Contents
04 05
From the Editor
13
Lessons from the Life of Isabella Blow
Life is a Cabaret Melissa Langton
19 25
Let's Make Faces Portrait Drawing Series
A Manager's Perspective with Nathan Brenner
31
Denise on Fiction Klara and the Sun
33 37
Stringlets Instrumentally Repurposing
42
with Mark Morand
Movie Review The Apartment (1960)
45 48
A Musician's Perspective
Secrets of the Creative Mind
Album Review Pop Preservation Society
52
Pop to the Shops
From the Editor Without previous magazine experience, launching this magazine (February 2021) was a nerve-wracking undertaking, to say the least. In deciding the purpose and content theme, I took age-old advice and went with what I know. It started off as a blend of Music, Art, Design, and Business. One hard copy and six digital issues later, it was time to put my big girl's blouse on and ask for feedback. I hit subscribers up for their opinions, and more importantly, what they really wanted to read. The feedback, unanimously, was to ditch the business guff and just focus on the creative. I am very pleased to announce our new tagline ...
CREATE what you will
Anthea Palmer anthea@jimmyhornet.com
LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF LUXRUG
ISABELLA BLOW A trailblazer, fashion editor, and personality, "Issie" Blow had a keen eye for talent and a happy knack of being exactly herself. An English rose with blue blood running through her veins, Issie's life story is worthy of a blockbuster screenplay, with Lady Ga-Ga cast in the lead role. This article will put the loss, mental illness, and (eventually successful) suicide attempts aside, and focus on the lessons to be learned from Issie's sensational career.
LE SS ON O NE : B E ORI GI NA L LUXRUG
Although a fashion writer and editor, Issie didn't get caught in the seasonal trends. She was only interested in originality and dramatic expression. Her eccentricity was first recorded when she was in secretarial school. Friends of the day recalled her wearing cocktail dresses to class, and she was known to flash more than a little leg. Underwear was optional. Eccentricity escalated as the years went by. She was best known for wearing outrageous hats, often designed by Philip Treacy who considered her his Muse.
Isabella Blow and Alexander McQueen
LE SSO N t WO : L EA RN T HE RO PE S LUXRUG In her youth, Issie had many odd jobs. She worked behind the counter in a scone shop for several years, and as a cleaner in London. Wanting to pursue a career in fashion, she eventually landed a position as a salesgirl at Medina, a boutique in Knightsbridge. Issie's first husband lured her to the USA. He was doing oil business in Texas. She moved to New York (1979). Issie was introduced to Anna Wintour, then creative director at Vogue, and soon after was offered a role as Anna's assistant (1983) It was not long before Issie was working as assistant for Andre Leon Talley, then Vogue’s editor-at-large. In 1986, with New York confidence and a stack of experience under her belt, Isabella Blow returned to London and worked for fashion director Michael Roberts (Tatler and the Sunday Times Style magazine). Serious fashion industry cred and a wealth of experience, at age twenty-eight Issie's opinion and style, was widely sought after.
LE SS ON TH REE : DRAW FRO M H I STO RY LUXRUG
IIsabella Blow was a key influencer of the British cultural renaissance of the 1990s. She was not afraid of infusing modern style with historic references. Issie who proud of her heritage and could trace it back to the Battle of Poitiers, in 1356, where Edward, the Black Prince, routed the French army and captured King John of France. It was deemed appropriate for her to launch a new look for the British aristocracy; because she was from it, she didn’t have to take it seriously.
“She had a medieval heart—bold, haughty. She had an earthy sense of humor and she loved to shock.” - Orlando Fraser (cousin)
LE SSO N F OUR : GO AL L IN ! Once she was hooked on an idea, Issie's enthusiasm knew few limits. LUXRUG Undoubtedly her greatest claim to fame, she discovered and launched the career of designer Alexander McQueen. It was 1992 and Issie attended Central Saint Martin's College of the Arts presentation. On viewing the fashion student McQueen's work, Issie responded with such enthusiasm that she bought every single item from his graduation collection. This instantly catapulted McQueen to fashion industry prominence. Unlike other fashion icons who represented a designer from a safe distance, Issie immersed herself in her discoveries and their work. She brought the milliner and hat designer Philip Treacy to public notice by wearing his creations at every photo opportunity.
"I'm a walking billboard. That's my pleasure."
L E SSO N FI V E : H USTL E! It could be LUXRUG said that Issie was always hustling to remain relevant in the ever-changing and fickle fashion industry. However, it was late in her career that real hustle and risk came to the fore. Issie felt the "spirit" of the industry had been destroyed by the mighty dollar and she become despondent. A note should be made that her radical behaviour and increasing eccentricity had damaged her influence in the British isles. Nonetheless, Issie looked for opportunities abroad. She began work on producing a series of books titled "Arabian Beauty," focusing on fashion in the Middle East. The project was backed by Sheikh Majed al-Sabah, nephew of the Emir of Kuwait, who owns high-end clothing stores in Kuwait and Dubai. India was also on Issie's radar of opportunity. Accompanied by actor Rupert Everett (why wouldn't you), she traveled to India on a project sponsored by ICI Dulux to select new colours and help promote the company’s textiles. On another occasion, she made a trip to Delhi to investigate handbag manufacturing options.
