Official newsletter of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Edith Cowan University (Issue 48) June 2017 WORLD MUSIC ADVENTURES Ashley de Neef’s jazz fusion project TIM VAN DER KUIL on the road with Adele NELSON BAKER stars in ‘The Warriors’ Inside WAAPA Issue 48 Page 1 LIFE WITH ADELE YOUNG GUNS FIRE UP ADELE’S GUITARIST AND MUSIC DIRECTOR MUSIC AWARDS GIVES A WEEK-LONG SERIES OF MASTERCLASSES AT WAAPA WAAPA MUSIC GRADUATES WIN ACCOLADES ACROSS THE COUNTRY Photos by Media Art Photos by Media When Perth guitarist Tim Van Der Kuil arrived English in London in 1996, he thought he would walk songstress, straight off the plane and into a record deal. After Adele. all, he’d done the hard yards, studying jazz for Eight years four years at WAAPA before moving to Sydney ago, Van Der where he played in his own band and for other Kuil was playing artists, including pop singer Jenny Morris. guitar with Sydney-born artist So with the dream of making it big, Van De Daniel Merriweather at the Shepherd’s Bush “Doing the jazz course Kuil recloated to London – at the time, the hub of Empire in London when Adele, who sang on on opened up my knowledge of harmony,” he Photo by Castaway Photography the Britpop explosion when bands such as Blur Merriweather’s 2009 album Love and War on the Basemant Photo by Bird’s says. “What I got from the jazz course was an and Oasis were making their names. Van De track ‘Water and a Flame’, turned up backstage. understanding of harmony and theory where Kuil couldn’t wait to be a part of it. The 48-year-old recalls that, in true Adele it doesn’t matter who I’m in a band with, I can n May 15, Australia’s jazz music with sidemen such as Jamie Oehlers and WAM’s CEO Mike Harris said, “I have seen It took three years before Van De Kuil’s fashion, she made everyone in the band a cup communicate with them.” community gathered at Melbourne’s Daniel Susnjar, he seems to be playing and Sydnee Carter grow as a performer over the alternative rock group, The Vegastones, was of tea. As a music director on tour, Van Der Kuil is Opremier jazz club Bird’s Basement to composing with advanced maturity way past few years, and Sydnee’s Grand Prize win signed to Richard Branson’s V2 label. The band A little over a year later, when Adele needed a responsible for such things as sourcing string celebrate the 2017 Jazz Bell Awards. beyond his 22 years. Each piece has an is a deserved testament to her talent.” made an album, had a bit of low-key airplay, second guitarist for the world tour of her record- players or choral backing in each destination, so Taking out the Bell Award for Young utterly contemporary narrative defined by the Being only 19 years old makes this feat appeared as a support act for Duran Duran and breaking second album, 21, she instructed her being able to read a score is imperative. Australian Jazz Artist Of The Year presented talents of each band member and built on the even more impressive, yet Carter already spent around five years “doing the toilet tours management to track down “the Aussie from tradition of post hard bop.” “So I could end up with the world’s most by Fender Katsalidis Architects was 2015 boasts a string of early achievements to around the UK”. Merriweather’s band”. accomplished jazz pianist – which we actually WAAPA graduate, pianist Harry Mitchell. Mitchell plans to use the $5,000 Bell prize her name. On her CV already are previous “It didn’t stick and things just dissolved,” says Since joining Adele’s touring line-up in do have in Adele’s band – but we can talk on a The Bells are named in honour of the late money towards another recording project with Song Of The Year nominations, a stint on X Van Der Kuil. November 2010, Van De Kuil has enjoyed the level about music. Having trained in jazz music, great jazz pioneer Graeme Bell AO MBE, and the same musicians. Factor, a Telstra Road To Discovery grand Although he’d vowed he’d never be a session surreal pleasure of working with one of the best- which is harmonically advanced compared recognise excellence in the performance, “Being able to perform with people of such finalist, showcases at Music Matters Live in guitarist, that was exactly the kind of work Van selling recording artists in the world. to pop music, I don’t feel I’ve ever had to feel recording and presentation of jazz in Australia. a high calibre whilst at uni was a big part of Singapore, and a recent collaboration with Slumberjack storming up the charts. Der Kuil was offered when his band folded. He