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Sounds Across Oceans acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which our events stand on, the Turrbal and Jagera peoples of Meanjin, and recognise their continuing connection to the land and waterways.
Creative Fusions is an inspiring community music program designed to build bridges between cultures and communities, forge new creative pathways and showcase new music and sound fusions. Participants aged 10 to 100 years jam, improvise, collaborate and perform with experienced Queensland-based teaching artists from diverse cultural and creative backgrounds.
Launched in 2016 the program has been facilitated at schools and across the community in Brisbane and regional Queensland, with the most recent program Creative Fusions in Roma, delivered in partnership with QPAC between April-June 2023.
An innovative intercultural and intergenerational music program Creative Fusions aims to foster an ethos of inclusion and authenticity and promote creative experimentation in a safe and supportive environment for people of all ages and backgrounds.
No matter what your instrument – from Chinese zither or African Djembe, to jazz guitar, classical violin, or didgeridoo – you will be able to immerse yourself in music-making heaven where you will learn how to jam in groups, create new sounds and songs, and learn about other cultures and styles.
Creative Fusions is intergenerational, so ideal for individuals, friends and families.
What You Learn
Wellbeing
Integrating skills and techniques from diverse and ancient musical cultures Creative Fusions fosters a deep appreciation for the spiritual and psychological power of music when viewed holistically as an expression of one’s inner creative voice. For this reasons we place special emphasis on collective improvisation as a means to unearthing new sounds, insights and perspectives from participants. This form of authentic expression supports the psychosocial wellbeing of the musician and helps them gain a deeper awareness of the meaning and purpose of music.
Breathe work and meditation are introduced to participants as a way or enhancing focus and concentration as well as providing support and courage for people to step into new territory, take creative risks, ask questions, make suggestions and take agency in their musical development.
Performance
Workshop programs, whether they be across multiple days, months or merely hours, always culminate in a live performance where participants jam and showcase their collective creative discoveries. Sometimes this manifests through free improvisation and often with the sharing of original compositions and new arrangements.
- Learn from professional musicians
- All instruments, styles and levels of experience
- All musical and cultural backgrounds welcome
- Ages 10 to 100
- Opportunities to perform
Book A Workshop
Creative Fusions is as much a philosophy of music-making as it is a methodology. With years of research and practical experimentation behind our team of talented teaching artists we have the skill, flexibility and creative wisdom to from all walks of life get creative.
The program structure is ideal for:
- Schools & Universities
- Community Groups
- Social Groups
- We also encourage Corporate Organisations and Businesses to explore Creative Fusions as a strategy for team building and wellbeing
Duration
Workshops can be as short as two hours, several days or unfold over months depending on the needs and capacity of the school or community. Programs are tailored to the participants needs, skillsets and requirements and desired outcomes of the participants.
Our 2023 Team
Program facilitators are high skilled teaching artists with whose acclaimed careers as performing artists and teachers inform their approach to guiding people toward increasing levels of skill and confidence in music-making.
Dr Anthony Garcia (program director, guitars)
Dheeraj (tabla, percussion)
Benji Maza (hip hop, rap, song-writing)
Danielle Bentley (strings)
Hannah Macklin (vocal, choral work)
Luke Cuerel (saxophone, winds, horns, electronic music)
Gabriel Garcia (Emerging Artist Intern, trumpet)