One Line Lessons: Insights Into Wgtn's Music Community

Braille Collective and Wellington's free music community.

Daniel Beban, Lilburn Research Fellow 2019, presents some insights gleaned from his current research into the Braille Collective and Wellington's free music community. Focusing on the decade 1979-89, Daniel's research revolves around a group of largely self-taught musicians who developed their own musical language, working independently of institutions and pre-existing musical networks and affiliations.

One Line Lessons refers to this musical language, and the musicians' habit of condensing their musical concepts into one-line maxims, providing a shorthand for their musical philosophies and a platform for their music-making. "Blow it and wiggle your fingers", "Don’t play every tune like it’s the history of jazz", "Listen like a bastard and not at all" and "Win your audience over before you play a note". Daniel will explore these and other ideas.

About the speaker:
Daniel Beban is the 2019 Lilburn Research Fellow at National Library. He is a musician and sound artist whose work encompasses performance, installation, sculpture, sound recording, curating and radio documentary production. He has toured internationally and released albums with Orchestra of Spheres, Imbogodom and other groups. He is director of Pyramid Club, an artist-run space for music and performance in Wellington.