Nature Boy

A recent art work using digital manipulations and overlay.   These words were made famous by Nat King Cole.

Settling in

So many things have happened on the journey from here to now.It all began with the car journey from Tully to Brisbane, and our bird keeping us on our toes on the way down. We stopped into see Brad and his wife Jess as well as Dan on the way down.


We discovered which were the most boring pieces of road, and the most exciting. Brad, Dan I worked with on ABC open during the 500 words project, and had never met in person before.

“Met Daniel Battley AbcOpen in person with his two gorgeous sons. Awesome.  We went via an interesting back road into Bundaberg with navigator Sandon, like a rollercoaster ride, stomach survived just, bird doing well on our travels, and keeping us all entertained, classic photos of this later though, lots of Simon and Garfunkel in the car, more adventures tomorrow and then into Brisbane.”
 

Then there was the month we spent living in West End, house sitting for friends.  I loved the sunrise from their house.
We went to a street neighbourhood gathering in their area.  It was awesome and my son jammed with some musos.  They are setting up a garden and doing lots of projects like clean up Australia day etc.



We caught up with our friend Temily who lived around the corner who we hadn’t seen for over 10 years.  She is an artist and lived in a very interesting share house, full of energy, light and colour.


We visited the museum and South Bank.  The children were much taken with a Hobbit house featured in an exhibition of collections.  We went to the cricket as well, which was brilliant as it looked like Australia were losing, but then a miracle, they won and we were there.



We had lots of adventures house hunting and I made the following discoveries about Brisbane.

”Brisbane discoveries, looking for houses requires military operation precision, and a swot team to help you out, busking licenses for South Bank require auditions in November and only happen but once a year, some suburbs people appear friendlier than others, Aldis are cool, self serve zapping in shops requires practice …”

“More things learnt about Brisbane, videos can be found in vending machines, laundromats are plentiful, and have wifi and cool websites, birds interact with the city and find the nearest tree to flock too, and adopt humans to feed them, sunrise splashes golden light on buildings, afternoon practice bands near our home have a reasonable guitarist, and average drummer and singer, your real friends have to make appointments and cannot rely on bumping into.”

Finally we made it to our new house:
“Didn’t notice it on the first view through but there is a dish washer in the kitchen … an upstairs and down stairs clothesline and laundry, a shed, and to my relief quite a bit of storage under the house so we can fit our stuff and even divest of more with more sorting if we wish (my excuse we had looked at a lot of houses and I was getting tired) , bird is settling in but was a little crazy this morning on the new verandah poor thing!

Ben to the rescue. Have now put all our present stuff in the cupboard and made air mattress couches, plus we have a kettle, and a saucepan, and esky with ice, time to have a cuppa, other news both school kids have already been put on invitation lists to events with friends and started bringing home phone numbers, and are quite excited about finding buddies who want to get to know them better, this is what makes me the happiest.”

We continue to connect with old friends from the area as our boxes were all unpacked and our home began to felt like a home.  One of our friends from Atherton came to visit us with his son, and had a chat about the universe which was cool.

And so the journey to settle in continues, with new horizons like learning how to use public transport again, and how to drive around the city.

Riddle Me

My cultures seem clearest to me in objects and values my parents had in our house when I was growing up, many of which are still there.

I think immediately of string bags, grass skirts, shell necklaces, bush knives, and Dad’s cheap reproductions of Gauguin paintings of women in the tropics.

I remember being sent to care for old neighbours and baby sit other people’s children for no payment so my mother could show her generosity and teach me the value of service. I remember cooking family meals and being the little mother to my brothers from a young age.

As I think back on these objects I think of the riddles they hold, and want to go deeper under the surface to explore what context they have in the present and past.

The values my mother taught me were sometimes explicit and other times hidden in the objects and gifts she gave to me.

Listening to a tape of my bubu, grandmother’s voice, I hear the chant of her world. Looking at the cards from my English grandmother, with animals made out of leaves and seeds pasted onto cardboard, I am struck by the time she spends to connect with a granddaughter she so rarely sees.
I am a daughter of many cultural worlds.

