The Winanjjikari Music Centre's Podcast

"Singing for belonging"

Barkly Regional Arts Inc. & The Winanjjikari Music Centre celebrates success.

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October 16, 2008 06:54 PM PDT

The Rock squad crew at the Winanjjikari Music Centre is celebrating the successful application to the Christianson fund, which is based in the United States of America, for funding our upcoming program in the new year. The funding received will be used to set up the Winanjjikari Outreach Program. This program will be centered in 8 communities throughout the Barkly Region over the next 12 months. Music Project Officer Jeff McLaughlin said. “This was one of the hardest applications to receive in the world with Winanjjikari the only organization in Australasia to receive the grant. I am very proud of the men at the Winanjjikari Music Centre who have made this possible; we now have a chance to put back into the communities of the Barkly Region what we feel they have given to us, a sense of belonging and appreciation. I’m absolutely pleased the music centre now employs ten Indigenous people on real permanent part time positions. The workers are really stepping up to the plate and taking every opportunity that comes along to engage with the community in TC and to promote this region to the many tourists that have visited the centre. This coming year the rock squad aim to use music as their tool to help language retention, cultural enhancement and to share this knowledge with the rest of the World.

Barkly Regional Arts Inc now enjoys “ Key Producer Status “ granted by the federal government and Barkly Arts is one of only nine in Australia to be given this honor. It has taken over two years to set the Music Centre up as the Musical Hub of the Barkly; we now have an Indigenous Studio Manager, Sound Engineer, Live Sound Manager, numerous session musicians and these men have become mentor roles in the region. We hope to add to the list of competent musicians at the centre by sourcing musicians in Barkly communities as part of the Outreach Program commencing next year.

The Winanjjikari Music centre would like to thank Barkly Regional Arts, The Winanjjikari Music Centre Board, Papulu Appar-kari Language Centre, The Indigenous Coordination Centre, Charles Darwin University, Territory School of Music, Australia Council for the Arts, Arts NT, Music NT, CAAMA and the Barkly communities for all there support.

You can purchase the Bacon and Eggs Album from the Music Centre for only $15 as a pre Christmas Special, If you have some spare time drop in and hang out with the musicians behind the Pyramid Building on Peko Road and see the good work in Progress.

Here is Alvin's new song "Black fella Doing time."

Podcast Summary

NOTE: This podcast may contain images/audio of Aboriginal people who have passed away.

The Winanjjikari Music Centre is a new project which has been designed to teach the Aboriginal community new skills in music and music production. We are based in Tennant Creek, NT which is approximately 500km north of Alice Springs. Winanjjikari is from the Warumungu langauge group and is Aboriginal for the phrase "Singing for belonging". This podcast has been set up to promote the musical talents of musicians from the Barkly region which is located in the Northern Territory, Australia. The podcast will give you an idea of the different cultures that are found within Tennant Creek and the Barkly region and the unique sounds that can be heard within the area. Its time Tennant Creek was heard. Take a listen to this podcast and enjoy.

Contact the Music Project Officer Jeff at The Muisc Center if you would like a copy of our press release or if you have any qestions anbout the center or its artists.

Email/MSN: winanjjikari@hotmail.com

All artworks and audio of the Winanjjikari Music Center are copyright protected under national and international laws (c).

About Winanjjikari

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The Winanjjikari Music Centre was established as a music training and recording centre on September 9th, 2006. It is one of Australia’s first and most successful Shared Responsibility Agreements (SRA) designed to teach and assist Barkly musicians in developing their skills in musicianship/music production. The SRA was a signed agreement between the Aboriginal Community of Tennant Creek, the Australian and Northern Territory Governments, Papula Apparr-Kari Aboriginal Corporation (PAK), Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation (JCAC), the Tennant Creek Town Council and the Barkly region. The Winanjjikari Music Centre employs a Music Project Officer. The music centre is governed by a committee of respected Aboriginal persons. They provide advice and support to the Project Officer Jeffrey McLaughlin. In co-operation with Barkly Regional Arts, the Winanjjikari Music Centre has ten permanent part time employees who are advancing their skills as both musicians and production technicians. They work at everything from playing instruments to recording, mixing and mastering. This unique project provides the musicians with “hands on” learning experience and involves the entire community at every stage of the process, from the youth trainees to the Elder mentor positions. The music centre has commenced the Winanjjikari Outreach Program that will service eight remote Barkly Communities with the generous contribution of $100 000 USD from the Christensen Foundation in the United States. The Outreach Program will help develop musicians’ networks, promote the services and accessibility of the Music Centre, establish important community contacts and assist with putting touring circuits in place for bands in the future. In particular it will provide focused activity for remotely located young people who will work with experienced Aboriginal musicians as role models and mentors. All of the experienced musicians currently working at the centre have stated that one of their primary goals is to pass on skills to their young people so that they can express their culture in their own way and use music as a tool for language retention. The music centre has evolved into a CD production plant, capable of fully producing Audio CD’s and DVDs. Everything from the original idea/concept, writing the music, filming the video and recording same right through to the mastering of the final product can be organised in-house. With a state of the art, Pro-tools recording studio and a highly trained sound engineer and producer at hand, it’s time Tennant Creek was heard! The Music centre has its own Public Address sound company that works for the local rock and roll performances, through to running corporate sound, lighting and event management. Winanjjikari staff have gained valuable experience working with numerous local, Territory wide and Federal Government agencies and business sectors. Along with this development, Winanjjikari Music Centre has also liaised with Tourism NT in marketing the music centre as a wonderful opportunity for visitors to engage with local traditional Aboriginal people. Winanjjikari provides a profound grass-roots cultural experience that perfectly fits the targeted ‘Spirited Travellers’ identified as those coming to the NT to experience ancient and authentic traditional Aboriginal culture. As the only centre of its type in the entire NT, Winanjjikari presents a unique experience, giving visitors the rare opportunity to listen to live music, experience contemporary Aboriginal music in the making and speak to the musicians themselves about their culture and history. CDs are available for sale to visitors, providing a wonderful souvenir of their time in the Barkly. The name ‘Singing for Belonging’ says it all, with the musicians representing a variety of different Aboriginal languages from across the Barkly Region, yet working together in harmony and presenting their diverse stories and languages in the form of original music, the history and culture of these men is kept alive and fresh. The Music Project Officer (MPO) at the Winanjjikari Music Centre is Jeffrey McLaughlin who has spent the last 3 years in the bush and has been there all the way facilitating programs and day to day operations. Jeff has worked with numerous acts for the Last 10 years Australia Wide and enjoys passing skills around to his fellow musicians. The Music Centre has a pod-cast site. www.winanjjikari.podomatic.com Email: winanjjikari@barklyarts.com.au 52 Peko Road (PO BOX 259), Tennant Creek, NT, 0861 P/F: 08 8962 2799

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