Every now and then life has us encounter rare people who you can almost ‘feel’ before you meet them….

Sebastian Harris might be one of these people. He travelled from Katherine to be a part of this year’s iNTune Music Conference in Darwin. Astute, eager, articulate and fully engaged with this NT music industry event – and clearly possessing serious music knowledge – he was one of the delegates who made the most of his time there. He also left an impression on those he met and spoke to, delegate and speaker alike.

Sebastian is also one of those individuals unique to the NT – from ‘somewhere else’ but fiercely loyal to their adopted Territory community. A classically-trained composer, he’s also a musician who just happens to have piano, oboe, bassoon and contrabassoon in his repertoire. A professional musician in every sense, Sebastian was born in Tassie, educated in Melbourne and worked in Sydney. He now works and lives in Katherine – or immersed in it you could even say – at once inspired by the transient and traditional cultures there, while becoming part of both at the same time.

After reading this interview, it’s a fair bet that you – like me – will come to the conclusion that Sebastian is smack bang in the middle of a passionate love affair with music – anyone who declares that music “keeps me alive” isn’t just doing it for fun. He’s equally as infatuated with Ligetti and Ravel as he is Shellie Morris and Radiohead. He has some interesting musical ambitions that reflect his love for combining traditional music with ‘the modern’.

Sebastian reveals a fascinating music background, list of credits, process and, a much-needed ‘flushing out’ of the rich music culture that dwells in and around Katherine, Northern Territory…

Music NT: Please give us a snapshot about where you live and life in Katherine. And the music culture there?

Sebastian Harris: One of my favourite things to do is go about town during the day and call in to cafes, shops and other places, and just chit chat with people I know, waltz up and down the main street and sit a bit in places. Myself, I work at different times in tourism, arts, hospitality and government, continuing teaching and putting on concerts as best I can.  I always come back to Katherine Regional Arts as it looks after me, and I try to give something back.

I love my friends here, people who get into music, books, walks, fresh air, nice dinners at home, and of course drinking a bit too much every now and then.  Katheirne has an exemplary Film Society which shows top quality films monthly or fortnightly and supports community activities generally, including music. They hosted the Sydney Travelling Film Festival this year which was packed out.

MuNT: You say “things are getting exciting” at the moment in Katherine – in what way?

SH: To be honest I find it hard to tell whether something is changing, or whether I’m just “getting excited” about it!  But I believe there is a good climate for music business here as there is for all business here.  Katherine has money, and an appetite for “things to do” especially for young people.

It also unfortunately has a monumental alcohol consumption rate which obviously music is implicit in, as it comes with the pubs etc.  Anyway just the same, people mostly have a day job or other business as well as their music here, meaning while they do play for fees they often do the music for their own fulfilment – meaning they really get into it.  Many people I work with cannot be won over with money – at least unless it’s a lot! They can however be won over with great social times, or something that is really genuinely interesting.

I teach music also, keyboard – but also songwriting – performance practice, theory and general musicianship, and some of my students are nothing short of gifted. Down the track I can see them being very successful musicians, content-wise and money-wise, because of their high musical calibre, hunger for creative fulfilment and Katherine’s hard work ethic and strong business culture.

I think Katherine’s stories are being told, and Katherine’s people are trying to live a good life here in town.  There is an appreciation of local talent and several people and groups I know are giving extra of themselves to foster good work in town.  This is good for the community and especially the young and poor people who depend on an immediately accessible healthy influence from the town.  Obviously a child can’t head to Darwin each weekend to get their dose of “the good life” like adults can.  And there is money here and interest in different kinds of nights out.

MuNT: What kind of music do people make in Katherine?

SH: Well, hard to answer… But the Country Music Muster is a big one.  I have never made it unfortunately but country music is big. Obviously Top End reggae and Indigenous-style rock comes in from communities; there is plenty of rock, blues and other solo guitar work.

There did once exist a folk band and I know there are folk players in town. I don’t know them well enough though to say what they get up to.  The “folk community of Katherine” has been referred to in my earshot by locals! There is almost no classical music but I always do classical no matter what so it doesn’t bother me. There are some people associated with radio and other organisations doing recreational activities and community-based welfare work that involve music such as sequencing, hip-hop etc and some dance comes out of this.  DJ Greggy Dee is a big player in this and has a dance group.

MuNT: Can you tell us a little bit about about your Katherine music ‘colleagues’.

SH: We have a band called “Indecision” who do  great business here, commanding good fees and getting booked for birthday parties, Katherine Race Day, Katherine Festival and the big pubs.  They play covers and also some originals, and members of the band also do other musical things such as provide live sound engineering services, teach guitar etc in town.

General Lee – Country/blues artist who regularly plays around town at Crossways and Knotts Crossing.  Plays some originals, mostly covers.  Very nice guy, he used to work in the transport industry driving trucks etc.