(c) June Perkins

For more stories in progress head to  Northern Gal Dreaming

I will be spending a fair bit of time over at my Northern Gal Dreaming blog, as I’ve decided to devote a lot of this year to writing memory stories. I’ll explore how these memories come to live in the present, and become embodied in objects. Also working on some ideas for fiction for young adult readers. Here is the first draft of some writing done today. Will come back and do some more rewriting on it, for the moment it will serve as an introduction.

After Yasi - available now

After Yasi by June Perkins & Residents of the Cassowary Coast | Make Your Own Book

Soft cover version available as well. Ebook version based on this one, with hyperlinks coming soon.

Portraits of a Musician

Lately I've been taking photographs of Musicians.  You can view this portfolio here.

Portraits of a Musician

A big thankyou to local musician Melinda for being my model for this work.  Melinda may give me some quotes from her beautiful songs to put with this later, but for now some general quotes from music give the idea of what kinds of things I'd like to produce for song writers and musicians looking for a photographer.

I posted a story on the day I took photographs as my Pearlz Dreaming Blog

A Day with a Song Writer

After Yasi - Reviews

A stunningly illustrated book compiled by June Perkins and others, AFTER YASI tells the stories of recovery, healing and Community; also a beautiful insight into rural life in Northern Queensland for those who have yet to visit our region.- Joanna, review reader, Townsville.

After Yasi is simply stunning.  Beautifully laid out, images are emotional and strong and the stories behind them oh so touching. -Suzie, ABC Open Producer

I just looked through your e-book and it is fantastic - very beautiful indeed and touching. I love the 'chainsaw optimism' pic especially. Just shows how words and pictures together can be so powerful. I think you have produced something so excellent.  This will be great as a hard-copy coffee table style book. -Nigel, Review Reader, resident in Africa

I have just had a very quick look but what an amazing book. You should be very proud.  I would love to have a copy here for our resources.  -A Queensland Arts Organisation

I took the time to read your book. I'm so impressed by the photographs you took.  Most have smiling faces amidst the ruins of the cyclone. It's so sad to think that a tragedy reminds us what is important.  Family, community, music, smiles, and pictures.  Many people who lose their homes lose their family photos, and that too is a tragedy.  Thank you for sharing. The words and poems were so touching and as I said the pictures were awesome, from the beautiful flowers, to the devastation and destruction of homes and nature. It's a beautiful book, well done. You captured the moments. - Helene, Story Cartel Critique group

The Yasi photo book; the stories and visual recollections leave me wordless but with memories of my childhood flicking through my mind like old 8mm film of surviving Cyclone Althea after Tracey up there... Most extremely well done. -Dimity, children’s book author.

I had a quick look at your After Yasi Blurb book and I'm very impressed with the amount of creative projects you've produced in the last couple of years. The book looks stunning. I'm impressed that you are able to capture fantastic photographs of everything you get involved in. I know how hard this is.  Well done in putting all your experiences and hard work in this beautiful book. -Leandro, ABC Open Mentor

1000 thanks for sharing this epic recount with magical photography and illustrations.  Cannot wait to see the finished product.- Ann, Lower Tully community

This is a fantastic book. Not only do I love the piece about Back on Track but I love the pictures the comments and the smiles from everyone else.   Well done and I look forward to buying the finished product. -Brendan, Australian Rotary Health

Oh my, what a gorgeous piece of work. You are a true artist in so many ways, Can't wait for the finished product - Danielle, former Lower Tully resident

Looking forward to reader responses - feel free to add these to the blog.  Thankyou.

June

After Yasi - Book

It's getting closer!  The release of The Smile Within Book - titled, After Yasi, Finding the Smile Within. So excited to share the above sneak  peek of the book.

I am currently proofing  it and obtaining national library catalogue information for it.  It will soon be available as a hard- cover book to treasure, or an accessible ebook to be touched by the stories if you are on a budget.

I am wondering what to classify it as at present, is it self help or community help, Australian History, non-fiction.

The National Library will answer that one for me soon. This book has been a labour of love and recovery to thank and acknowledge the many people who have assisted the community and my family to regain our smile within. More details can be found here soon.

500 Words Contributions - June Perkins

Listening Divas

Published on ABC Open, November 22nd, 2012  Listening Divas

When we were young, Dad told us bed time stories. They were always silly with us in starring roles.

Dad liked Spike Milligan and AA Milne. Sometimes he’d recite his favourite poems and direct them to one of us. Snatches of AA Milne come back to me at the oddest times, with his poetry of children whose parents run away and cautionary tales to not step on the cracks in the footpath.

