Celebrating in style - women in composition

A big thank you to all who attended so enthusiastically the Musical Soiree at Joondalup Library yesterday for International Women's Day. There was a lovely spirit to the gathering and fabulous reactions and interactions to music by Cat Hope, Elena Kats-Chernin, Becky Llewellyn, Margaret Sutherland and Ros Bandt.

Thanks to Joondalup Library for hosting so elegantly and to Jacquie Davidson for being my paparazzi!

There were a number of comments about the celebratory and creative atmosphere around the topic of International Women's Day, which can often be a gloomy/bombastic affair. Certainly women in composition continue to suffer from visibility issues. But in Australia we have  the benefit of up-to-date documentation (The Australian Music Centre and Women of Note) and given 25% of our composers are women - more than almost any other western country - we have plenty to celebrate. I look forward to this being represented more accurately in our concert programming and commissioning. And meanwhile, I'll keep celebrating!

Musical Soiree for International Women's Day

International Women's Day is just around the corner and I'm proud to be participating with a Musical Soiree at Joondalup Library.

If you are in the area on Wednesday 8th March pop in to Joondalup Library at 6pm for a glass of wine and a chance to hear some stunning music and  stories from my book Women of Note.

It's essentially an author talk but more fun with musical samples and (sometimes scandalous) stories which invariably provoke plenty of discussion. My presentation gives a quick history of Australian composition by tracing three generations of women composers. The musical range is enormous. I find people are surprised by how much they enjoy my talks - I guess most people assume classical music is going to be a bit dull, but the lives and music from Women of Note are anything but dull!

I can't think of a better way to celebrate women in Australia than to profile the work of our women composers. It's our best kept secret: we have more women composers than almost any other western nation! Definitely something worth celebrating and I do love putting together the missing jigsaw pieces of our musical history.

Feel free to circulate among your networks. The details regarding registration and location are here.

Reviews for Women of Note; the rise of Australian women composers (Fremantle Press 2012)

“A welcome – and overdue – publication. Appleby displays an expertise probably honed by her years as a journalist. She writes engagingly, achieving a fine balance between conveying information about the women’s personal lives and their music.”

Jillian Graham

Australian Book Review March 2012.

“Women of Note makes an excellent starting point for anyone interested in exploring the music of Australian women composers. The musical lives and survival stories of all the women are inspiring. One can almost believe anything is possible. At the very least women of all ages can find in it a variety of survival tips...”

Jenny Game-Lopata, Musicological Society of Australia Journal July 2013

MSS presents Women in Music

I have been invited to speak at a cocktail event organised by the UWA Music Student's Society profiling women in the music industry. I'm flattered to be presenting alongside conductor Jessica Gethin and percussionist Louise Devenish. We are all UWA graduates and it will be fun to get together and swap stories over champagne.

I will be sharing about Australia's amazing women composers and how my career trajectory took me around Australia meeting them and documenting their music to create Women of Note.

Women in Music is 6pm Tuesday 10th May at St George's College.
If you are interested in coming along for some inspirational stories, champagne and live music, tickets are available from Try Booking.

Or you can try your luck and contact me as I have some to giveaway!

 

Mother's Day Concert featuring Women of Note

A live concert inspired by Women of Note is being held in Perth on Mother's Day, Sunday 10th May 3:30pm.

The music from the book - finally a chance to hear it performed live by world class musicians!

Hear the triumph and tragedy of some of Australia's most inventive and overlooked composers. Three generations of composers will be performed by Perth superstars Ashley William Smith (clarinet), Irina Vasilieva (piano), Lindsay Vickery (bass clarinet) and Laura McGrogan (cello). The program includes Elena Kats-Chernin, Margaret Sutherland, Miriam Hyde, Anne Boyd and Cat Hope. It is music that continues to stun me with its beauty and power.

So come and celebrate the special women in your life and be inspired by music from Australian women composers. Enjoy high tea as I present the music and stories from my book Women of Note.

I am joining forces with Irina Vasilieva director of the popular Cappuccino Concerts for this event. Their concerts sell-out so be quick for tickets: www.cappuccino-concerts.com.au

This one-off concert is being held in the iconic showroom at Snadens Pianos in Nedlands. It will be an exotic Mother's Day experience you (and I!) will remember for a long time - I hope you can come!

Musical Soiree @ New Edition

There are still some places available for the Musical Soiree at New Edition Bookstore on Tuesday.

I'm starting to get excited... :-)

It's essentially an author talk but more fun with musical samples and scandalous stories which invariably provoke plenty of discussion. My presentation gives a quick history of Australian composition by tracing three generations of women composers. The musical range is enormous. I find people are surprised by how much they enjoy my talks - I guess most people assume classical music is going to be a bit dull, but the lives and music from Women of Note are anything but dull!

(Either that or it's the free wine and nibbles!!!)

I hope you are able to come. Feel free to circulate among your networks but do note the rsvp requirement; the bookstore is cosy so there are limited numbers.

Reviews for Women of Note; the rise of Australian women composers (Fremantle Press 2012)

“A welcome – and overdue – publication. Appleby displays an expertise probably honed by her years as a journalist. She writes engagingly, achieving a fine balance between conveying information about the women’s personal lives and their music.”

Jillian Graham

Australian Book Review March 2012.

“Women of Note makes an excellent starting point for anyone interested in exploring the music of Australian women composers. The musical lives and survival stories of all the women are inspiring. One can almost believe anything is possible. At the very least women of all ages can find in it a variety of survival tips...”

Jenny Game-Lopata, Musicological Society of Australia Journal July 2013

Winter Soirees

You are invited to a Musical Soiree!
Enjoy a decadent dessert while I share the survival stories and music behind my book Women of Note.

I am about to embark on a series of winter Soirees held in private homes around Perth. I can't think of a better way to be spending a winter evening (it is particularly wet and wild in Perth at the moment). Sipping mulled wine with friends (old and new), listening to Becky Llewellyn's serene Berceuse, arguing about the beauty in Cat Hope's ear-bending bass guitar distortions and sharing the tragic but inspiring story of Margaret Sutherland; this is life in all its richness!

One of the best parts of being the author of Women of Note is observing people's reactions when they hear the survival stories of the women composers and listen to some of the music. Invariably there is a deep connection to the topic. I've given many library, school and author talks but the Soiree is the best setting, I believe, for people to connect with what my book is all about. In many ways it is even better than reading Women of Note because I can play you some of the music. (Unfortunately the CD to accompany the book didn't eventuate).

The Soiree guest list is exclusively invite only so do let me know if you are interested in attending so I can add you to the list. Or if you would like to host a Soiree that is also an option.