BY JESSIE WANG, LEAD WRITER (COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL AWARENESS)
I’m sure we all know someone who used to play music every day, but now barely touches their instrument.
It might be someone you studied with, someone from your extended family, or maybe you’re that person. But does that mean you love music any less?
I don’t think so. And Danai Fadgyas and Ben Thompson-Star from Community Music Project certainly don’t think so, either.
Although music played a vital role in their younger lives, the two – like many others – decided to pursue non-musical careers. But when the opportunities to play became less and less, the idea of Community Music Project was born.
Hi Danai and Ben. Lovely to meet you! So, what is Community Music Project and why did you start it?
Hi Jessie, it’s great to meet you too and thanks for interviewing us!
We launched the Community Music Project in January 2018, with a vision to create a movement of community music sharing. Through the CMP, we want to unlock the creative talents of musicians across neighbourhoods all over Australia and inspire lifelong sharing and participation with music.
We’ve both been immersed in music since we were kids, having learnt to play piano (Ben) and cello (Danai) from a young age. Although music played a vital role in our lives growing up, we ultimately both decided to pursue non-musical careers in urban planning and marketing.
After spending several years in the workforce, dust began gathering on our instruments and we increasingly noticed the musical void in our lives. This is not an uncommon story. So, our response was to start hosting Sunday Lounge Sessions in our lounge room in Marrickville as a way to meet other like-minded musos, as well as share our collective passion and love for music.
What can we expect at a Sunday afternoon session? How do you guys take away the pressure of having to perform in front of a crowd?
Once a month, we open our front door to welcome musicians from all over Sydney to come and share their music with us in our lounge room.
Sunday Lounge Sessions differ from your typical house concerts or gigs, in that we encourage each attendee to participate. At each session, we ask musicians to bring along their instrument and/or voice and share a song or two of their choice. We welcome musicians of all ages and abilities and openly encourage all styles and genres, so its guaranteed that no two sessions are ever the same.
Music is a form of self-expression and we know it can be a bit daunting sharing it with others, so we often encourage first-timers to bring along a friend or duo partner. To settle everyone in, we kick off each session, usually playing an easy listening classical piece, and then a popular arrangement for piano and cello. The format is super informal, so for those musicians who just want to jam with others, there’s an opportunity for that, too.
We try to limit the number of people at each session to ensure everyone gets a chance to play and interact with each other. The socialisation aspect is also really important, and we bookend each session with some wine, cheese, and general chats.
What’s the most amazing ‘performance’ you’ve witnessed at one of these Sunday sessions?
We’ve been absolutely blown away by the incredible passion of everyone who’s walked through our doors this year. The most ‘amazing’ part of our Sunday Lounge Sessions is seeing the many talented musicians, most of whom are non-professional, sharing their love of music with others.
One of our favourite moments was when a talented pianist (also a dentist by day), told us that to prepare for the performance, she had set up a piano in her dental surgery where she could practice between patients.
Seeing total strangers sharing, collaborating, and harmonising through music creates an instant connection – it really is a universal language.
Have there been any weird or bizarre performances?
We’ve certainly had a really diverse range of musicians attend our Sunday Lounge Sessions from classical aficionados to pop sensations, musical theatre die-hards, and soulful singer-songwriters, you name it. One of the most memorable sessions involved a local duo who came along with a guitar, garden saw, and violin bow, and proceeded to make the most incredible sounds and effects.
How does Community Music Project facilitate more music-making and music-loving outside its monthly Sunday sessions?
The CMP is a great way for musicians to meet other musicians. We have already heard stories of people who have met at our Sunday Lounge Sessions and subsequently gone on to perform gigs together.
We’ve also been able to start connecting musicians with other opportunities; in particular, performances at aged care centres. Equally, we have had many repeat Sunday Lounge Session attendees who have come back to meet more musicians and share more music.
How do people become involved with CMP, anyway?
There are two main ways for people to be involved in the CMP.
First, you can come along to one of our Sunday Lounge Sessions. We’re hosting a special Sunday Lounge Session on 18 November from 3-5pm as a celebration of the first year of the CMP. We’d love for you to bring your instruments and voices along and share some music with us. (You can sign up here.)
Second, we want to continue spreading the movement of community music sharing – we can’t do it alone. We encourage others to host their own Sunday Lounge Sessions at their house with their family, friends, and networks. We’ve already collaborated with several musicians to assist them in hosting their own session in their lounge rooms. We make it really easy for others by helping out with promotion and marketing of their events and would love for people to get in touch with us if they are interested in hosting their own session.
What’s the future looking like for CMP?
We’ve got some really exciting plans for the CMP in 2019. As well as continuing to host regular Sunday Lounge Sessions at our house in Marrickville, we want to continue to expand the reach of the CMP to more neighbourhoods across Sydney. We’re planning to do a number of roadshows around metropolitan Sydney next year, and bring the Sunday Lounge Session format to more musicians in more places in order to continue growing the movement of community music sharing.
Learn more about Danai and Ben’s Community Music Project on their website.
Shout the writer a coffee?
No amount is too much or little. Thanks for supporting Jessie as she volunteers her time for Australian arts journalism.
Pay what you like through PayPal. 80 per cent of your contribution will go to the writer who composed this piece, and 20 per cent to our volunteer editor for getting this show on the road. (You don’t *actually* have to take them out for a coffee.) We protect your personal information.
Images supplied.