"One thing's for sure. I won't die of bordedom."
L E SSO N S ix : I T ' S W HO YO U KN OW Issie’s notoriety was not only forged by her talent, but by her continual LUXRUG appearance in the’s who’s-who columns of the time. She networked at all the glitzy functions and sought out, and attracted, the talented, rich, and famous. In New York (1979) she shared a flat with Catherine Oxenberg, an American-born actress who was raised in London. Oxenberg was also blue-blooded, born eldest daughter of Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia. This choice of roommate no doubt aided Issie's introduction to the New York in-crowd. Issie entered the orbit of Andy Warhol, and it was said that she often lunched with him. Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat spent a lot of time in Issie's office, and there were rumours of an intimate relationship. Back in the UK and from the world of entertainment, Issie was long-time friend of Brian Ferry (musician) and Godmother to his son Otis. Michael McLaren (Godfather of Punk) and actor Rupert Everett were also frequent companions. When Issie married Detmar Blow, they created a salon in his family mansion, and they were frequently visited by entertainers, writers, artists, intellectuals, and minor royalty.
Isabella Blow and Bryan Ferry
LE SSO N se ve n : M ON E TI ZE LUXRUG
This learning is based on what Issie didn't do. With a special talent for finding new things and unique ways of looking at the existing, it was often difficult to define Issie's role. "So you find a designer, or you find the model, but how do you invoice for that?” photographer Mario Testino said of Issie's dilemma. A lack of monetization certainly became the major point of contention between Issie and McQueen. In 1997 she was lunching with Tom Ford (Gucci) who mentioned imminent acquisitions to expand the Gucci group. Issie didn't hesitate to suggest McQueen's label. Negotiations resulted in a multi-million-dollar price, and Issie accompanied McQueen on a now-legendary train ride to Paris to sign the documents. There was no mention of Issie in the contract, and no role for her in the new company. She was devastated. Issie loved McQueen and eventually put aside her hurt. The two remained cautious friends, and McQueen picked up some of her private hospital bills in the year before her death. This is just one example of how a lack of focus on monetization adversely affected Issie's life. Issie told Stella Tennant (model and now fashion designer), ‘If I make you famous, I want a bottle of my favourite perfume.’ A bottle of Fracas duly arrived.
"My style icon is anyone who makes a bloody effort."
LIFE IS A PART 2 : MELISSA LANGTON In this month’s edition of ‘Life is a Cabaret!’ - I’d like to shine a light on one of Melbourne’s most accomplished Cabaret and Musical Theatre performers: Melissa Langton. Melissa is a stalwart of Melbourne’s cabaret and theatre scene having performed locally and internationally for over twenty years, from Germany to New York - this lady knows how to put on a show! Melissa has performed in major Australian musicals such as Les Miserables and Jesus Christ Superstar, and is known for her original cabaret productions, created with her esteemed partner, Mark Jones. She is also a member of the popular girl group “The Fabulous Singlettes”, who have toured internationally for the past 20 years.
Aside from her performing career, Melissa is also a passionate teacher and encourager of young cabaret talent. In 2000, Melissa and her partner, Mark Jones founded ‘The Cabaret Showcases’ - which provides a platform for emerging performers to present a professional 25-minute showcase under the mentorship and guidance of these two seasoned cabaret artists. Mark Jones and Melissa Langton - The Cabaret Showcases
I did my first showcase with Mark and Melissa in 2018, and I can say that it is one of the most helpful things I have done for my musical career. The showcases really allowed me to find my own artistic voice, learn the niches of creating an entertaining cabaret, and gave me the confidence to continue writing my own work.
Now, let’s get the Tea from ‘A Cabaret Queen’:
What do you think sets Cabaret apart from other theatrical genres? I love the intimate feeling of cabaret, and that it is the one genre where you can actually communicate with the audience and make them feel like they are sitting with you in your lounge room.
How does the craft of Cabaret differentiate from a performer's perspective to say, a more 'traditional' mode, such as Music Theatre? A skilled cabaret performer can make every person in that room leave feeling like you have spoken directly to them. I love doing Music Theatre, but always feel like that invisible fourth wall that separates you from the audience is a little bit of a crutch. And the audience feels more like they are at the movies and can snooze, eat their popcorn, or look at their phone. But cabaret is allencompassing, the fourth wall is lifted, and the audience is part of the performance.
