The Talking Music lecture series opens the doors to the innovative inquiry and creative exploration that characterise music research at the Conservatorium. Our speakers examine music and musical practices, the roles that music plays in our lives and communities, and the potentials of music to sustain and lead societal change. Lectures are open to the public and free to attend.

Body Consciousness: Music and the Body

Whether we are performing, creating, dancing or listening to music, our experience is mediated through our bodies. Yet, how we ought to cultivate the body and our bodily performance as musicians are aspects often neglected from both scholarship and practice. What bodily norms shape the ways we perceive music in different cultures and traditions? How do we embody music as performers and why does this matter? Can music be dis-embodied?

In this ‘Talking Music’ event, Queensland Conservatorium artist-researchers explore the central and complex role of the body as locus of aesthetic work, knowledge production, and musical experience. Each speaker will share reflections on the theme of embodiment in relation to one of their recent works, followed by a discussion between panelists.

Thomas Green – So, I am Shouting

Dr Thomas Green is a composer and a Lecturer at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University. His music has been premiered around Australia and internally and he has been a prize-winner in national competitions. His recent work is concerned with new conceptions, roles, and identities for instrumental music.

Sunny Kim – MotherTongue, MotherLand

Sunny Kim is a South Korean-born singer, improvisor and composer based in Melbourne. Drawing from her life journey as a global nomad, her artistic practice seeks to engage in meaningful connections with people, culture and place through a dedication to deep listening and collaboration. Sunny is a Lecturer in Jazz and Improvisation at the University of Melbourne and is a PhD candidate at the Queensland Conservatorium.

Steve Newcomb – Pluto and the Sun

Dr. Steve Newcomb is a pianist, composer, and arranger, and Senior Lecturer at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University. He enjoys cross-disciplinary collaborations and his ensemble project ‘Steve Newcomb Orchestra’ balances improvised and jazz-influenced ideas with notated forms for chamber ensemble. He has presented concerts around the world, performing everywhere from Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House to Berlin’s A-Train and the Wangaratta Jazz Festival. Steve has collaborated around Australia and America with leading jazz artists including Jim Pugh, Will Vinson, Katie Noonan, Kristin Berardi, Chris McNulty, and Rafael Karlen.