Dad’s stories were funny and satirical but sometimes we protested about the way he portrayed us. We were unruly characters, tiny divas, jostling for bigger and more complimentary roles. We directed our storytelling Dad just so. 

Our favourite thing was Dad giving us magical powers. We told him the names we wanted and what we should be doing. 
‘No I wouldn’t do that.’
‘I should be taller’
‘I need to run faster’
‘I’d jump to … the moon'

We loved to take over his stories. Sometimes our diva listening ways were so out of control they would make our storyteller abandon his tale and he’d grab out the Muddle Headed Wombat book to read to us and do all the characters voices for us. Tabby Cat, Mouse and Wombat became our friends. I read all the books when I had mastered the art of reading.

These stories were important because when we were very small our Dad was often away for long periods working as a labourer. Partly because of not having qualifications from his years in Papua New Guinea and partly due to prejudice over our Mum’s race he found it difficult to get and keep other work.

Our Mum told us when Dad came home after long labouring jobs my little brothers had forgotten who he was, and would hide behind her crying as the strange man with the overgrown beard came to hug us.

When Dad was finally home again for most of the time, we were able to know him again through the storytelling ritual.

Just as we were getting used to on tap Dad, he was away again to study and become a teacher and then later a librarian. Luckily I could read some of the books he had read to us so I didn’t miss him too much. Dad lived in another town with a landlady and sometimes we would visit him. 

Dad hitch-hiked home to see us when he had a chance. This time when he came home we would come running out to meet him and my younger brothers would pipe up with ‘a story, a story.’ I listened for old time’s sake. 

I was less of a listening diva because by this stage I was writing my own stories – partly thanks to my Dad’s early storytelling efforts to reconnect with his children.

(c) June Perkins

From Wheelchair to Walking: The Story of Paul

This Story was first published at ABC Open 7th January 2013 - From Wheelchair to Walking: The Story of Paul

At first the medical fraternity thought my brother, Paul’s, accident meant he was going to be a vegetable and if he was lucky to leave his bed would be stuck in a wheelchair for life, but my Mum had other plans.  

She played his favourite music, Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,’ to him when he was in coma and spoke to him continuously. 

She brought him home and embarked on all sorts of therapies, including Reflexology  - a foot massage based therapy. After many months, against the odds, he was mobile in a wheel chair, and then after many more months he was able to walk, but with a slight loping rhythm.

Does he remember what he was once like? I think the question is avoided so he doesn’t grieve for it.

Before his accident Paul Junior (named after my Dad and often called Peejay) was doing brilliantly at school, a good soccer player, a tap dancer, and planned to win a scholarship to go to a private school.  He was a young man with the only obstacle being when rather than if.

He was by far my favourite brother (sorry other brothers), because he was gentle, chatty and enjoyed being the perfect little brother. But as I think back he was accident prone even from a young age and had a few scrapes before ending up in hospital big time. 

Everything changed when my brother chose not to wear a helmet and cycle out of a steep driveway to come home.  

He was knocked off his bike by a car and hit the pavement at full pelt head first. Sounds like one of those terrible cautionary ads you see in television now, but this was a long time before helmets were heavily promoted. Every second kid chose not to wear them. 

I have vivid memories of my other two younger brothers wheeling Paul around in his wheel chair at full pelt for fun in the city mall, much to the dismay of my mother. I thought at the time it was cool that they were treating him like they always did, head injury or not. He must've missed going off to play cricket with them. 

It was not easy to ask Paul how he felt about things as it took a while for his speech to return, besides everyone was focusing on physical recovery as he was paralysed down one side. We were all employed by Mum to support his therapy, but she did most of it and he did the hardest yakka of all.

When Paul did recover his speech his sentences were formed so slowly it seemed like if you just taped them, then sped them up it would be easier to understand what he was on about. 

‘Do you speak PeeJay?’ My irreverent boyfriend, now husband, asked when he first met him. He jokes with everyone and wasn’t going to let an obviously brain injured individual cramp his normal personality. Paul laughed. He has loved David ever since.

Paul has come a long way in his recovery, but like it or not, we' ve all had to accept he will never have the same fluent personality or movement.

