Indigenous Composers Initiative: Towards a Gentle Correction

Abstract

As an Aboriginal composer I am the founder and artistic director of the Australian Indigenous Composers Initiative (established 2016, now called Ngarra-burria since October 2019). Our focus is on mentoring and representing emerging Indigenous composers working in new music (ie; new classical) and jazz styles, in scored formats. We then connect them with our peak music bodies for enriching music and work experiences (with the ABC, with leading Australian ensembles including Ensemble Offspring - Australia's leading chamber new music group, with the Australian Music Centre Recording Label, and with leading Indigenous festivals including the Baiame's Ngunnhu Festival). We are addressing an imbalance where non-Indigenous Australian composers have occupied the space of Indigenous composers, why this occurred, and how we as Indigenous peoples and composers can fulfill a role in correcting the situation and at the same time enrich the classical new music field. Research contribution. Please describe the contribution to the discipline area, innovation, extension of knowledge.: This article was published in the Australian Music Centre e-magazine, which is a peak industry magazine. The Australian Music Centre (AMC) is the peak national service organisation dedicated to the promotion and support of art music in Australia. The AMC houses and curates the most comprehensive catalogue of Australian music, a living collection of scores, recordings, research papers, teaching kits, classroom materials and aggregated media. The AMC has facilitated the creation, performance and awareness of Australian art music nationally and internationally for more than 40 years. The article challenges all Australian composers that choose to reference Indigenous music or stories, it establishes the fact that Indigenous composers exist and have for decades (which has been conveniently overlooked until this time), it enlightens industry organisations to this fact and to potential ways that they can meet their obligation to Indigenous peoples, and that Indigenous composers follow protocols themselves around the employment of Indigenous music or stories in their works (from the article..."In relation to the use of cultural materials, significantly none of the composers in the program utilised Aboriginal music, stories, language or instruments from anywhere other than their own language region.") The Indigenous Composer Initiative as outlined in this article provides a template for a new order of work relations with our Indigenous composers and hence with Indigenous peoples, based simply in awareness and respect. It is timely for all Australian composers and ethnomusicologists, and as outlined below leads in the field and has received substantial organisational endorsement.