Budding high school musicians write songs about First Nations culture

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A group of Indigenous high school students on the New South Wales far south coast has been producing music about their culture. It's part of an initiative to foster the musical talents of kids from diverse backgrounds throughout the country. And these teenagers hope it'll lead to more First Nations music on our playlists.

Transcript

00:00The vocals are being recorded in a cupboard and the lounge room has become a studio.

00:10This makeshift set up is helping First Nations kids produce music about culture.

00:15We've been just writing lyrics, playing some songs and just making beats together.

00:22This group of high schoolers on the New South Wales far south coast are spending a week learning how to write and record songs.

00:29Some are even rapping in language.

00:32Meeting is just staying black, staying proud. Don't be ashamed to show who you are and stuff.

00:38Drumming enthusiast Nevaeh says she's been able to develop her musical skills.

00:43I've gone through a lot of instruments, like I started off on guitar and then went to keyboard and now I'm on drums.

00:51The group is being mentored by the Docker River Band from a remote community in the Northern Territory.

00:57Music changes people, so we're hoping that that'll change kids as well.

01:04The band's week on the south coast is building up to a performance at the Gai Ong Festival.

01:09Gai Ong is the largest indigenous festival in southern New South Wales.

01:14It's a massive weekend of storytelling, music and culture.

01:18The program is part of Grow the Music, an initiative supporting musicians from diverse backgrounds.

01:24Co-founder Lizzie Rutten says the kids' confidence has grown.

01:28They shared vulnerable stories and they wrote those stories in their songs, so I feel like I know them all so much better.

01:33She hopes the impact will live on.

01:36I think it's really important that we hear Aboriginal music in this country because it's ancient, it's ancient.

01:42The art form is ancient here.

01:43I just want to say more cultural music, more cultural songs.

01:48It's a mad experience to listen to it and do it as well.

01:53Modern times and the beat goes on.

01:56Within the words of a new podcast in the States.

01:58And the sound of a new podcast.

02:00Now the animal is easy to re-assist to listen to it.

02:01To be patient if that, just ask your child and the safety.

02:02I don't know.

02:03I'm going to say, many of you are going to tell you stories of people.

02:06You are still in this episode back.

02:07I'm going to listen to you if you don't hear your child, and the fact is that you are studying for the next year.

02:09If you don't want to say that, you can tell them again.

02:10You don't see what?

02:11You're going to talk about this.

02:12You're going to talk about them.

02:14You're going to talk about this.

02:16And you can tell us.

02:18But I'll talk about the whole contest.

02:20You're going to talk about it.

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