WHAT IS CREATIVE BOOTCAMP?
Topology’s flagship Creative Bootcamps are multi-day workshops for creatives to hone their skills, create something new and work alongside experienced musicians and artists.
Brisbane Creative Bootcamp is an intensive 5-day music program offering musicians, composers and songwriters the opportunity to unleash their creative potential and be mentored by the best of the best in Topology’s home town. Through hands-on group workshops and one-on-one tutorials each participant will be guided through the process of creating, composing and recording a new original work.
Brisbane Creative Bootcamp invites emerging music artists to develop their skills. Our bootcamp participants go on to do incredible things and use the knowledge they’ve garnered to pave their own musical careers. By the end of this bootcamp, you will leave with a professional video and audio recording of your new work performed alongside Topology’s renowned musicians.
EVENT DETAILS
9:00am – 3:00pm daily
St Peters Lutheran College (Performing Arts Centre)
66 Harts Rd,Indooroopilly, QLD 4068
(access via Lohe St – PAC is located next to the Chapel)
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Registration for Brisbane Music Bootcamp includes 5-days of workshops and one-on-one tutorials with musicians, participant kits, and a professional audio and video recording for your performed work.
YOUR CREATIVE BOOTCAMP SCHEDULE
Click here to view the schedule and planned sessions for this year’s Creative Bootcamp.
YOUR INSTRUCTORS
JOHN BABBAGE – Saxophonist, composer, music educator
A founding member of Topology, John studied saxophone at the Queensland Conservatorium Of Music, graduating with a Diploma in Jazz in 1987. He has been performing and teaching for over 30 years, has toured Australia, Europe, the US, Canada, India, Singapore and Indonesia, released 15 albums of music by Australian and international composers, and his compositions have been played on radio and television worldwide. Babbage is a sought-after cross art- form composer, with commissions for Expressions Dance Company, Dead Puppet Society and Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre, (USA). John is also a driving force in Topology’s Top Up education program and is actively sought after by teachers around the country to deliver improvisation and composition workshops.
GRANT COLLINS – Master Drummer
Dr. Grant Collins is an innovative and revolutionary soloist, who has a vigorous passion for the drums. Grant’s influential and inventive dedication to the instrument has spanned over 25 years, in which he has developed new techniques and instrument combinations. Grant is one of the forerunners in the industry, forever pushing the limits and confines of music and leading cutting edge, creative and unconventional drumming. He uses all four limbs both individually and as a collective to present multi-timbral sound scapes, defining the drum set as a contemporary solo instrument for the world stage.
He has developed powerful and modern drum set solo performances, which have captivated audiences not only in Australia, but also around the world.
ROBERT DAVIDSON – Double bassist, composer, music educator
Robert is a prolific composer, bassist, lecturer and founder and artistic director of Topology, the ensemble-in-residence at the Brisbane Powerhouse and a Key Organisation funded by the Australia Council. Robert’s compositions are regularly performed, recorded and broadcast around the world. All of Australia’s professional orchestras and many leading soloists and ensembles have commissioned and performed his works. He has received many commissions for major works from festivals and venues including the Barbican Centre, Lincoln Center, Qld Music Festival, Brisbane Festival, Sydney Festival, Olympics Arts Festival, Canberra International Music Festival and many others. With Topology he has released twelve albums and a DVD. He has collaborated widely, with artists including Geoffrey Rush, The Brodsky Quartet, The Kransky Sisters, Gerry Connolly, Kate Miller-Heidke, Katie Noonan, Ed Kuepper, the Southern Cross Soloists, Trichotomy and The Australian Voices.
CHRISTA POWELL – Violinist, Creative Director
Highly-respected performance artist, session musician, and music educator, Christa is as comfortable lending her talents to the orchestra pit as she is in character wardrobe, playing on stage with Led Zeppelin or playing solo violin and strolling the stage with Expressions Dance Company. When she’s not playing with Topology, she performs a wide range of chamber music, her long- held passion. She also plays orchestral music with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, gigs with bands and teaches violin in her private studio and as guest at various education institutions. Christa studied at the University of Queensland (BMus Hon 1991) with Elizabeth Morgan, in London with Emmanuael Herwitz of the Melos Ensemble and at the Queensland Conservatorium with Carmel Kaine, obtaining her Master of Music in 1996.
CHRISTIAN GANTE – Pianist
Each week, Christian plays for 9 choirs in Brisbane! Even though he has the pleasure of accompanying even more choirs as an occasional backup accompanist for extra rehearsals, or when their regular pianist is away for various reasons; he is so very grateful that each choir time happens to be each conductor’s highlight of their
week. Christian has written a number of instrumental and choral works which have been performed by various high schools and in his spare time adores visiting the great outdoors and photographing Australia’s wonderful wildlife.
PEARLY BLACK – Vocalist
Pearly Black has been a proud member of the Australian musical scene for over 30 years, across a dazzlingly wide variety of genres and outputs. She began in the indie rock scenes of 1990s Brisbane and Melbourne, but soon expanded into cabaret, theatre, and contemporary works in major arts venues. Pearly’s rich voice, an instrument of unusual versatility, effortlessly glides from rock, pop, and jazz, to Flamenco, Gospel and much more.
Pearly has featured in numerous iterations of Brisbane’s long-time favourite, Women in Voice. She has also enjoyed many years’ association with Qld Music Festival, The Brisbane Festival, and the Gold Coast’s Bleach Festival. She was a stunning musical feature of Helpmann Award winning Where The Heart Is by Expressions Dance Company, and was a star of the Matilda Award winning cabaret Tom Waits for No Man for the Brisbane Cabaret Festival. Pearly performed alongside Paul Grabowsky, Kate Miller Heidke and many others at QMF’s The Genius of John Rodgers at QPAC with The Qld Symphony Orchestra. Pearly has recently delivered her first commissioned work as librettist for Rafael Karlen’s Sinking Cities, performed but Camerata and The Australian Voices.
Also a passionate singing teacher, Pearly graduated with honours in the Masters of Vocal Pedagogy degree at the Qld Conservatorium in 2018. This degree marks the mastery evidenced in her 20-year singing teaching career. Pearly is a warm, fun and engaging teacher whose aim is to bring out the best singer in all of us, using the most current voice science and techniques. Pearly teaches in all styles to students of any skill level. Her guiding philosophy is that if any sound can come out of your mouth, it can become beautiful singing and rewarding self-expression. And it’s not that hard!
