Jul 20, 2016
My guest today, on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots free podcast interview is a lady who in all the episodes of join up dots I dont think I have ever said these words
Yes, she is and was the Australian Person Of The Year in 2012, and is also a Doctor, a professional pianist, conductor, and music educator, consultant to HSC music students, The Sydney Opera House Baby Proms and The City of Sydney.
And tying it all together, is the fact that at her core she is a lady with music flooding through her veins.
But unusually a desire to use our love for music to inspire, help and well make the world a better place for less than fortunate children, by taking Jazz into quite an different setting.
Numerous studies have demonstrated the positive effect that music can have on children, helping to stimulate parts of the brain related to memory, creativity and emotional development.
So in 1997, our guests formed Kinderjazz an Australian musical collective who has been composing blues, ragtime, jazz and swing music for children, releasing nine albums along the way and performing in some of the most prestigious venues in the world, including the Sydney Opera House, Daring Harbour, Parramatta Stadium, Stadium Australia and many more.
And this is a journey that has really connected with part of her life since a small child.
As she says “My mother was a teacher and ran her own Montessori kindergarten. Music was always a big part of our lives. All the adults growing up played instruments and sang and we were taken to live performances on a regular basis. When I had my own children, I wanted to duplicate this experience for them but I found that there wasn’t the same quality around and so often children’s music was delegated to a fluffy character and a backing tape. Jazz is something that all kids respond to because of the beat. It’s dance music and there’s such a variety of genres in jazz it seemed the ideal thing. Also jazz with its solos and fresh improvisations would nurture a small child’s curiosity and gratify their imagination in the process. I chose Big Band because it would give children exposure to all the instruments of the orchestra.
And when you hear that she was mentored by great musicians namely Isador Goodman and Leonard Bernstein to name just two.
Is there any wonder she has a burning desire to pass her knowledge on!
So when she sees a sick child smile and clap along to the infectious beats of live jazz, how does she remain professional and not crumble into a pile of soggy tissues?
And are there more and more of these kind of music lead groups occirng in the world, as it seems to me to be a perefect match of inspiration, and fun, that can only help the healing process along the way?
Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Dr Christobel Llewellyn.