Western musicians go digital for world Make Music Day

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To mark Make Music Day on Sunday 21 June, Western Sydney University musicians will participate in a live-streamed event in collaboration with the City of Parramatta. The School of Humanities and Communication Arts will also present a digital showcase in association with Make Music Australia and Create NSW spotlighting more than 50 unique University acts.

Western Sydney’s diverse and distinctive student bands ‘The Systems’ and ‘The Grove Operators’ will perform as part of Council’s free event streamed live from near the Bourke Street Bakery in Central Square, Parramatta. Other performances will also be streamed from Qudos Bank Arena, the Olympic Cauldron at Sydney Olympic Park, Old Government House and Riverside Theatres. At a showcase launched on the same day, students and staff will contribute their talents as singer-songwriters, composers, performers and improvisers virtually.

Associate Professor Sally Macarthur from the University’s School of Humanities and Communication Arts said despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, students and staff have found ways to continue to perform online, and Make Music Day offers a unique opportunity to celebrate staff and students’ ingenuity and resilience.

“Our musicians have been extraordinarily creative and are doing what a lot of professional musicians and community musicians are doing during the pandemic, which is to build performances through file sharing,” said Associate Professor Macarthur.

“We’re pleased to highlight a range of talented performers through new digital platforms and to support the broader industry. It’s great to see our students help put the focus back on music in Parramatta — a culturally and artistically diverse hub.”

Dr Clare Maclean, Music Lecturer from the School of Humanities and Communication Arts, will co-curate the online showcase with Associate Professor Macarthur.

“Digital performances are essential to the industry right now, and effective expression online is a vital skill for all emerging musicians to learn. Our audience will be given a curated experience through six virtual ‘rooms’ — to ensure people engage and enjoy the work, especially those who haven’t experienced virtual performance before,” said Dr Maclean.

Make Music Day is an international celebration of music that takes place on 21 June every year. This year, musicians will perform live from their homes, offer online music lessons, and partake in a global live stream.

More information on Make Music Day Parramatta is available here (opens in a new window).

View the Make Music Day at Western Sydney University showcase from 21 June here (opens in a new window).

ENDS.

19 June 2020

Ali Sardyga, Media Officer