Reflecting on this course I feel as if my perspective on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island music has been

transformed in themes of collaboration, landscape, community and connection to country. This task ulti-
mately served as an immersion into the compositional process involved in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Is-
lander music and its implications for the education of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students.

The first session began with a dance, which ultimately served as the "great equalizer.” Mackinlay writes that
she was "yearning...for a more comfortable place to be as a white… woman engaged in knowledge mak-
ing… in an indigenous Australian women’s music and dance course"(Mackinlay, 2016, p. 216). This related
to our experience as a group of non-indigenous students having been asked to write music relating to the
Aboriginal experience. Here, the guidance of Neville Boney acted as a “cultural lightning rod” as it were,
dispersing his knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance accessibly. This aligns with the per-
spective of Bartleet and Carfoot as they write “In many cases it was through music and performance that stu-
dents were able to build relationships with members of the community, and in turn develop pathways for
learning about indigenous culture.”(Bartleet and Carfoot, 2013, p. 188.) After this, the class began to com-
municate more freely, demonstrating clearly that, through dance the class had been placed in an ideal mind-
set for collaboration. Then began a jam on Emma Donovan’s ‘ Strong feeling.’ Here I felt as though I was
taking on a leading role as Thomas chose my improvisation as the basis of the melodic content. This, ini-
tially, caused a sense of discomfort in me as I am not Aboriginal. What right did I have to lead any part of
the workshop? Upon Re-reading Locke and Prentice, seeking affirmation that I had not committed an act of
colonial wrongdoing, I was comforted on reading “it is… crucial to seek permission from the appropriate
language group or family.” (Locke and Prentice, p 145.) I was secure in the knowledge that Emma Donovan
and Thomas had a professional relationship which resulted in the permission to use the source. This is highly
important to the integrity of teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music. (Costigan and Nuenfelt,
2011; Lockhart and Prentice, 2016.) The educational implication for workshops such as this is that students
should be exposed to Aboriginal music by means of performance and collaboration as it is proven to be the
most effective method of learning Aboriginal music. (Mackinlay and Dunbar Hall, 2003; Bartleet and Car-
foot, 2013.) Students are able to be exposed to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music while retaining a
sense of individuality as a performer and honing their skills.

The second session was our first with Eric Avery. This proved to be quite cerebral, it was upon reflection
that I understood the aim. Eric begin with a performance blending western art music mediums such as the
loop pedal and singing in language.This fully consolidated my knowledge of the course as previously I had
viewed this music as part of two factions, the Songline or traditional, or popular music with themes of racial
reconciliation and furthering the rights of Aboriginal people, such as the work of Emma Donovan that we
had studied earlier in the semester. Her work and Avery’s are worlds apart in approaches to their expression,
their topics of concern and even their vocal styles, however Clint Bracknell writes that “Indigenous Aus-
tralian music is not a genre.” (Bracknell, 2019, p.102.) I still viewed it as such, albeit subconsciously until
the session. Avery’s work was both a product of heritage and an intelligent classical composition. He said
that he had “met his ancestors… In dreams” which had assisted in his language journey, while his experience
as an instrumentalist informed other facets. We then assigned pitches to areas in the room at random. The
aim of this exercise was unclear at first, until Avery gestured to a map of Australia and said “these are…
maps… Our stories.” I then realised that we were adapting the practice of a song map for the assessment. We
were being allowed inside a cultural practice which was highly significant in our relationship with Eric. It is
important as an educator to consider practices that require the guidance of indigenous individuals. (Barney
and Solomon, 2009; Feinberg, 2015.) The class was a demonstration of this concept as we were educated
with integrity due to Eric’s involvement.

Our final session was the workshop in which the composition was written. We utilised the song map concept
that Eric introduced to us the previous week, and adapted it to our experience. We worked on finding a com-
mon experience that the whole class related to, and settled on the journey to the Conservatorium. The song
map created was a Graphic notation score similar to that of Stockhausen, following the post-modern music
literalism tradition, a common factor in modern Australian composition by individuals of European descent.
(Taylor ,2017; Channon, 2020.) Our approach was that of western art music, adding elements such as the
possum skin drum.We then blended jazz and contemporary styles in. The composition did not ‘sound’ Abo-
riginal, though aboriginal music is so varied that one cannot explicitly define it. (Quiggin, 2007; Bracknell
2016.) I felt a disconnect between our practice and the song map, particularly the end of the composition in
which I played a solo more typical of the jazz tradition, Again I asked the question internally, “Is this right?”
Stephanie Guy’s Work answers this question succinctly. She writes “The medium of contemporary music al-
lows for fluid transitions between indigenous and non-indigenous people.” (Guy, 2015, p.11.) Utilising this
perspective, my perception was that the final product was truly an informed composition that was ethically
sound due to Eric’s involvement and was truly a culmination of the work that we have done across the se-
mester.

The implication throughout the exercise was that aboriginal music should be taught in classrooms in a col-
laborative manner, however one must consult literature and attempt to develop relationships with the aborigi-
nal community in order to teach with integrity and in a way that is respectful. One should not Ignore Aborig-
inal music in the classroom for fear of being insensitive. It is however, correct to seek permission from mem-
bers of the community, contributing to a more meaningful education. For three weeks, I was guided through
a cultural practice that I had been allowed inside. Through this I gained a much deeper understanding of
practical applications of music in Aboriginal communities, the experience was truly transformative.

Reference List:

Barney, K. (2009)
Hop, skip and jump: Indigenous Australian
women performing with and against Aboriginalism.
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Bartleet, B. and Carfoot, G. (2013)

Desert Harmony: Stories of collaboration between
Indigenous Musicians and University Students.
The International Education Journal: Comparative
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Bracknell, C. (2019)
Identity, Language and Collaboration in Indigenous Music.
In L. Bamblett, F. Myers and T. Rowse (Eds.), The Difference
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Channon, H. (2020)
For Trumpet Alone: Australian Unaccompanied Trumpet Music.
[Doctoral Thesis, University of Sydney]

Feinberg, T. (2019)
Collaborative Relationships: Developing a Community Based Approach To Understanding and
Teaching Australian Indigenous Music
[Doctoral Thesis, University of Sydney]

Feinberg, T. and Higgison, D. (2019)

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