Siri-Ous Business Meet Karen Jacobsen, Australia’S Most Remarkable Voice
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Siri-ous Business Meet Karen Jacobsen, Australia’s most remarkable voice BIG IDEAS, SMALL BUSINESS The micro-finance expert changing lives LIFE-SAVING STUDY One step closer to a malaria vaccine and treatment WELCOME COVER STORY The technically perfect tone of jazz-trained Karen Jacobsen Pages 4–5 6 Digging for Clues Researcher Jon Olley in the search for Daniel Morcombe's killer 7 Walking a Path Less Taken Doctor James St John is using stem cell research to tackle paralysis 10 Griffith’s Sporting Heart A VISION OF INFLUENCE Our connections to the Commonwealth Games go back decades As Griffith University enters its fifth Such as Dr Adam Brumm, from the 15 China Vaccine Trial decade since classes commenced in 1975 Centre of Human Evolution, who created An international partnership could save millions of lives it is timely to reflect on the realisation a global buzz when he and his fellow of a vision. Griffith’s mission to be a researchers released their findings about 18 Adapting to the New university of influence in Australia and the origins of the human species, dating World of Work the Asia-Pacific has never been more ancestors back to 700,000 years ago. Planning ahead for the exciting evident than it is right now. Or Dr James St John who is leading careers that don't yet exist Our inspiring staff, students and research at the Clem Jones Centre for 20 When Art Turns Activist alumni have each played an essential part Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research How the world is turning to public in the broadening and deepening of our that could repair spinal cord injuries and art in times of grief and sorrow impact and engagement across the globe. have paralysed people walking again. Griffith is now firmly placed in the top And our students are making 24 Griffith News Highlights three percent of universities worldwide, their impact on Asia even before Snap shots from all corners with significant recognition in all major they graduate. of the University international rankings. We have seven current New Colombo 27 Shark Reality of Live TV Our teachers are recognised as the Plan scholars abroad, including Amarina The Griffith alumnist on duty best in Australia; we have some of the Smith, the first Indigenous recipient the day the shark attacked brightest students and alumni making of the scholarship. their place in the world and the findings When it comes to being a university Globe Trotter’s 28 of our researchers are breathtaking. of influence, sometimes it is overtly spelt Career Advantage So it is fitting when we tell the out for us. Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor 30 countries in 3 years gives Griffith Story, that the word ‘remarkable’ Lesley Chenoweth was named as one Peta Wilton a global perspective comes to mind. Repeatedly. of Australia’s Top 10 Most Influential 30 A Question of Origin Over the coming months the position Women for her work in the social The Research Centre for Human of the University will be defined by services area, particularly through Evolution rewriting our beginnings this word. our Logan campus. The new positioning will be introduced Across our research, our teaching, 32 Speaking Up For Change and supported by a broad-based our campuses, our students and our Law graduate Chris Eigeland addressing the United Nations marketing campaign. It is equally a graduates we see a dynamic collective statement of what Griffith has achieved force that truly represents a university 34 Looking Forward, over the last 41 years and an aspiration of remarkable influence. And we know Giving Back towards the high mark we set ourselves that there is even more to come. Becoming a donor is a special in the future. way of making a difference There is no shortage of remarkable Professor Ian O'Connor stories throughout the Griffith community. Vice Chancellor and President COVER IMAGE: Karen Jacobsen, a Queensland Conservatorium graduate, is the voice of Siri Griffith Alumni and Community Magazine is published by the Office of Marketing and and “Australian Karen” in our GPS. Communications in partnership with the Office of Development and Alumni. Griffith University Nathan campus, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, Qld, 4111 Australia. Griffith University Gold Coast campus, Parklands Drive, Qld, 4222 Australia. ENQUIRIES: Office of Marketing and Communications, +61 7 3735 7818 CRICOS No: 00233E ISSN 1839-4051 griffith.edu.au/omc 3 TEACHING THE STAR MAKER Irene Bartlett has trained some of Australia’s best voices, including Eurovision contestant Dami Im. Lauren Marino meets her. As one of Australia’s most talented and versatile vocalists, ARIA award-winner Katie Noonan knows how to make outstanding music. And, she says, a great teacher is vital. “I can’t