Who are your favourite local and international cabaret performers? Oh that is such a hard question! There are so many great Aussie and international cabaret acts. However, I love original music, so I love Gillian Cosgriff, Eddie Perfect, Geraldine Quinn, and Tim Minchin. I also love Tripod and Dolly Diamond. All of these acts are awesome communicators with an audience which I love. In regards to international acts, I love Christine Lavin, Lea Delaria, Sally Mayes, Fascinating Aida, Rufus Wainwright, and The Divine Comedy, to name just a few!!!
What is your most memorable career highlight to date? Again a hard question as I don’t think there has been just one, and also not all in cabaret. In regards to events that have shaped my career, definitely cabaret is a big part of that. I feel like doing cabaret has shaped me into the performer I am today in all mediums. Cabaret taught me to be brave and move outside my comfort zone, which meant that when I did musical theatre I took that with me and was able to become a better music theatre performer. In 2001 I won The Sydney Cabaret Convention and the prize was to perform at The New York Cabaret Convention and that was certainly pretty significant. However, now that I am thinking about it, my 20-year role in The Fabulous Singlettes is probably the single biggest shaper of my career.
How do you think the Australian Cabaret scene has evolved in your time, and where do you think it is headed in the future? When I started out, in the late 1990s, cabaret was really only being defined and was initially a whole lot of musical theatre performers trying to keep their skills up whilst in between shows, so it really was just a stand and sing affair, doing your party pieces. My involvement with Mark Jones (who later became my husband), shaped our act, as he liked to think outside those boundaries, and started arranging songs, and he also has an uncanny ability to find obscure material, and then shape it to suit me. His influence led us to become quite a prolific cabaret act in the early 2000s, which was challenging, but very rewarding for both of us. Then, with the emergence of local cabaret acts, like Eddie, Tim, and The Beautiful Losers, the cabaret scene started to come into its own and shift from just stand and sing to really evocative, almost performance art style cabaret which was very exciting. That is continuing today and it is really fabulous to watch in particular the Melbourne cabaret scene put its own stamp on the style of cabaret that comes out of our city!
Mellissa continues performing and teaching locally, and has also established her own production company with her partner, Mark in 2016: “Winding Road Productions” which promotes and presents cabaret shows around Victoria. We are very lucky to have the expertise and talent of such fabulous performers and musicians, especially in such a niche medium, and I would encourage anyone who is interested in pursuing a career in Cabaret to look into ‘The Cabaret Showcases’.
Visit The Cabaret Showcases Until next time, Mes Cheries: à bientôt!
jack lynch
Visit Australian Jazz
Artwork by Meg Kolac
Let's Make Faces Portrait Drawing Series by Award-Winning Artist Lois Jessop
Part 3. The Eyes Have It, continued... I hope everyone is well and looking forward to putting all your homework sketches to good use. Dame Elizabeth Taylor was described as one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her facial features meet the criteria of symmetrical and proportional perfection. She was also blessed with unusual irises, that is, their colour... a mesmerising mauve! We are drawing with soft black lead pencils, so when we draw the irises, draw the outline lightly so you can add mauve later...
Step 1: The Angle of Liz's Eyes Take your sketch from Part 2, Step 7... and look at the horizontal oval representing Liz's right eye. Now consult the supplied picture of Liz, and locate the outer corner of her right eye (not her makeup, her actual eyeball). Notice the outer corner is not level with our original horizontal eye-line.
The outer corner is raised a little, so pop a little dot just above your original horizontal eye-line, in the outline of your original horizontal oval. Redraw your horizontal oval on a slight angle, determined by the little dot you just drew just above the horizontal eye-line. Repeat this process on Liz's left eye.
Developing Liz's eyes: Beginning with her right eye... look at the photo of Liz. Determine the size and position of her iris and draw it inside the oval, lightly, remember it will be delightfully mauve later. Draw what you see! Look at the photo again and see where Liz's pupil is... the size and position, and if you like, colour it in, but not too black yet as we have to consider the white catch-lights that give the eyes their shine. Repeat this process with Liz's left eye, consulting the photograph as you go.
Steps 2 and 3 Right eye, upper and lower eyelids. Look at the photo of Liz and observe the position, shape (arc) and angle of Liz's upper eyelid eyelash line... thankfully, Liz has made this easy for us with black eyeliner which has been applied all the way along, from the tear duct area to the outer corner, on both upper and lower eyelash lines. .
You can draw these lines a little roughly because we will be drawing blackmascara eyelashes over the top later. Notice the upper eyelash lines run through the irises, and a little bit through the pupils. No need to erase the excess above the eyelash lines because we'll be applying eye shadow shading over the top of the upper eyelid later anyway. You can use colour for the eye shadow if you want, just lightly to begin with. We can add to it later. The lower eyelash line is a dipping arc following the shape and angle of the bottom edge of the oval. Repeat this process with Liz's left eye.
Step 4 Adding makeup... eye shadow and mascara... look at the photo... thankfully, Liz enjoyed using makeup and lots of it! We'll add her eye shadow lightly at first, observing the shape of the space between the upper lid and Liz's other distinguishing features, her jet black, full eyebrows.
