Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - Theses
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ItemDreamtime wisdom, modern-time vision: tradition and innovation in the popular band movement of Arnhem Land, Australia( 2002)This thesis presents a detailed study of popular bands from Arnhem Land. It documents the history and scope of their creativity, and attests to the ingenuity and dedication of the musicians and communities who have fostered this regional movement of musical expression. Its specific aim is to establish how concepts and practices which are integral to the social and intellectual foundations of local cultures have influenced the creative approaches of these bands, and have guided the syncretic incorporation of traditional themes, aesthetics and musical materials to their repertoires. Research has been largely guided by direct consultations with musicians and other local commentators from Arnhem Land which have been conducted over a series of field trips to the region and other destinations. It was through these consultations that the regional development of the popular band as a new medium for celebrating and extending profound expressions of the ancestral and of the binding kin relationships between band members became a focal research interest. Popular bands from Arnhem Land have been at the forefront of stimulating and guiding social debate about balancing the continuity of tradition with socio-technological change in their communities since their inception in the mid 1960s. Their activities are predicated on technological and inter-cultural exchange, and the history of their development reveals much about the strategies deployed and challenges met by local peoples in this endeavour. Even so, their activities are still circumscribed by the endemic qualities of their traditional cultural heritage. Song analysis with a particular emphasis on lyrics and form is utilised in this thesis as a principal method for demonstrating traditional influences in their repertoires. Interpretive commentaries provided by musicians in the field and secondary references to relevant ethnographic studies also contribute to its development of a new framework for understanding and appreciating the creativity of these popular bands. Ultimately, this thesis demonstrates how musicians in popular bands from Arnhem Land have conducted their creative engagements with new musical media and technologies to intellectualise, advocate and effect the continuity of their own durable traditions.