The thing I love most about Paul is the way he laughs at life. His mind is quicker than people think, so he recognises when someone is patronising him; his slow motion mimicry of them annoying him is hilarious.

I think he has more he could say but it can take so long for us to understand so he just gives up and chuckles. We try to overcome our limitations to reach out to him the best we can.

My Mum said when she read the first draft of this:

I remind him everyday how far he has come. And prepare him for a future I won't be there, so he can be as independent as possible.

She has done so much for my brother to assist him to overcome the challenges life has presented. She always seems to wish she could do more.

Paul makes a lot of people happy through the joyful way he lives his life, and is part of a large caring and extended family.

He and my mum are more inspirational than they will ever really know.  Mum said these days Paul listens to a lot of music and loves making costumes and threading beads for the culture performance group she facilitates. 

The last word of this family journey belongs to Paul:

I am happy with my life. I'd like to move forwards and get better and better. Ever forwards, forwards. 
I like playing drums and dancing in the dance group practices with my Mum's culture group.

Further links of interest are: 

Headway Tasmania

Music Therapy for Brain Injury

(c) June Perkins 

Cut Off - No Way Out

Cut Off - No Way Out - This article and image appeared on ABC Open 23rd January 2013

Flooded in - four directions. No way out! Unless you have a canoe, paddle and waiting relatives lined up.

As seasoned North Queenslanders we've been watching the weather forecasts very carefully. We take flooding at this time of year for granted.

This morning we drove our which-roads-are-blocked-pilgrimage and were lucky to meet up with some locals. Lucky, because most of our neighbours are now being cut off and soon we'll only be touch via phone and facebook.

The locals we met were waiting with their vehicles, blocked at a river crossing on the road to Jumbun. We watched a canoe on the other side of the road paddle towards us - it was one of those classic moments you just have to photograph.

We had a yarn about the bridges being planned for Cassowary Coast and agreed this regularly flooded spot in Murray Upper would surely be a contender.

At this time of year rainfall is on our minds, and our facebook status statements are full of comments from locals keeping a watchful eye on how heavy the rain will be, and sharing up-to-date information and links.

We have reason to be concerned because even though a cyclone is not heading directly for us we know the outcome is torrential rain everywhere. We know rain is on the way and we like to know how much, when and where.

We know by tracking it on our favourite sites; ABC Local Radio,Oz Cyclone Chasers, NQ Flooding update and of course BOM (Bureau of Meteorology).

Before it begins to flood we do the following:

Stock up on food and supplies (that was a couple of days ago and any local down at the supermarket lines knew it, non locals were bemused, obviously not realising what was on the way)

Realise the best laid plans are about to go up the river

Make sure our cameras are poised to share our version of the flood with our friends similarly marooned on line

Dissect the weather with our mates

Keep checking the weather sites

A major aftermath of flooding can be the shortages of essential items in the supermarket and until the trucks can make it through; it can take a couple of weeks before the shelves are restocked.

The rain is hammering down and I wonder: what are my friends and neighbours up to right now?

I've heard through the facebook vine: they have been beanbag floating in their flooded duck ponds, getting their boats ready (but to go where?) and taking and then uploading their images and thoughts on the flood.

Once you are in the midst of flooding the general idea is to have fun, keep safe, and via the internet work out and observe when those water levels will go down to safely let you out!

Today we've been amazed. This is the biggest flooding at Murray Upper since we've lived here. The creeks and river are overflowing everywhere in a way we've not witnessed before. The Murray Falls would be brilliant if you could safely make it there.

A few of the children, including my own, are really disappointed that a planned cartooning workshop at the library has had to be cancelled, because the weather has made sure no one can make it.

Perhaps it's time to cartoon rain, boats, happy people arriving home and a runaway parking sign like the one I saw going up river just a couple of hours ago.

(c) June Perkins

Fans are a Giddy Thing - Mumford and Sons

From Wha'ppen - Flickr Creative Commons

Finally wrote my family’s concert experience up – we love Mumford and Sons!

Mumford and Sons, Kuranda Ampitheatre, October 28th, 2012

My family wait with the early birds.

We’re in the verdant rainforest at the gates of the Kuranda amphitheatre.

We can’t believe Mumford and Sons will be here soon.