Step 5 Eyebrows. Look at the photo... observe the position, shape, size and angles that create Liz's eyebrows... draw what you see... lightly at first, and when you're happy with the result, colour in a bit darker. There are areas of shading either side of Liz's nose... observe the position, shape, size and angles of these areas of shading... draw what you see! Draw lightly to begin with, darken later. Liz has raised her left eyebrow a little, so to replicate the photo accurately, we will draw it that way. Draw what you see! All of our drawing steps are coming together now... see how Liz is developing on your page...
Step 6 Next time, whether we're in lockdown or not, I'll show you how I construct the rest of beautiful Dame Elizabeth Taylor's face. Please find time to re-visit these steps... experiment with other faces... try a self-portrait.
Every time you draw, you're using parts of your brain not usually exercised, to achieve your final piece. For example, observing the position, shape, size and angles of the numerous elements, and using appropriate shading weight to imply depth, are all little queries that require decisions, and control. And the more you draw the better you'll become!
Cheers until next time!
Lois
Contact Lois Jessop
WANT
TO
DRAW
WITH
LOIS?
Join in and submit your finished portrait. Three will be selected by Lois to be featured in the magazine. Selected contributors will receive a mystery surprise package from The Hornet Press and Jimmy Hornet. Submission and queries to: info@jimmyhornet.com
thehornetpress.com
Pencils ready?
MANAGER'S PERSPECTIVE N AT H A N B R E N N E R No matter how good your compositions are, or if you've registered them; anyone valuable to your career development will ask ...
What are they like LIVE? Last month’s ARTICLE concerned artists' creative property, their composition / the song; how to protect it, register it, and how to earn from it. In general circumstances, revenue from 'records' be it physical, digital sales, or streams is minimal unless you're a well-known act. The most immediate method of earning is performing live; (later on merchandise sales) appreciating the 'open mic' experience is part of the gig (for free) economy. This is the first ‘elimination’ hurdle for any artist. Many don't want to go to the trouble of rehearsing, traveling, lugging gear, paying for a mixer, for a free performance; it's expensive. Worse, it's soul-destroying, playing for a promoter who doesn't care enough to support and publicize the performance, or performing for an audience who doesn't know anything about you or your songs.
If at any time you're thinking what the hell am I doing here, doing this for (?), stop what you're doing and give up. If you're not enjoying it, it's costing you money and aggravation, why do it? But you know the answer to the question and I don't even have to mention it. If you've made the effort, the complete effort to arrange for the gig and show up, you do the gig.
There's a great deal more to consider in the overview of 'How to get a Gig', because this is a part of what's involved, and a small part, at that. Here's a 'beginning' for planners. Questions… Before even trying to get a gig, should a strategy be considered in how you plan to do one? i.e. Goals, Region/Venue Suitability/Availability/Financial Feasibility?
1. Develop Gig Strategies 1.1 Determine Goals for Performance Consider the opportunity in increasing the act's profile. Consider opportunity - to support and get audience objective response for your current material (CD/Streams/Copyright Media, Website, Press) Consider opportunity - to generate Revenue:(Door Sales, Merchandising Sales, Performance Income, Web Identity, Interest, and sales) 1.2 Identify Region/s Analyse previous Tour History Analyse Media Support (Press / On-Line / Radio: Community Commercial Airplay / Charts) Consider regional factors/opportunities during proposed gig timeframe (Festivals – Council / State Funded Events, Private Enterprise Events, Supports to ‘bigger’ Touring Acts) 1.3 Determine financial feasibility Analyse potential revenue based on history. Develop a contingency plan to compensate for any financial shortfall.
2. Secure Bookings 2.1 Seek responsible Agent(s) Showcase Act. Determine Interested Parties Choose agent(s) to best represent the act to fulfill goals if you can otherwise be your own. Be confident; provide a 'reason' why having the act on will be commercially viable. 2.2 Determine touring options with Team / Band/ managers / others Investigate plausible touring scenarios i.e., packaging opportunities, headline, co-headline Evaluate sponsorship opportunities. 2.3 Communicate Goals with responsible Agent. Confirm Date and Length of Tour. Confirm routing Determine potential anchor dates Review mandate pertaining to secondary and tertiary markets Estimate potential Revenue Gross
3. Develop Touring Budget 3.1 Accurately Identify and/ all tour expenses. Negotiate Wages Negotiate Transportation (Travel) and Production Costs 3.2 Prepare Budget presentation of expenses and projected revenues Present Final Budget to Team Investigate opportunities for 3rd Party funding i.e. State / Federal Government Funds, Local Council / Community Funding. Determine accurate projection or revenue
4. Review / Negotiate Performance Offers 4.1 Negotiate details of Promoter offer directly or through an agent 4.2 Evaluate, accept / decline 4.3 Hand Contract to Tour Manager, artist, or keep it as applicable. 4.4 Accept and sign off on Agency / Promoter / Venue Contract (if any) or send an email to the 'person in charge.'
