Inside WAAPA
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OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS, EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY (ISSUE 40) JUNE 2015 UNCONDITIONAL KUČKA Page 6 Jazz artists ring Bells Page 2 WAAPA graduate wins Heath Ledger Scholarship Page 3 Plus World-renowned choreographer inspires dance students Page 5 Inside WAAPA Issue 40 Page 1 WAAPA JAZZ ARTISTS SCOOP THREE ‘BELLS’ Drummer/percussionist/ WAAPA is delighted that Susnjar now brings his composer/educator Daniel expertise back to WAAPA as a sessional tutor. Susnjar has recently Singer/pianist/composer Sarah McKenzie, completed five years of described by Australian jazz legend James performance and study in the USA, where Morrison as “a musical marvel”, has been he earned both his Doctoral and Masters notching up awards since her WAAPA days. In degrees from the University of Miami Frost her final year at WAAPA, McKenzie won the 2008 School of Music. Hawaiian Award for Most Outstanding Jazz While in America, Susnjar performed and Graduate and the Jack Bendat Scholarship. The recorded with many of the world’s finest jazz following year, she was named the 2009 winner and rock artists, including Chick Corea, Bobby of the Generations in Jazz Vocal Scholarship. McFerrin, Terence Blanchard, Dave Grusin, Greg Since then, McKenzie’s superb jazz vocals Osby, Steve Miller and Phil Ramone. He has and brilliant piano playing have seen her played at high-profile venues in New York City perform as a featured artist at events like the and Miami, and has toured throughout the USA, Stonnington, Wangaratta and Melbourne jazz Daniel Susnjar with his Bell Award and (inset photo) Sarah McKenzie Main photo: Andrew Kneebone / inset photo: Yamaha Music Australia the Caribbean Islands, Peru and Australia. In festivals in Australia and jazz festivals in Europe 2013, as a Henry Mancini Institute fellow, Susnjar and the USA including the prestigious Umbria n May 1, the cream of Australia’s jazz was invited to perform at the New Orleans Jazz Jazz and Monterey Jazz festivals. community gathered in Melbourne and Heritage Festival. at the Plaza Ballroom to recognise Last year she graduated from Boston’s Susnjar’s original compositions are outstanding achievements by prestigious Berklee College of Music on a full- influenced by ethnic music from around the OAustralian jazz musicians at the annual tuition scholarship, and was nominated as a world, in particular Hungary, Spain, Egypt and Australian Jazz Bell Awards. finalist in the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Mali. In April 2014 he released his debut album Vocal Competition. The Jazz Bell Awards, which were established Su Su Nje to critical acclaim, with John McBeath She has recorded three albums for ABC Jazz, in 2003 and named in honour of the late great in The Australian describing it as “a brilliant picking up a 2012 ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album jazz pioneer Graeme Bell AO MBE, recognise breakout percussion display from Susnjar”. for Close Your Eyes. The Bell Award-winning We and encourage excellence in the performance, Showcasing top-shelf musicians from Peru, Could be Lovers, released in October last year, recording and presentation of jazz in Australia. New York City and Miami, the album features was recorded in New York with Grammy Award- WAAPA graduate Daniel Susnjar took out two original compositions inspired by Afro-Peruvian winning producer Brian Bacchus, trumpeter Bell Awards: Best Australian Modern Jazz Album rhythms and fresh arrangements of classic Ingrid Jensen, vibraphonist Warren Wolf and for Su Su Nje and Best Australian Jazz Song of Peruvian songs. percussionist Marco Valeri. It features a number the Year for Forte Pulse Torte. Susnjar’s remarkable musical talent was of McKenzie’s own compositions along with Jazz singer/pianist Sarah McKenzie won the recognised early: he was awarded exceptional new arrangements of classics by Cole Porter, Bell Award for Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album entry into WAAPA while still in high school and at Gershwin and Henry Mancini, among others. for We Could Be Lovers. 17, won Best Soloist at the 1998 Drum Mania IV. BEHIND THE CAMERA WAAPA’S ACTING STUDENTS WORK WITH A LEGENDARY AUSTRALIAN CINEMATOGRAPHER World-renowned cinematographer Don McAlpine, who has worked McAlpine shared some of the valuable lessons with Hollywood stars Arnold learned from his 45-year career with WAAPA’s Schwarzenegger and Harrison Ford 3rd Year Acting students during a visit to Edith as well as WAAPA graduate Hugh Cowan University in April. Jackman, said being able to work Photo by Mahmudul Raz Mahmudul by Photo McAlpine has a long, illustrious list of films well with people is another vital skill Don McAlpine (centre) with WA Screen Academy students necessary to filmmaking. to his credit, including the Australian classics As McAlpine worked alongside the student The Adventures of Barry McKenzie, My Brilliant “Getting along with the people you’re working directors and cinematographers, the Acting Career and Breaker Morant. In America