in this Country Town? 8 1.6 Research Aims 10 1.7 Thesis Outline 11 2. Rurality, Music and Community: A Review of the Relevant Literature 12 2.1 Rural Australia 12 2.1.1 Migration and rural populations 13 2.1.2 Issues of access and mobility 17 2.1.3 Issues of health and wellbeing 18 2.1.4 Gender roles and rural living 20 2.2 Markets and Cultural Industries 24 2.2.1 Creativity in rural and remote places 25 vi 2.2.2 Festivals, place marketing and rural revitalization 27 2.3 Music Scenes 28 2.4 Community Music and Community Groups in Rural Areas 31 2.4.1 Community groups in rural areas 32 2.5 Music and Meaning 34 2.5.1 Music, place and choirs 35 2.5.2 Music, choirs and identity 37 2.5.3 Music, choirs and wellbeing 41 2.5.4 Music, emotions and the soul 45 2.6 Conclusion 47 3. Methods 49 3.1 Observation 49 3.2 Recruitment of Participants for Interviews 52 3.3 Interviews 54 3.4 Data and Analysis 57 4. Making Music in a Small Town: What happens when the commercial market fails 59 4.1 Welcome to the Bega Valley, NSW. Australia 60 4.2 Enjoying Music in the Valley: The Key Stakeholders 65 4.2.1 Arts societies and community organizations 65 4.2.2 Venues 69 4.2.3 Music schools 76 4.2.4 Radio stations, production equipment and recording studios 78 4.3 The Bega Valley Commercial Music ‘Scene’ 79 4.3.1 Getting gigs and bringing in audiences 80 4.4 Making Community Music 84 vii 4.4.1 A ‘need to generate’ what music lovers do when a commercial ‘scene’ fails to materialise 85 4.4.2 Examples of Valley community music and its participants 87 4.4.3 Community versus commercially produced music 90 4.5 Accessibility, Mobility and Critical Mass: running music programs in the Valley 93 4.5.1 Mobility: travelling country roads 93 4.5.2 Critical mass 96 4.6 Educational Institutions and Music: Magpie Music and the Role of Public and private school music programs 98 4.6.1 Magpie Music 98 4.6.2 High schools and primary schools 103 4.7 Festivals and Music Participation in the Bega Valley 106 4.7.1 Music festivals of the Valley 107 4.7.2 Four Winds Music Festival 110 4.7.3 Accessibility and music festivals in the Bega Valley 113 4.8 Migration and Living in the Valley as a Music Fan 115 4.9 Chapter Summary 117 5. Choir Singing in the Bega Valley: A ‘Lifeline’ 119 5.1 An Introduction to Some of the Choirs of the Bega Valley 119 5.1.1 Mumbulla Dah’s 123 5.1.2 Heartsong 124 5.1.3 Bega Valley choristers: age, sex and membership 126 5.1.4 Directors and the beginning of choirs in the Valley 127 5.1.5 Repertoire 127 5.1.6 Rehearsal and performance frequency and location 129 5.2 Learning and socializing: Choirs in the Bega Valley 130 viii 5.2.1 Singing skills and audience education 131 5.2.2 Choir singing as a means for socializing 133 5.3 Confidence and Self-identity: Choirs in the Bega Valley 136 5.3.1 Confidence and wellbeing: finding the freedom to sing 137 5.3.2 Memories and self-identity 142 5.4 Bega Valley Choirs and Rural Australian Men and Women 144 5.4.1 Bega Valley choirs and Australian masculinity 144 5.4.2 Bega Valley choirs and women 147 5.5 The Indescribable: Singing and the Body and Soul 151 5.6 Conclusion 154 6.

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