Greg Ham (Men at Work)
5. Develop Traditional and On-Line Tour Marketing Strategies Develop Traditional and On-Line Tour Marketing Strategies 5.1 Seek Tour Publicists, DIY. 5.2 Liaise with Label / Team to develop other Tour marketing strategies Above all else, when performing and in all this : F. A. D. FUN - ATTITUDE AND DISCIPLINE None of this is written in cement. It’s just a perspective, as it’s better to have a plan, that’s worth it.
By Nathan Brenner PART 2 - NEXT MONTH A BUSINESS "SET LIST"
DENISE on fiction Klara and the Sun is the eighth novel for the Nobel Prize-winning British writer Kazuo Ishiguro. It was published in March 2021 and is on this year’s Booker Prize long list, an award he won in 1989 for his novel, The Remains of the Day. Two of his novels have been developed into successful movies and he has been knighted for services to literature. We meet Klara, and Artificial Friend, in a shop in the city where she waits with great anticipation to be chosen by a child and taken to a new home. Until that time, her world is defined by her relationship with the shop-keeper, her fellow AFs, and what she can see when she is given a turn by the window. Not only does the sun creeping into the store regenerate Klara and her friends, she watches as it performs a miracle on the city street outside. What she learns from this phenomenon propels her on a crusade to save Josie, the girl who finally takes her home. Living in a remote area with only one other house nearby, teenagers Josie and her neighbour Rick develop the bubble gum game as a way to share, develop and explore their feelings and possible future together. Josie was ‘uplifted’ as an infant and Rick was not, the one benefitting from modified intelligence and the other relying on natural gifts. And so in an idealised future world, we meet the inevitable haves and have-nots. The reader may reflect on the comparative price for advantage in Ishiguro’s world and ours.
Klara and the Sun is a novel about what technology might influence in the future, but is relevant now in relation to the desperate actions triggered by loss and fear, ethical crossroads and the complexity of family relationships. Josie’s mother’s plan to solve a distressing problem is creative, sinister, selfish and desperate. Klara’s plan to save her friend is courageous, creative and completely misguided.
Kazuo Ishiguro
Klara’s voice has an aching purity borne of the nexus between her intellectual capacity and emotional naiveté. What does it say about us that the most endearing character in this book is not a person at all? Denise Picton lives in South Australia. Her debut novel, The Wind Might Change, will be published by Ultimo Press in 2022.
Visit Denise Picton
STRINGLETS instrumentally repurposing
Here at The Hornet Press, we are hugely fond of anything upcycled, recycled, or even just polished up. Delighted were we to discover a Melbourne-based artisan who is doing just that!
Describe your product range in a sentence or two? Stringlets handcrafted jewellery pieces and decorative homewares are made using parts of discarded musical instruments that would otherwise end up in landfill; hence the Stringlets’ catchphrase is ‘Instrumentally Repurposing’.
Question Two: Which of your three offerings do you allocate the most time and energy to? All pieces are designed and made individually by me. As individual pieces, I put the same amount of energy and love into each piece. No one piece is the same and this keeps my passion and love of the process very much alive; This truly is the joy of making.
Question Three: How did you come up with the Stringlets concept? The Stringlets concept came about when a dear friend who is a traveling journeyman and musician was changing their guitar strings. The discarded bundle of strings with their beautiful raw material brought back memories of my love of working with metal in a contemporary fashion which I had first explored as a jewellery student in my youth. Designs and ideas instantly flooded my mind. This passion combined with my love of repurposing was the start of Stringlets in 2019.
How do you source your materials for your upcycled pieces? I source discarded strings from music shops and luthiers around Melbourne. All the strings that I collect are then sorted and processed with stringent measures put in place for cleaning before using.
With very aged strings the wound metal often has discoloured with a beautiful patina which I utilise in some finished pieces by coating them with a highgrade sealant. The discarded instruments that I use are found mainly in hard rubbish. Occasionally some well-received donations have been gifted to me through word of mouth.
Is Artisan Wares a side hustle or a full-time concern? Stringlets come under the umbrella of my art business Artisan Wares. My other passion connected to this business is painting. Through private commissions under the name of Antayas Art, I paint a variety of subjects including portraits of people and beloved animals and memories of muchloved houses. There have also been several commercial murals that I have completed for a range of businesses over the years. Each of these largescale projects has been more fun than I can put into words.
Which platform do you find most lucrative for selling your work? Stringlets can be found on my Instagram page @artisanwares which has been a wonderful platform for showcasing my work. I also have a small presence on Facebook (Artisan Wares) with the 2 social media pages linked.