The queue looks small. We thought more people would’ve arrived early. We’re shocked, but it won’t be long until it’s a long winding snake out onto the highway.

We’re making small talk and finding out that a woman camped in queues for Robbie William concerts. She tells us, ‘it was worth it, to be up the front.’

A mother in the early birders met one of the band and his girlfriend in the supermarket. She’s keen to meet them back stage if she can but knows it’s not possible. She tells us they’re off seeing the reef today. She is proud to be in on band’s holiday story.

She’s upset when told she can’t take any open bottles, including those of water in. ‘What, not even water?’ She’s itching for an uprising. ‘We want water, we want water. ’ No-one else is willing to risk early ejection from the concert.

Come to think of it water for a waiting line, when water is not allowed to be carted in might have been a good idea. Then it’s back to excitement for the concert and she’s calming down.

We wait for the gates to open. We are perched on cushions I’ve bought for us to sit on at the front (at the suggestion of the ticket people). People think they see them arriving. Excitement ripples in the ground. People crane to see, no it’s not them.

Gates open and quickly we are down the front with the early birds, and it’ not looking that crowded yet. We head for the fence line. Two of us fit there, and three behind.

The ampitheatre fills slowly as the support acts, Willy Mason and Sarah Blasko, placate the crowd.

Willy reminds me of Johnny Cash. His song writing in intricate and well received. What a great opener. I’ll join his facebook page for sure.

Blasko is in a world of her own. Almost not aware we are there? She has her own cheer squad in the crowd. She’s ethereal, melding into the rainforest, floating like a butterfly.

But most of the crowd want Mumford and Sons. When Blasko leaves the stage you can sense the anticipation is at breaking point. We are a bubble that has floated, waiting to explode.

As if in a twinkling of an eye we are surrounded by a huge surge in the sea of people. We are not going to be able to move from the front again, with any chance of returning to our prime spot again.

Our cushions are under our feet, and later the crowd’s feet, as people squeeze in tighter and tighter.

The band is on stage and the bubble bursts, only for another one to blown as each song is played!

Rhythmic crowd jumps up and down in the beat of The Lion Man.

Arm to arm, shoulder to shoulder, we can barely move. Finger tips and arms sway slightly, an ocean of phones and cameras click and record. Our phone too, but then its batteries and memories run low, and so we must rely on memory and the youtube uploads after the event of the sea of phones around us.

Everyone seems to know every word of every song, even better than Mumford himself, who momentarily forgets the lyrics to one and says the F word quite naturally.
I’m enjoying the magic of the concert, but the crowd is too close for comfort. The security guards are being very sweet and safety conscious, and keep checking on my kids in front of me to make sure they are not being crushed.

A drunken man who is annoying everyone but himself is ejected from the front and taken to the back of the concert. Someone recording the band has their elbow stuck in the groove of my back. I hope this isn’t going to continue for a whole hour and the music will be enough for me to put up with the irritation. It’s almost unbearable. Then I turn around and thankfully whoever it was seems to move in the surging wave around me and my back is free.

My feet are aching. The dust on the ground below me is covering my ankles. I keep an eye on the surge around my children to make sure they’re safe. Even standing on the cushions we bought in gives no comfort. They are slippery and threaten to have me slip under the wave of the crowd.

A short African lady wants to see and the crowd is so tall, some of us part to make a space for her to be where she can see more. She is appreciative and thankful for the kindness and then proceeds to also keep watch on my children, like the security guards at the front.

Groupies are yelling out their wish to have children of members of the band, but many of us are here for the love of the music and find their over clingy calls a bit cloying, but hey we’re all fans, live and let live.

Mumford and Sons are not background lounge music. They demand to be heard, with their banjos and guitar, drums and sometimes additional trumpets, as well as Marcus’s spectacular resonant and impassioned vocals.

I observe the camera man at the front. With two cameras all set up and ready to go, one slung over his shoulder. He has a front seat ride that only official photographers can have. He is not there the whole concert, but he captures much of what will be up on line later. His performance entrances me, an ever learning photographer, as much as the band of the concert.

Then I am re-enchanted and reengaged by the songs. I don’t know them all, as my children and hubby and this crowd are the bigger fans, but each of them rings through me.

‘man is a giddy thing’

We are the people of the rainforest, united in fandom and in song.