Des Jones – I describe him as a male Patti Smith.  More rocky/bluesy musician new to Katherine but a regular at Katherine’s fantastic Saturday morning community market.  He has a friend Michael Kokkinos who plays a short set most weeks he’s in town  (he spends quite a bit of time in India also as his wife is from there).  He is a classical guitarist who plays blues and rock style as well I believe, has worked with Tom E. Lewis.  He delights me always with “Concierto de Aranjuez”.  He plays for pleasure I believe as many do, not for business.

Tom E. Lewis (right) – well-known rock/reggae/Indigenous/blues artist, known for [his album/show] Walking with Spirits and related Beswick projects, although he has just recorded part of an album in Melbourne and I look forward to finding out the style he’s doing for those originals.  Tom is associated with Djilpin Arts and also works with film, community music projects and acting.

Katie Oliver – barely requires explanation, plays occasionally in town.  Fantastic country singer songwriter and guitarist.  Regular (along with General Lee) at country music festivals down south and I think Tamworth?  Country Music Muster favourite.

The Mystery Players – a folk ensemble that has had banjo, harp, percussion, guitar, bouzouki, concertina and other instruments.  Members have left so one of them has started a new one: South of the Berrimah Line.  She (Jayne Nankivell) who is also a professional visual artist and craftswoman, is the co-ordinator of the Top Half Folk Festival.  I don’t know the festival well but it sounds very successful by all reports.

Teachers at high schools do a fantastic job encouraging young people, although they just get exhausted and busy and I never see them!  However they’ll always do a favour when they can by passing on messages etc since Katherine is terribly hard for contacting people when you don’t see them every day.  Cherryll Courtney runs a band for the Anglican Church which happens to have a horn section!  The Baptist church also is supposed to have a band and plays a part in developing young people’s musical potential through their services

More happens out of town in Beswick, Barunga, Numbulwar, Borroloola, Yarralin, Bulman, Ngukurr, Lajamanu etc but I’m not really up with what they do. I occasionally see great performances by White Water Band, Springwater Band and my favourite, Blekbala Mujik.  These bands play at local community festivals and in town.

Bernie Flynn: “In Like Flynn”.  A professional guitarist who teaches and plays just about everywhere.  He is good with designing backing tracks for himself.  His wife Barbara encourages young people to write new music and works with Katherine Community Radio, to get it broadcasted.

And one thing.. [that also] seems to be going well is Katherine Community Radio (8KTR)… Jon Raynor is the recently employed Manager after having only volunteers for a long time.  They have a few real keen beans in there at the moment, including Greg Dowling (djgreggydee@hotmail.com).

These are the ones that come to mind!

MuNT: What’s the best thing about the music culture in Katherine, and the most ‘challenging’?

SH: The best thing about the music culture here?  The mix, and the acceptance of difference.

It’s got Indigenous music, country, rock and folk musicians, influence of RAAF, Aboriginal, cattle, trades, pastoral, Filipino and Thai populations, to name a few, with diverse tastes and interests.  People seem to be happy to pay you out for being weird, but get over it remarkably quickly!  They’re used to having “characters”.  A friend of mine described the town as “bitchy but forgiving”.  It is also known for being extremely generous and charitable in philanthropic giving – the Scott Palmer Tribute Rugby Match raised $40,000 in one night.

Challenging?  Most of the big players in town seem to know each other and so when a big gig happens it’s a word-of-mouth thing.  This is very hard for others to tap into (and rightfully so – it’s for “Old Katherine”).  Also there is a painful past of race relations which can be ugly when it surfaces.

Another really difficult thing – Katherine is just SO transient.  There is a bit of a brain-drain from local kids and young people leaving, but also amazing talent coming to town.  Eg a pedal harpist!  But by the time they are discovered and start doing things they often leave again.

MuNT: Is it a surprising place?

SH: Katherine is a place where miracles happen.  Yes, very surprising and hard to sum up!  It behaves like a country town but is built like an outer western suburb of Sydney – limited services but a few great gems, a great difference between rich and poor.

MuNT; What kind of music do you make?

SH: I’m a classical composer by “trade” but I perform, songwrite, sing and so on.  I write contemporary classical music, usually kind of serious and grandiose but not always. I did a “theme and variations” recently that was telling three melancholy Katherine stories in piano music that was performed at a gig.  That really was poignant because during the performance, somebody loud and drunk came along the road near the gig that was outdoors, yelling… She got louder and louder and louder as she approached, passing about two metres behind me. In the end she is immortalised in the recording.  I really should put it on YouTube!