What do you find the most challenging about running a small business? The most challenging part for me as a small business owner has been ‘work /life’ balance. I love the process of turning discarded materials into new objects of beauty; I am fuelled by this passion and there is a large part of my heart and soul that goes into every piece that I make. I have been known to lose hours in my studio enjoying every part of this process.
Which other artisans do you follow, or are you inspired by? The Artisan that has inspired and had the most impact on me personally and professionally is contemporary jeweler Brenda Ridgewell who I was fortunate to have had as a teacher and mentor when I was studying contemporary jewellery back in the ’80s at The Western Australian Institute of Technology (W.A.I.T).
What are your goals for 2022? My goals for 2022 are building on the Stringlets product range and continuing to make beautiful pieces that are not only distinctively individual but also of the highest quality in execution. I have just started producing a new range of sterling silver pendants using recycled silver incorporating guitar frets.
Meg Gibson
VISIT ARTISAN WARES
MUSICIAN'S PERSPECTIVE with mark morand Art, creativity and competition. It’s complicated. There is a tension between competitiveness and creativity that is difficult to write about without sounding like either a hopeless fool or a hard-arsed, well, fool. On the one hand, I want to believe that “competition” is a distraction from the creative mindset; that my creative output is disconnected from the arena of competition that we associate with, say, commerce or sport. On the other hand, I want people to buy it. This is worth unpacking! - so here goes. My sense-making about “competition” takes its cues from (a) our lived experience of the physical universe and (b) our relationship with time.
The Universe We live on the rarer part of the surface of this planet – the ground, as opposed to the water. That ground is infested with naturally occurring mortal dangers – spiders, snakes, crocodiles, lions, deadly nightshade. If you venture into the water, you’ll likely drown and be eaten, and not necessarily in that order.
Time A lion demonstrates a conception of time every time it chases prey. It expresses a relationship with the past (I haven’t eaten lately), the present (I see food), and the future (I eat to keep breathing). We have a more sophisticated relationship with time than does the lion. Our voices give us the ability to tell stories about the past. Our stories provide us with a heightened sense of danger in the present, and opportunity in the future. Our enhanced relationship with the future gives us pause to plan, practice, accumulate, aspire – and create. But we still share the basics with the lion - we’re in constant competition with time to obtain resources sufficient to keep us breathing. Meanwhile, the physical universe (up to and including the lion) does everything it can, every day, to stop us breathing. It gets more morbid but let’s just leave it at that! Against this backdrop, it seems likely that our creative instincts are inextricably intertwined with our survival instincts. Maslow’s self-actualisation sits atop – and is therefore dependent on – lower order needs.
Art for art’s sake To explore this further, let’s consider the proverbial starving artist in the garret. A quick internet search will reveal that this notion is widely considered a myth. But the construct is useful because it asks us to imagine someone who is dedicated to their art at the expense of all other considerations, even to the point of starvation. This is an entirely plausible dimension of the human condition (if rare given it flies in the face of our relationship with the universe and time). But it also sets up a paradox: art for art’s sake alone demands that the artist never shows their art to another person.
S h a r i n g yo u r a r t u n av o i d a b ly i n v i t e s comparison. And to compare is to compete.
Entering the arena If you’re a musician and you’re not sold on this: look somewhere deep for your feelings about your music plans when they pan out the way you hoped – and also when they don’t look somewhere deep for your reaction when you hear someone play your instrument at a technical standard beyond your current capability look somewhere deep for your reaction when you see someone experiencing musical “success” with an apparent absence of the fabled 10,000 hours I’ve concluded that when our conscious mind is saying that our creativity is outside the arena of competition, we’re shouldering an incoherence with deeper feelings that are the product of our relationship with the universe, and with time. The further paradox is that this incoherence has the potential to undermine our competitive capability, especially relative to those who don’t carry that burden. This means that competing is not a distraction from a creative mindset – it’s an unavoidable feature. So perhaps the better question is not whether we compete, but how we compete.
The answer will be different for everyone. For me, the answer is bound up with the tension I sense between the competitive spirit and the creative spirit, and a desire to find a way to relieve that tension. So the challenge I set myself is to do these three things as often as possible: Celebrate other people’s creativity Champion other people’s creativity Consume other people’s creativity Oh, Covid? All of this is academic in the face of a complete absence of opportunity to enter the live music arena. Let’s not take anything away from the extraordinary decimation and neglect the live music industry is facing in the wake of the pandemic. But steadfast as I am in the belief that live music will be back in some form before long if you’re a gigging musician I recommend taking some time to reflect on your own disposition to the competitive dynamic as we approach the end of Lockdown 6. It’ll soon be time to enter the arena…
VISIT MARK MORAND
The Apartment 1960 Director: Billy Wilder Stars: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine There are quite a few films that I have seen at least a dozen times. There is only one film that I have seen dozens of times that I am always happy to rewatch, regardless of my mood. That film is Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment”.