I will say I was here, in the rainforest, with my kids, hubby, the early birds, a few thousand people, all swaying in time toMumford and Sons.

As we are leaving we see many people from our hometown pouring out to their cars.
People are waving, hugging, and saying in ecstatic wonderment, still on a concert high, ‘You were here too!’

(c) Article, June Perkins - and below is my storify collection.

A Murray Upper Christmas

Last year was our first Murray Upper Christmas, and for this year - our second one, I decided to make a small video.

I wanted to capture the arrival of Santa, small town country spirit, and the lolly scramble mostly.

I didn't want the video to be too formal or long.

Some precious moments presented themselves along the way.  My favourite moment is the mother going up to Santa's truck  . . . watch to see what happens.  I received a request to take a photo for someone and that photo is inserted near the end.

I still enjoy making and editing videos and will begin some more explorations of method in the new year.

We now have a gopro as well, and can add some different kinds of shots into our films.

I've invested in a microphone for my camera but apparently I might need a 'wombat,' to filter the power pick up of sound.

I'll be looking at some handy programs for syncing music to stories, and that kind of thing! Time to search and love watching youtube tutorials!

I'm literally dreaming up lots of ideas for short or long films, so time to write some scripts, do some storyboarding, and see where to go from here.

Have a very Happy Christmas and New Year.

Inspirations

                                     Reading the Sunset - By June Perkins

It’s an inspiring time.

I’ve finally managed to make headway on my writing projects. A memoirs is well underway. I am enjoying the process of bringing memories of past friendships back to life. The process of the memoir was given momentum during November.  I was writing stories for the ABC Open project Who Shaped Me.  I decided to do a blog challenge – 19 stories in the month. I was delighted to complete the challenge I had set for myself during the month of Nanowrimo.  At the end of the challenge I had 12,000 words towards my memoir.  It is now up around 25,000 words and continuing.

I love the process of memory unpacking.

On top of this I've managed to finally finish a poetry book which a  dear friend is going to illustrate.

It's designed for families to read together;  it isn't for children or adults alone and is based on my time living in North Queensland.

Some of the works are quite lyrical and have been sung at various places for friends and family.

I have been loving working for ABC Open as a moderator/Editor.  It's just awesome - and I had my time extended there so will be doing this for a bit longer. Working there just doesn't feel like 'work' but more of a blessing.

Reading, writing, editing!  Ha yes, even editing.  It's something to enjoy, not detest, because when you are reading, editing and moderating other people's work, it gives you even greater ability to be detached when it comes to editing your own stuff.

I'm reading so much now, that I really know which things jump off the page at me.  This  makes me strive even more to write in a way that makes the reader want to read my work!

I am so grateful to many people I've never met, except through reading their blogs, or joining them in online writing projects.  They are brilliant because they inspire me with their comments, feedback and their own enthusiasm for writing.  I especially love the Monday Writing Sprint Group - !!!  But the ABC Open contributors and producers are pretty amazing too.  I also adore the Soul Food group of Heather Blakey and am enjoying getting to know the Write Practice Crew..

To unwind I head out and take photographs, like the one above.  I am so blessed to have such great settings to easily access.  There is magic in the cane.  I've even written a poem about 'Ghosts from the Cane' that follow you to the city.  All will be revealed in my poetry book.

That's all from me for now - you can checkout my work and if you feel inspired please leave a comment on my Pearlz Dreaming Blog or at ABC Open.

Dance For Recovery Screening at Mission Beach Film Festival

The film about Danielle Wilson's beautiful workshop 'Dance for Recovery' will be screening at the Mission Beach Festival. 

I hope that everyone will enjoy it.  I won't be able to attend as we have family visiting we haven't seen for two years and we are off to visit them that weekend.

I think also I get a bit nervous sitting people watch my films.  I know now why film makers like to do test audiences and sneak in and watch their films where nobody knows who they are.

I am very proud of this lovely film about a moving community project, and the participants and creator of the show were also very happy with it.

We are hoping to work on more projects, and I am especially keen to create some poetry and musical and lyrical films that reflect some of the things trialed in this film.

Several other short films from locals will be screened at the festival, as well as entries and interesting films from around the world.  Why not head along and enjoy all the festivities, including the opening night.

I will be there in spirit, and narrative, behind the camera of 'Dance for Recovery.'