underestimate the importance of a good teacher,” she says. “Teachers bring confidence, a sense of self-worth, and they teach you of course, but it’s so much more. It’s how they make you feel. They give you confidence to follow your path in life and in music.” Katie studied at Queensland Singer Katie Noonan is a former student Griffith teacher Irene Bartlett has trained Conservatorium 20 years ago with of Irene’s. Credit Justin Nicholas some of Australia’s best singers Dr Irene Bartlett—the very same teacher who has helped shape the talents of some “the first instrument”, is one that now “Nothing I do gives them talent, of the country’s most popular voices, attracts some of the best emerging that’s their parents, God or good luck!” such as Megan Washington, voices in Australia. Irene says. “But that small time, those Kristin Berardi, Elly Hoyt and Dami Im. “Very quickly I can size up whether few years that I have with them, if I can Irene’s students have been recipients there is something special in someone somehow be a mentor through their of seven ARIA Awards, the Freedman and I saw that particularly in Dami Im. journey and make things a bit clearer Jazz Fellowship, the Montreaux There was something so pure and so for them, that’s the part that just Jazz Festival international vocalist honest about her singing,” Irene says. warms my heart.” competition, six James Morrison This same voice was recently given Generations in Jazz Scholarships, and two a worldwide audience of more than Watch a video about Churchill Fellowships. Now, she can add 200 million, when she performed her Irene Bartlett’s work at Eurovision to the list, after Dami came Eurovision song Sound of Silence. griffith.edu.au/alumni/bartlett an unprecedented second place in the “Irene has been a great mentor. 2016 contest. I feel like I’m so lucky and blessed It’s quite the career for a woman who to have had such a caring and initially baulked at the idea of teaching. competent teacher, “I was a professional performer because I couldn’t from a very young age and I learned what have anybody better I know about music by doing,” she says. who would equip me to “For 25 years I was a doing up to six maximise my potential,” gigs a week, whatever it took, cabaret, Dami says. band work, television. Teaching was Despite all the praise never really on the radar, it was all and the obvious results about performing.” from her teaching, Yet it was this life experience that Irene remains humble made her such an ideal candidate for when reflecting on the a vocal teaching role at Queensland role she has played. Conservatorium. Irene’s approach to training the voice, which she calls Dami Im, who was runner-up in the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, says teacher Irene Bartlett was a great mentor Griffith Community and Alumni Magazine | 2016 EDITION COVER STORY 4 OUR MOST REMARKABLE VOICE 5 COVER STORY It takes a technically perfect tone to hold an audience of 400 million every day, but jazz-trained Griffith graduate Karen Jacobsen has just that, writes Lauren Marino. It’s a voice that speaks to most After high school, she moved to “My friend Nadia called me and said of us each day, as she lives in our Brisbane to attend university and says she had bought her husband one of those pockets and on our dashboards. it was a move that made her initially new GPS things and while they were “Australian Karen” is so familiar feel like “a fish out of water”. driving, they decided to turn it over she’s almost part of the family. “I was a classically trained singer and to the Australian voice and they knew Through our GPS, she helps us to reach piano player who loved pop music and instantly who it was. She said to her our destination, and as Siri in our iPhones I knew nothing about jazz,” she says. husband, ‘Oh no, I gave you Karen she’s happy to answer questions, “I was fortunate to have an incredible Jacobsen for Christmas!’” read our emails and make calls. teacher who was directly responsible And so it began. It didn’t take long But for Queensland Conservatorium for my transition from being a student for others to recognise Karen’s voice Griffith University graduate Karen to becoming a professional musician— and for the spotlight to turn her way. Jacobsen, the job she now loves and he really took me under his wing. “They wanted to tell me their GPS is recognised for worldwide, was one stories, they wanted to tell me about all that didn’t even exist when she went the fabulous trips we’d taken together— to university. sometimes they would even apologise “It was so unexpected,” she says, People wanted to tell for yelling at me or strangling me! as she shakes her head in disbelief, me their GPS stories… But it’s just so delightful.” while sitting on the very same stage about all the fabulous Karen is certainly no stranger to where she once performed as a student trips we’d taken together.