Without spoiling too much of this extraordinarily humorous yet tragic tearjerker; this timeless film centres around C.C. Baxter aka Buddy played with such sincerity by the immensely likable Jack Lemmon, who inadvertently climbs up the corporate ladder by allowing his senior colleagues to use his apartment to carry out their extramarital affairs. While the enabler of many of his colleagues’ infidelities, Baxter is an honest and lonely man who is quietly smitten by the beautiful, somewhat quirky, and incredibly charismatic elevator operator Fran Kubelik, played memorably by Shirley MacLaine. Tragedy prevails and Baxter becomes Kubelik’s hero without becoming her love interest. The rest you will have to experience yourself.
The setting, a large company where it appears that everyone is having an affair to either fast track their careers, take advantage of their position, or just have some fun was one that was too risqué when Billy Wilder first pitched in the mid-’50s. It became his passion project and took years to get the green light. Even in 1960, it was considered quite liberal and out there.
The list of reasons why this film is great is many, but the most important is the director, co-producer, and co-screenwriter Billy Wilder. Billy Wilder had an incredible eye for detail, subtlety, comedy, and sincerity. Under his watchful eye the film, despite its controversy, was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won 5. His direction is flawless, his script is razor-sharp and super tight. The way he blends heavy drama and comedy is remarkable. You never feel that the drama has been diminished by comedy or vice versa, they work together seamlessly. Each character he has created, whether central or supporting, is memorable.
The actors delivering Wilder’s dialogue are all worthy of special mention. Baxter’s senior colleagues carry their comically self-centered sense of entitlement unquestionably. Baxter’s neighbours; the good Dr Dreyfuss, played by Jack Kruschen, and his wife Mildred, played Naomi Stevens, scream for more screen time. Then there is Fred MacMurray. While MacMurray is no stranger to playing a variety of roles, he is generally remembered as the likable widowed father in the American sitcom My Three Sons. His Mr Sheldrake in “The Apartment” is any but nice or likable. Finally, there are the two leads who steal our hearts and bring us into their… well at least Baxter’s living room. Filmed in black and white Panavision, the cinematography is to die for. New York looks incredible and vast, yet at the same time, it isolates and boxes in Baxter which adds to his loneliness. The sets, from the massive office floor where Baxter initially appears as just one of the endless worker bees to his apartment which draws you in and becomes a character of its own, are all brilliant.
Filmed in black and white Panavision, the cinematography is to die for. New York looks incredible and vast, yet at the same time, it isolates and boxes in Baxter which adds to his loneliness. The sets, from the massive office floor where Baxter initially appears as just one of the endless worker bees to his apartment which draws you in and becomes a character of its own, are all brilliant. While the film may be over 60 years old it will resonate with just as many viewers of today as it did then… if not more. This is a film that finds its way into people’s hearts and minds and stays there. It becomes a part of you, a part that you never want to let go of.
By Steven Scheloske
SECRETS OF THE CREATIVE MIND Dr Nancy Andreasen, an American neuroscientist, and neuropsychiatrist is known for the connection she made between manic-depressive illness and creativity. She joined behavioural science with neuroimaging in order to understand the process of the creative mind.
Alongside her work on the afflictions of the creative, she also extensively researched other qualities, and highlighted these five consistent attributes.
Polymath HEDY LAMARR A polymath is someone with multiple interests across a spectrum of subjects. Hedy Lamarr was an actress, film producer, and inventor. She pioneered the technology that formed the basis for today's WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth communication systems.
Self Taught PRINCE Creative minds seldom resonate with traditional academic institutions. They are more likely to seek out the knowledge that interests them and do away with everything else. Prince taught himself to play piano at age seven, guitar at age thirteen, and other instruments subsequently.
Persistant j.k. rowling Rejection is something that creatives must contend with. Most successful authors and bestselling writers have faced rejection from multiple publishers before finding one that gave them a shot. The tendency for society to frown at the idea that a living can be earned, and a career forged in the Arts, is still a relatable phenomenon. Fortunately, the great creatives demonstrate a superpower in resilience. J.K. Rowling was rejected by twelve different publishing houses before Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone found a home.
Inspired at Rest PAUL MCCARTNEY REST comes from the acronym Random Episodic Silent Thought. Andreasen' discovered that in a state of rest, the brain is spontaneously reorganising and acting as a self-organising system. Nearly all of her clients claim to have their best ideas when their mind resembles this state. Paul McCartney claims to have written "Let It Be" in his sleep.
Ideas Galore David lynch It may seem obvious, but it must be emphasized that highly creative people have a zillion ideas, and whilst they may not always be practical or successful, they are necessary in order for genius to rise to the top. David Lynch is an ideas man. Although best known as a filmmaker, his creativity spreads to visual art, music, and writing.