All the best,

                      June

Dance for Recovery - June Perkins

Look Don't Touch

This is one of my contributions to the ABC Open project 500 words. I felt inspired by the topic and am loving reading everyone's contributions.


Girl and Hibiscus - June Perkins

Mum has always loved gardens.  She used to stop and knock on our neighbours' doors when their gardens had plants with brilliant potential cuttings.

Then she would ask 'Do you mind if I take a cutting?' She came equipped with her own garden gloves, shears and buckets.

I wonder what the neighbours thought of her as she harvested their gardens.

I remember being embarrassed, but she did do it with everyone’s blessing.  I don’t remember anyone ever saying no to her.

Mum loved to try and grow tropical plants in Tasmania to remind her of her original home in Papua New Guinea.  She had immense pride when she had success with her hibiscus. She has always been a determined lady in both her garden and other parts of her life.

When we were little Mum clearly told us to stay away from her garden flowers - ’Look, don’t touch.’ We had to water and weed the vegetable patch. Our vegetable garden was vital to our family’s survival as we didn’t have a large income.

Our Dad was often away working as a labourer so the garden gave my Mum many hours of happiness. She tried to make us follow the rules of her garden – things like 'you are not allowed to pick the flowers or pick the fruit and vegetables before they are ripe.' But the problem was I loved the delicious scent of Mum’s garden flowers and was keen to make perfumes just like the ones on her dressing table.

There was one plant in particular with a yellow mushy part that you could crush easily into a yellow powder and it made a vibrant paste for not only perfume but for making your own paint.

One day I found myself with this glorious plant busy making my perfume - how I loved  the feel of the soft yellow part of the plant - when my Mum stepped out of the back door and began to yell out and run for me – ‘No, how could you….’  I was sure I turned the bright pink of my Mum’s hibiscus.

I looked up from my perfume making efforts at my Mum’s anguished face, and glanced briefly at the very empty flower bed.  Had I really used that many flowers?

Holding my bowl of flowers forward, as if it was now the best treasure of all, I managed to squeeze out the words, ‘I made it just for you.’

                            
 By June Perkins

  For more Caught Out Stories head over to ABC Open's 500 Words.

Dance for Recovery - Behind the Scenes

So here it is, my latest venture into documentary - Dance for Recovery - Behind the Scenes.   This is the story of how movement can be used to assist people recovering from the trauma of cyclone yasi.  Be inspired by Danielle Wilson's vision, and all those who supported her to make this dream come true, everyone is credited in the closing of the video so keeping this blog short and sweet,  just hop onto the vimeo and take a look.  I'll be blogging this in more detail at ABC Open and will put a link to that post in here later and Connecting Community Voices will have a vimeo channel of other inspiring stories up soon.

Song Trails Review

I've been busy over at my Pearlz Dreaming Blog.  Recently I've had two documenting jobs, one of a Dance for Recovery Project and another for Song Trails.  I covered both photographically and have just about finished editing a video documentary for Dance for Recovery.   In the mean time here is my Song Trails blog.

Michelle Walker and Bob Elliston, Singing a Song they wrote after meeting in Last years Song Trails – June Perkins

This year Tully Song Trails  gathered the musical experience of nineteen people from the ages of fifteen to seventy-eight years.

All ages worked together and came from the genres of  bubble gum punk,  folk, country, rhythm and blues, and rock.  We had harp,  saxophones,  bass, flutes, guitar, trumpet and voices – high and low – all of us were motivated to do what we all love- make music.

Peter Farnan was again one of the tutors, this time joined by Morganics a hip hop artist from Sydney.  Both had considerable talent in producing songs, which was  important on the last day of the workshop when two songs were recorded.

The Song Trails Weekend  reminded me of what most of us like in songs and what composers and writers search for to make a memorable song.
1-  A groove in the music.
2- A contrasting chorus and verse – with a stable chorus and unstable verse (reverse this for an unusual effect).
3- Writing with a sense of the history of the genre you are writing in whether it is Blues, Hip, Hop or Jazz.
4- A texture of instruments and voices that fits the groove of the song.
5- Music is collaborative.
6- Instrumental solos can build of be scattered through a song for great emotion and can have a certain feel to them coloured by the song.
7- Writing songs means tapping into creativity through many means, from drawing on the subconscious, the feeling our piece of music gives to us (ie you can begin with the music and then add the words that fit that piece).
8- It’s important to search for the unpredictable rhyme.
9- Having a hook in a song makes it extremely memorable.
10- It is possible to write a song in just over an hour, but it might take more time for it to settle.

