BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Let’s look back a few centuries to 1616.
Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog, on his ship Eendracht, landed off the coast of Shark Bay and became the first European to leave a record of his visit to the Australian continent. When word spread, so did the desire for other explorers to navigate their way across the seas.
This is a story that’ll be told by the Song Company in September through a concert spanning Renaissance Dutch music and contemporary Australian soundscapes. But the group is throwing something entirely unexpected into the mix:
Bernie Van Tiel.
The beatboxer, singer/songwriter, and actor has performed with mainstream artists such as Pete Murray and Samantha Jade. So how does her art fit in with The Song Company’s exploration of centuries-old history? We were pretty curious to find out.
Hi Bernie, fabulous to hear you are collaborating with the Song Company. But – you’re a beatboxer! Tell us all about your style and why you’re a match with this ensemble.
Yes! It’s a little different, isn’t it? My music taste is extremely eclectic, so I tend to flair across all sorts of styles and genres. Usually, whatever music is dominating interest will have a heavy influence on what sounds I produce, however I do try my best to stretch myself creatively. I’m a very visual learner, so when I watch someone do something, I tend to mimic them and then eventually creativity takes over and before I know I’ve developed my own patterns, rhythms and styles!
I’m curious to learn how you’re using such an incredibly modern technique of music-making to explore this moment in Australian history. Talk us through what we can expect from you in this context.
I guess when a lot of people think about beatboxing, they tend to associate it with the urban culture (hip-hop, r&b) and that’s fair, because it is one of the main pillars of hip-hop. However, it’s very useful for many other artforms (think Police Academy). In this case, I’ve stretched my beatbox vocabulary into creating a soundscape for Australia. We live in a unique world with such foreign flora and fauna (even to us locals!). So when creating my piece, I decided to be mindful of the native habitats and original cultures, creating a textural experience through vocal manipulation.
Why is this historical story of interest to you?
Well, to travel anywhere and not interact with someone is unheard of, yet history claims it happened! How peculiar, right? Imagine the curiosity, the wonder, the isolation; that’s immediately interesting to me.
What works will you perform with the Song Company and how did they come to be chosen?
Antony Pitts approached the Talent Development Project, asking for any vocalists who might be able to assist in creating a soundscape of Australia, regarding a historical event that took place here. Because I am a graduate of the TDP, I was passed this request and decided I’d give it a go. After a meeting with Antony, I was asked to make a 20-minute (minimum) soundscape. I asked about the history and about the concept of the program. After he told me, I immediately had an image. I’m synaesthetic, which means I see sound. So immediately, I could match the visual descriptions in my head with sound. It’s hard to explain, but you will definitely know what I mean when you see the show and have a listen.
I love, and am disappointed, that this is the first time I’ve spoken with a female beatboxer. Why is beatboxing a largely male experience?
That’s a fantastic question and probably my favourite so far! Well, let’s think back to hip-hop, rap; there aren’t many females that are in that, either. I think it comes down to many things, and these are merely my own opinions:
1. Women are seen to compete against each other to be the ‘token’, whether it be the token female rapper (think Nikki Minaj), or the token female diva (think Beyoncé), or the token female beatboxer. We get pinned up against each other and instead of coming together as a collaborative unit, we are instead encouraged to take each other down. Which saddens me deeply.
2. I guess it has originated as something very male dominated, which many things start out as. That can be very intimidating, but slowly and surely with the fight for equality, many women are coming up. However, beatboxing is huge over in, say, Europe. And European-style beatboxing is very bass dominated. Bass or extreme low registered sounds are easier to vocally produce for men as naturally, their vocal chords are longer and thicker. This kind of sound is very popular and in high demand in many competitions or sets. And me, being stubborn and determined, I wanted to obtain that sound. I’ve found that although it’s difficult, it’s not impossible. And I think that maybe because a lot of females find it difficult to master that sound, they feel limited when they compare themselves to the men. But chin up, ladies! We’ve got this too!
Are there many more female beatboxers that we haven’t heard about that we should know? What can we do to shed more light on women in this artform?
There are quite a lot. Jump on YouTube, look up female beatboxers, you’ll see plenty! With this said, however, I think it’s also up to the ladies to come together and get that movement of female beatboxers out there. I know it’s hard because there’s so few of us in comparison, but it’s possible. See, the thing is, the beatbox community in Australia is huge, but every event I go to, I’m the only female beatboxer there. When they hold competitions, there’s only a men’s division. This means only men are able to compete and then represent Australia overseas. If we had more ladies being part of the community, we could give ourselves that chance too.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I want the audience to be aware that everything you’ll hear is 100 per cent vocal. No effects. No gimmicks. Nothing synthetic. Everything was produced using only my voice. I hope they enjoy the experience and are taken somewhere else. Back in time, perhaps? Who knows! Thanks for having me on board, and special thanks to Antony Pitts and the Song Company.
See Bernie and the Song Company perform across Newcastle, Canberra, Wollongong, and Sydney in September. Details and tickets from songcompany.com.au.
Image supplied. Credit: Eliza Kitchington.