Jacobs Run Self Titled 2019 It is rare that you get to know a band personally before you get to know their music. Such is the case with Jacobs Run. I chanced upon them as they were working with a good friend of mine, Michael Matthews, who was promoting this album. I became involved too, and in fact, ended up playing a show with them last June. The gig was at the fabulous Jimmy Hornet in Melbourne, run by legendary local music impresario, Anthea Palmer. I heard songs from their 2019 album over a few acoustic shows which really stood up on their own. Meeting Michael Jacobs was a thrill and even better, he gave me a copy of their self-titled album at one of the shows. As a songwriter myself, we were talking about arrangements and the emotion and feeling that you try to radiate from a recording. Jacobs has an Italian background and so too do the other two members of the group. I knew this would be interesting. “The situation is your life….” starts the album’s preamble, alerting to the direction in which nudges the listener to matters of the heart. A guitar driven rock ‘n’ roll foundation is asserted as the song takes off in earnest. It jaggedly stops and starts with a memorable rhythmic riff, and in between there is an orchestra playing along. A string section punctuating the empty spaces and pulling the emotion alongside its rock ‘n’ roll companions. And it doesn’t let up.
“Better Days” gets right to the point with a shimmering Rickenbacker and acoustic guitar allowing the terms of the song to be established. The author unashamedly wears his heart on his sleeve as he declares, “you make these days better days.” The song doesn’t resolve on a natural G but like all good pop songs, it leaves you wanting more, and in this case the song ends on a C chord, leaving it hanging like an early R.E.M. song. Sweet. Some lovely melodic bass playing from Peter Curigliano bouncing to the shuffling rhythm of drummer, Fabian Bucci, demonstrates a togetherness that has seen the group play international stages on their own tours in the U.S. and alongside Australian rock royalty including The Black Sorrows, The Badloves and Jimmy Barnes. I must have played the album seven times non stop over three days and it kind of reminded me of a traditional album listening experience. It was thinking the record had familiarity but I couldn’t put my finger on why that was. Songs seamlessly weaved their way through some pretty rich musical tapestry with the occasional…. “what was that?” running through my mind. Some nice turns and twists made it a rich listening experience.
There is an uneasiness in the musicality which opines that life and love are not always so straightforward. String orchestrations often work in reverse to the melodic sentiment and that’s what makes it interesting in tracks like “So Beautiful,” presenting an austere, if not obsessive manner where the author blurts out, “every time I try, she makes me want to cry.” As he sings “I want to make her so beautiful” there are angular sounding guitars fighting for space with a kooky orchestra. It somehow makes you think he is reaching for some anti-depressants. Tasty stuff. There is a musical heritage that comes out in Jacobs’ songwriting and through the production of Glenn Scott. British sounds are there which sometimes remind you of Oasis or The Verve but we have some Australiana going on with the jangly side of The Church, choruses channelling Noiseworks and the subtlety of The Black Eyed Susans in parts. There is a slightly transatlantic American Music Club vibe going on and at nod to 1970s power pop outfit Big Star, particularly in the use of Memphis style female backing vocals such as “In Your Eyes.”
Ballads are a plenty and convincing enough that it seems, at least lyrically, that the singer has been through life’s wringer and has had to rethink and reconfigure a new outlook on life; yearning for the simplicity that is hard to find in a neurologically distorted information age that we live in.
The closing track, “Number 5” demonstrates that goodness in life is tragically hard to scale on your own. Time and good will is hard to leverage as Jacobs sings, “I’m doing all I can” over and over. It’s a melancholic meditation that shows you can get to the end of yourself in life and you may either be trying to tap into some higher power or are virtually at the door of doing so without even realising it. It’s a yearning for connection that Jacobs Run do so well. Whether you have an audience in a live situation or whether it comes through your car speakers, they are providing solace you so desperately need. Standout tracks include the singles, “Number 5”, “Hold On A Minute”, “Use”, “Sleepwalking”, “Better Days”, “So Beautiful” and “Superman.” An impressive debut from a very experienced group of songwriters and musicians. It has recently been confirmed that Jacobs Run are going into the studio in 2022 to record their second album with with award-winning music producer, Mark Opitz (INXS, AC/DC, Cold Chisel). I for one am looking forward to their follow up.
pop to the SHOP JUDE Made in Melbourne 252 Johnston Street, Fitzroy VIC A contemporary clothing and accessories label created by designer Jude Ng. With a background in Fine Arts, Jude offers a different point of view in fashion.
Etienne 136 Unley Road, Unley SA Housing highly considered labels that are sourced nationally and globally, including Aesop, Dinosaur Designs, Lucy Folk and many others.
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pop to the SHOP London Court Books Shop 52, London Court, Perth WA New, second-hand, and antiquarian books, gifts, and greeting cards. An initiative of The Museum of Perth, staffed by volunteers and run as a not-forprofit enterprise.
Almost French Patisserie 138 Swan Street, Richmond VIC A dinky little corner bakery, specialising in chocolate croissants, pistachio custard, and cinnamon rolls. Eat in or take away the goodies! Delish!
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