Robert Petchell
Genre:Ambient , Classical, Composer/Musical Director, Electronica, Jazz
I have been involved in the music industry since 1970, initially as a musician in a variety of bands. In 1979 I became part of a music-theatre company which wrote and performed its own works, until moving to Darwin in 1982 to work there as community music coordinator, returning to Adelaide at the beginning of 1985.
1985 to 1987 saw the release of two albums containing my music and songs, artist-in-schools work, combined with part-time music and arts co-ordination projects.
Since 1988 I have been working as a freelance composer and musical director with many of Adelaide’s professional theatre companies - Doppio - Parallelo, Patch Theatre, State Theatre Company, Mainstreet Theatre - as well as with a range of community organisations to write and bring to performance a number of music and theatre productions as well as community based projects and events.
From 1989 to 1991 I completed a Bachelor of Music at Adelaide University majoring in composition and electronic music. I have continued to perform on tenor saxophone in the areas of cross-cultural music, especially with the traditional African music ensemble ‘African Waza’.
Two musical partnerships were very important parts of my musical life up to 1994. From 1974 I performed and wrote songs with Isobel Margrett in the areas of blues, jazz and contemporary folk. From 1982 I co-founded with pianist Peter Merchant the contemporary jazz ensemble ‘Mangorama’ and performed and wrote music with Peter in several other music projects.
In April 2001 I commenced a 2 year fellowship from the community cultural development board of the Australia Council. The focus of the fellowship was my creative development as an established artist through three self-initiated projects:
- “Machine Dreaming”, a soundpoem for soprano voice, voicescape & tenor saxophone
- “It’s Only Words’, the interpretation of text works using digital audio technology
- “Smelter Symphony”, a live performance and multimedia work based on the Lead and Zinc Smelter in Port Pirie.
Examples of projects during 2004-6 included composer/musical director for the touring season of ‘Ciao Mamma Ciao’ by Parallelo, musical director for ‘The Venetian Twins’ for St Michaels College, composer & artistic team coordinator for ‘Somersault’, an arts project for people with an intellectual disability, leading to the creation of a digital sound and vision installation. Also composer & project director for the Techart project, program coordinator for a regional choir project in the Clare Valley region and Musical & Project Director for ‘Music in Paradise – The Oud Project’ at Nexus Multicultural Arts Centre.
Examples of recent projects include Project Coordinator for The Parks Helix Project, a mult-artform project exploring the use of the Arts in Community Health, Composer for a collaboration with Photographer Suzanne Laslett, leading to an exhibition with sound installation and performance pieces titled ‘Pictures from The Port’ and Project Director for. Musical & Project Director for ‘The Jam, The Mix, The Gig’ music and mental health project. Composer for ‘The Beachport Song’ and Musical Director for the Hepatitis C Council of SA drumming project are my most recent projects.
Event title: The JMG Band In Concert with Heather Frahn & Chris Finnen
Venue: The Church of The Trinity, 318 Goodwood Road, Clarence Park. Seats 200 in comfortable chairs (no pews)
Date/Time: Sunday, March 13th, 2011 6pm
Duration: 120 minutes
Admission: $15 and $10 concession plus booking fee
Bookings: FringeTix 1300 374 643
Admission type: General Admission (GA), suitable for all ages
Event description:
The JMG Band in collaboration with well known performers and singer-songwriters Heather Frahn and Chris Finnen for this concert of original songs that explore contemporary life through acoustic, blues, roots and electric styles. A relaxed concert of differing moods and great musical moments from some of Adelaide’s best