says the impact of just who he is working intimidated by anyone else’s knowledge.” Mitchell has been playing piano since the what makes the WAAPA jazz course great,” Ironically, he was asked to play guitar on other with hits home most often when they are At the end of the Adele Live 2016 World Tour, age of 8 and jazz since the age of 13. Mitchell says. “The lecturers at WAAPA are Harry Mitchell, hot on the heels of his Bell musicians’ records because Van Der Kuil had great teachers as well as players, which is not Award, picked up his second award in one rehearsing. “When you’re just hanging out in a Van Der Kuil spent a week at WAAPA giving Earlier this year the up-and-coming pianist/ developed what he calls “an artist’s mentality” – always the case for other courses.” week for his song, Ignacio; Composition/Music dressingroom somewhere, going, ‘Shall we just masterclasses to the Contemporary, Music composer released his self-titled debut album, the ability to creatively collaborate with Tech graduate Jake Steele, aka Tobacco Rat, run this quickly?’ and then you start playing and Artists and Jazz students. He then returned which features the talents of tenor saxophonist “The visiting artist program is excellent too, other musicians. won the electronic category for his wonky hear that voice coming back at you and you’re to Britain for Adele’s four final live shows at Jamie Oehlers, drummer Daniel Susnjar, but just as valuable is the students getting to bass heavy club track, Infra; and homegrown “I felt like I had a choice: do I go with what has like, ‘Hang on, I’m the one playing guitar to that,’ Wembley Stadium in late June. guitarist Jeremy Thomson and bass player play with the lecturers every week and seeing opened up and is feeling like the path of least – it’s kind of awesome.” indie-rock act Rag n’ Bone – comprised of four So, after a year and a half performing with Karl Florisson. them play, who are all of an international resistance or do I keep banging my head against standard. I remember at WAAPA I got to have Contemporary Music graduates, Kiera Alice Prior to his work with Adele, Van Der Kuil Adele in countries all round the world, what was Mitchell was taught at WAAPA by Oehlers the wall of wanting to be in a successful band? lessons with Aaron Golberg and Walter Smith Owen, Axel Carrington, Sara McPherson and worked with a variety of different artists both the highlight of the tour for Van Der Kuil? and Susnjar, both of whom are previous Bell “So I felt like this was a lesson in how live and in the studio, such as Adele, Sia, Taylor – those two lessons really shaped how I think Jamie Gallacher – took out the punk/hardcore “For me it was Perth, for me it was coming Award winners. Oehlers, WAAPA’s Head of to deviate, how to be fluid and flexible and Swift, The Script, Robbie Williams and Mika. about music.” category. back and playing at Subi Oval,” he laughs. “I Jazz, counts four Bells among his swag of understand that in music, it might not always be The annual WAM Song of the Year Back in his early post-band days, Van Der Kuil used to go and watch football matches there national and international awards. Meanwhile at the 2017 WAM Song of the the path that you intended but if you’re suited Year Awards in Perth, recent WAAPA Music competition recognizes and promotes the became known among London music producers so that was my highlight, that was the one that Peter Wockner in Jazz and Beyond wrote to it, you can make a decision to deviate from Artists’ graduate Sydnee Carter took out the original songwriting of WA musicians with over as the ‘go-to’ guitarist for recording and touring. meant the most to me personally.” that: “… with Mitchell’s self-titled debut the path. Which I’m really glad I did, otherwise I coveted Grand Prize with her song When We $40,000 worth of prizes in 16 categories. Later this extended to being a music director for containing six originals and one standard wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now.” artists like Sia and Adele, a career move that Were Young. Inset photo: Tim Van Der Kuil (centre back) with students from What Tim Van Der Kuil is doing now is playing Van Der Kuil traces directly back to his WAAPA WAAPA’s Music Artists course. Left: Harry Mitchell receiving his Bell Award from Fender Katsalidis, sponsor of the Young Australian Jazz Artist of the Year Award, and Albare Dadon, Chairman of the Australian Jazz Bell Awards guitar and being music director for chartbusting jazz training.