Young regional Victorians invited to be part of new chamber music piece
Young people aged 12 – 25, living in regional Victoria, are invited to submit their recordings from nature and be part of a new musical composition, to be performed at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
The Sonic Youth project is a participatory sound–music project that engages young Victorian people in climate-affected areas with issues of ecology and sustainability, using music as the connector.
Participants will be asked to dedicate some personal time to record and upload a sound out in nature – a soundscape – and complete a brief survey about their experience.
The soundscapes will be added to an online portal will where the sounds will be combined and shared with peers. A new chamber music piece will be composed using the soundscapes and performed at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
All participants will be invited to attend the performance and, with their (or their parent or guardian’s) consent, will have their contribution acknowledged by name.
The University of Melbourne Researchers, co-lead Professor Kathryn Bowen, co-lead Associate Professor Miriama Young, Sarah Medcalf and Dr Joanne Burns, from Melbourne Climate Futures, expect this project will show how music, creativity and technology can empower young people and strengthen the community in the face of climate change and related issues.
‘Young people face increasing anxiety around the climate crisis and how it impacts their future,’ says co-lead researcher Professor Kathryn Bowen. ‘Our hope is to give them space to spend time in a place in nature that is meaningful to them, and to share that experience with other young people, while amplifying their voices to a wider audience.’
‘We invite all young regional Victorians to learn more and participate,’ Professor Bowen continued. ‘These are the most important voices and experiences that we can listen to in this critical moment.’
If you or a young person you know would like to contribute, you can find more information on the Sonic Youth survey page or by emailing sonic-youth@unimelb.edu.au. Submissions close 13 December.