he has with and understanding what they’re trying to students experienced the collaborative nature been cinematographer on films such asPatriot achieve is the key,” he said. of filmmaking and the importance of the Games, Mrs Doubtfire, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin WAAPA’s Associate Professor Andrew Lewis cinematographer/director of photography. Rouge, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and most said McAlpine’s visit was an extraordinary During McAlpine’s visit, the screening of a recently Ender’s Game, to name just a few. opportunity for the students. documentary directed by the Director of the While in Perth, McAlpine ran a series of “It’s a great privilege for our students to WA Screen Academy, Dr Cathy Henkel about the masterclasses with students from WAAPA’s have someone of Don’s calibre speak with them great cinematographer’s career, Show Me the Acting course and the WA Screen Academy. and share his incredibly rich and extensive Magic, was followed by a talk from McAlpine His number one tip was “to practice, practice, experience,” Assoc. Prof. Lewis said. about his life’s work. practice”. Page 2 Inside WAAPA Issue 40 MATT LEVETT WINS HEATH LEDGER SCHOLARSHIP WAAPA class of 2009 Acting graduate Matt of ScreenInkMedia, a collective of Levett has been awarded the 2015 Heath Ledger young filmmakers who have just Scholarship. completed their latest short Kid, The scholarship, established in 2008 in which Levett wrote and directed. memory of the late Australian actor Heath 2013 WAAPA graduate Emilie Ledger, gives talented young Australian actors Cocquerel was named runner- the opportunity to establish themselves in the up with Lily Sullivan. They will United States. each receive a round-trip ticket The announcement was made on June 1 to Los Angeles and a scholarship at a star-studded gala dinner in Los Angeles to attend Masterclasses at attended by judges including actors Vince Screenwise Film & TV School for Vaughn and Ben Mendelsohn, and Australian actors in Sydney. cinema glitterati including Jacki Weaver, director Cocquerel made her screen Phillip Noyce and writer Stuart Beattie. debut in the ABC telemovie An Levett won out of a pool of 20 finalists from Accidental Soldier. She has a key 300 entrants to take the top prize of $US10,000, role in Joe Cinque’s Consolation, plus a two-year scholarship to the prestigious the feature debut of short film Stella Adler Academy of Acting and Theatre in Los director Sotiris Dounoukos, and Angeles, flights from Virgin Australia, $US5000 appears in Garth Davis’ Lion with in visa assistance and mentorship from industry Nicole Kidman, David Wenham, professionals. Dev Patel and Rooney Mara. “It will give me the ability to stay longer and The judges also included actor give me a foot in the door,” says Levett, who first Rose Byrne, Gone Girl and House went to the US last September/October, when he of Cards casting director Laray Mayfield, executive producer Adam Matt Levett accepting the 2015 Heath Ledger Scholarship signed with the Gersh Agency. Photo: Corbis/Australians in Film Schroeder, directors Kieran Darcy-Smith and The 31-year-old actor made his feature debut Gregor Jordan, and Australian-based casting Shareena Clanton (2010), Travis Jeffery (2012), in director Dean Francis’ confronting drama director Ann Fay. The scholarship is run by non- TJ Power (2008) and Harry Richardson (2014). Drown, adapted from a Stephen Davis play. His profit body Australians in Film, which supports other screen credits include Devil’s Playground, Of the seven recipients of the Heath Ledger Australian filmmakers and performers in the US. A Place to Call Home, Home & Away, Two Twisted scholarship to date, Levett is the second WAAPA and All Saints. Levett directed the Tropfest Film In addition to Levett and Cocquerel, four other graduate to take out the top prize, following Festival short Unwanted Friend and is a member WAAPA graduates were among the finalists: James Mackay in 2013. PUPPETRY COMES TO WAAPA WAAPA JOINS FORCES WITH SPARE PARTS PUPPET THEATRE TO TRAIN STUDENTS appeal and created an explosion of artistic interesting ways in contemporary theatre and activity. performance. We are so lucky to have a company In this dynamic atmosphere, Australia’s like Spare Parts here on our door-step, and I look oldest puppetry company Spare Parts Puppet forward to building on this exciting partnership Theatre has joined forces with WAAPA to create in the future.” a new puppetry unit as part of the Academy’s In addition, Spare Parts is continuing its Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA) degree. own in-house training program, FirstHand, the Dr Frances Barbe, BPA Course Coordinator, only dedicated puppetry training program in said that she was very excited to be incorporating Australia. puppetry into the training of the performance- FirstHand was established in 2010 in making students. partnership with Edith Cowan University’s Centre “Puppetry is a great training tool to for Research in Entertainment, Arts, Technology, sensitise performers to the full potential Education and Communications, (CREATEC).