Songtrailers posing hip hop style -taken by Giuliana Bonel

As for the new format of Song Trails, it’s a ripper, from a participant’s point of view you learn a lot more about song making than the original three-hour workshop.  You have a great chance to form connections with other artists, and you see much more of the song producing process if you have never witnessed this before.  We learnt concert protocol and added to our performance experience.

The concert at the end of the three days featured local talent who had participated in the workshops extensively, with Peter and Morganics supporting on instruments and doing just a few of their own works.    The feedback I’ve received from people who headed to the Tully concert was that is was great quality.  They audience were amazed by the newly composed songs and impressed by the local artists – they also enjoyed what Morganics and Peter shared.  Especially Morganics rap/ode to Tully.

The three day workshop format is a ripper, the only challenge I can forsee is that if you have over twenty participants you’re going to need another tutor, to assist in mentoring the groups and recording songs.  Another singer, musician might come in handy throughout the weekend just to have another genre, person with different life experience there.  Although a lot of this can come from participants as well.   It really depends on who turns up to the workshop.

I was delighted QMF employed me to photo document song trails this year.   It might be possible with more of a budget to regularly make a montage  photo video as part of the three-day workshop.  Yes, I know I’m shamlessly plugging for another documentary gig and an extension of this role to possible music video maker, what can I say – I absolutely loved documenting Song Trails as a participant and it was energising wearing the two hats. I threw a photo montage together on the spur of the moment on the Sunday morning, and Morganics did some rhythmic editing to time it to the music.  Hence a small music video was possible!  I went home after the workshop and mixed a montage for another song as well.  Loved doing that but wasn’t really part of my original time budget for the project, just felt moved to do it for participants.

Those attending the concert enjoyed the behind the scenes photographs, especially the family and close friends of the participants.  The parents of the youth participants said their kids came home every day raving about what they had learnt, who they had met, and other local youth are rearing up to do it next year on the recommendation of their mates.  Morganics was a hit with them!

Importantly this workshop worked as everyone was deliberately mixed by the tutors and collaborated with people they did not know, all ages and genres mixed.  This was extremely good for ensuring everyone learnt something new.  So a big thankyou to Peter Farnan and Morganics,  you both did a great job.

In breaks many people were trying out playing the harp of one of the participants, and so many youth want to work with the harpist next time.  I think she felt like quite a celebrity.  Peter was extremely delighted to record a live harp, which he said he had never done before.  So perhaps people will be lining up  for the  facilitator’s experience at  Song Trails remixed and have an experience like Peter’s, although everybody would love to see Peter again as he has such a subtle way of helping you improve a song.

Another highlight for me was extremely talented songwriters turning up to support emerging songwriters by attending the workshops.  Their willingness to attend the workshop really made it for the other less experienced participants, I refer especially to  Michelle Walker, Sue Day and Shirley Lyn, who added to the positive dynamic of the weekend.  More experienced song writers and singers should not discount participating in Song Trails, for the opportunity to meet up and coming artists and form collaborations and friendships.  Who knows maybe some more song trailers will present co-written songs, just like Michelle and Bob did on the first evening.

A big thankyou to Queensland Music Festival, APRA, Cassowary Coast Regional Council, Queensland Government, and Kareeya Hydro for bringing this workshop to Tully and making it so accessible, as the workshop was free.  The support crew of Song Trails were great as well, thankyou so much for all you did whilst in Tully.

Taking a Bow at the Final Concert – David Perkins

The Anchor - inspiring healing

I have just begun guest writing/creating posts on creativity and its role in the recovery processes in the Cassowary Coast, since Cyclone Yasi. I was so happy to share this story from Christine. What an inspiring lady! You might find the following site worth a VISIT Place Story. Please take the time to leave comments THERE

Thanks so much to the Creative Recovery Arts Corp for inviting me to be a community journalist from now until August.

June

Invitation to the Exhibition - Smile Within

Here is the invitation to the launch.

For a bit of a taste of the exhibition go to Smile Within.