Speak Percussion’s Sounds Unheard Studio Talk series, “The Potential of Percussion”, brings together founding artistic director Eugene Ughetti, current artistic director Kaylie Melville and long-time collaborator Matthias Schack-Arnott to reflect on 25 years of one of Australia’s most adventurous contemporary ensembles. Across three episodes, they explore how Speak has continually expanded the possibilities of percussion — through cross-disciplinary collaboration, instrument building, conceptual inquiry and performance practices that reach well beyond the concert hall.
In the first episode, “Expanding Musical Horizons”, we hear from artists at the heart of Speak Percussion’s story about how the ensemble dismantled the conventions of chamber percussion to become something far more expansive. From its origins as a group of students at the VCA to its emergence as a multidisciplinary force, this episode traces the moments of radical change that redefined what percussion — and collaboration — could mean. Eugene, Kaylie and Matthias reflect on the transformative power of witnessing live performance, the evolution of collective authorship, and the liberating realisation that a percussionist can be a maker, a leader, and a sounding body, not just a player.
Thank you for joining us for Speak Percussion’s Studio Talks Series, ‘The Potential of Percussion’.
Visit this LINK for the second episode of the series: ‘Making the World Sound’.
For more information on Speak Percussion, please visit: www.speakpercussion.com
[Photo © Bryony Jackson]
Tags: collaboration Contemporary Music Cross-Disciplinary Art Eugene Ughetti Experimental Music Kaylie Melville Matthias Schack-Arnott Multidisciplinary Music Education New Music Percussion Sounds Unheard Speak Percussion Studio Talk The Potential of Percussion Victorian College of the Arts
