Tidy Towns Australia

Here's a few of my favourite photos snapped by Chris Puccetti (Photographer and owner of Fudge'n'Good Coffee) on the night of the Tidy Towns Awards Feb 27th, which was held in my local town of Sheffield (winner of last years contest).

Having commandeered the family car, and my mother, to cart the extra props around the corner to the venue, we set up and organised ourselves on stage amidst jokes about the loudest screechy toilet door ever known!

I had a 20 minute slot in between announcements, speeches and not to mention the amazing three course meal provided, to play for a hundred and twenty odd people from all over Australia, as well as some of our involved locals.

The first half of my performance was as the "Puppet," a comical character from the little act I had designed for street play, but which is fast becoming a favourite for events like these that are after something engaging and different. I had great fun, in my masked state, with the jerking movements of the "Puppet" awakening, and enjoyed an improvised stare, head tilted rather creepily at the people sitting closest to the stage.

For the second half I "de-masked" and provided a little background information on the harp and how I came to learn it, with the attempt at a joke here and there. 

This is for me by far the hardest part of being on stage as at times it feels like you're trying to maintain a one sided yet cheery conversation with a pile of stones I cant even see due to the stage lights! But with the assistance of a set list with sentence prompts (trick of the trade) and with help from Chris, (another Chris!) the event co-ordinator, my sound tech, lighting, go to man and all round Jack of  All Trades we navigated complications with the mic and the improvised amplifier and managed to pull off a semi professional stage act.

So thanks to Chris, and Chris, for holding the evening together and capturing the moment, and to all the audience who turned out not to be stoney at all and especially those who later tracked me down at my work to share their own feelings and thanks. 

The Little Things

There is some joy I find in making little things, simple things.

I made these ten wooden buttons (with the intention of using them in a costume)

sawn from the branches of our SilverBirch trees after a long overdue trim a few years ago.

Thank you Mum for keeping a few branches back, hidden in the shed to dry out in the sure knowledge that "One day we'll make something from them."

I love the thin rich frame of bark, which peals away in silvery papery sections, leaving stripes down the branches of silver and the fresher darker grey/browns.

Two eyelike holes stare out from a sanded smooth and pale oiled face, hammered in with a nail (no electric drills here!)

Jo Quail

I have recently started working evenings at a local restaurant, which has the ironic perk of holding regular music nights and concerts, with a list of world renowned artists making appearances and local tassie artists regularly opening the shows. So how could I resist when Uk performer Jo Quail came to Mountain Mumma? Well, obviously I couldn't. 

The beautiful electric cello stood on the stage, (as though tempting one to touch) while we (My mother, visiting sister and partner Remo) indulged in the tasting platters and tassie made wines served by the wonderful staff.

Jo Quail took up her bow and stunned all attending with the haunting beauty, and elaborate layered pieces produced with the use of a loop deck and original percussion techniques!

Her music truly enabled me to envisage and imagine compelling and emotion scenes which I related to the piece being played.

I have a little "fetish" with instrument cases, and so took the opportunity after the dreamy show to snap a shot of the entertainers cello case, made of light and hardy "carbon fibre" as Remo pointed out. Every case has marks, stickers, tags and a history of traveling music which I am drawn to! 

Of course I jumped in line to purchase a Cd, (containing my favourite piece the Adder Stone) and gushed at the performer while posing for a snap, curtsy of my long suffering sister Monica. 

We all walked home amid my rambling and lustings after loop decks to slump onto the couch, mug of chai in hand and listen to the album Caldera. 

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