Anyway I also write songs, just about poignant moments of life… I haven’t written many but love it and mean to record an EP when I can.  I hope to get a car and PA and do gigs around town sooner than later.  I can record and do soundtracks – it’s not my favourite thing, especially the more it becomes sound fx and less music, but it’s alright, and can be an interesting experience.  I recently did Head Full of Love in the Darwin Festival which was an amzing, eye-opening experience if very painful for various reasons.

MuNT: Tell us about some of the public performances you have played so far?

SH: Wow, Katherine Festival 2009 with a visiting Sydney choir director, “Sink or Sing” was the show – all about the Katherine Flood 1998.

Barrio Fiesta (Katherine Filipino Association) 2010 was great fun – I did classical music as requested, plus “Dancing Queen” with an amazing singer, a student of mine.

MuNT: What is your personal musical background?

SH: First instrument modern organ, age 7.  All us kids did music (three older sisgers) but only I continued professionally.  My parents had no musical education of any kind, growing up in the Victorian Mallee region, but cared enough about music and the arts to surround us with it where they could, and language too – we always did languages at school, no question about it.  So they made sure we did music and could see I was really into it and pushed me.

I went on to oboe at high school (there was no bassoon for me to play yet – I had already decided once and for all!), took up piano – theory seriously – moved on to bassoon in year ten, dabbled in viola, singing and other bits and pieces, got into orchestra in school and also wind band, choir music. Started getting creative with production, design of concerts, choosing and arranging music, got into improvising, then composing (uh oh, slippery slope).  Got into Melbourne Uni on bassoon, but dropped out because I wasn’t into it.  Decided on VCA composition and went through into Honours.  Got into contrabassoon in my fourth year, thereby discovering my favourite ever instrument.  Took up teaching piano to make a living after that and when I got unhappy I pulled up stumps and came to live with my sister in Katherine.

I fell in love with somebody from Sydney and moved there for nine months, living in a van and getting into choir work and songwriting.  Eventually when that ended I returned to Katherine and my sister had left.  I keep forgetting to!

MuNT: What do you love about making music?

SH: It keeps me alive!

MuNT: Do you have any particular musical ambitions?

SH: To help make my community (wherever I end up, sigh) healthy, happy and self-sustaining through its own local music and artistic fulfilment; to teach composing to people who traditionally don’t do it because it’s an elitist artform, to break the elite, well-off, educated establishment’s monopoly on composing great classical music; to develop an appetite in the community for new music – classical of course but others too for local and live, away from pokies, from recorded music and less covers.  Sound ambitious?

MuNT: Do you think you might have to leave Katherine in order to make being a professional musician sustainable?

SH: No.  Katherine’s a funny place but so is Sydney and Melbourne and there I’m nobody.  Here I’m somebody and I don’t look forward to having to go back south to look after my parents when they age or anything.  I’m not a city man.  There is money, interest, fulfilment and opportunity here.  Worst comes to worst I’ll travel a lot.  I suppose others might not like to or be able to get by in Katherine, but this wouldn’t’ be the first time I’ve differed from the norm!

MuNT: Who are some of your musical heroes – or influences/inspirations?

SH: Bjork, Radiohead, Shellie Morris, Suzanne Vega, Nine Inch Nails, Joy Division, Charles Mingus, oooh hard to say!  Some composers? I guess Messiaen, Finnish composers Tuur, Sumera, James MacMillan, Ligeti, Phillip Glass, Ravel.  Oh dear I always have trouble with that question…

MuNT: Do you consider yourself a composer as well as a musician? What’s the difference between the two, for you?

SH: Well a composer has the bug – they can’t not write or they go crazy (I guess it’s not healthy but anyway that aside…) So a musician may not have that – Katherine has a brilliant musician who is perfectly happy just teaching teaching teaching! She is Kathy Strudwick and she does great things for the town.  But when I just taught and nothing else, I just about fell to pieces with misery!  I simply have to get that creative fulfilment and pursue my lofty goals or I become a safety hazard!

MuNT: Have you worked with other collaborators? If so, who?

SH: I have worked with ex-partners – I don’t think it’s good to do so, hence the “ex”.  However I’ve worked with Alex Benmayor from Darwin’s Brown’s Mart Theatre Hub on theatre, also his colleagues Madeleine Davey and Sivan Gabrielovich. I enjoyed the ‘Head Full of Love’ collaboration even if it was tough.  I have worked with some filmmakers and developed material with people during recording sessions which I enjoy.

Probably the best musical one when we were all equal was “Listening To Trees” – with bassoon, harpsichord and percussion in Melbourne’s Fringe 2007, combining storytelling with music – storytime for adults!  A wonderful gig, absolutely up my alley.

MuNT: What is your dream when it comes to music?

SH: To do it all, but mostly composing, performing and producing, putting on concerts, and particularly playing in/writing for orchestra.  I really really would love dearly to do more with my language skills (I have learned traditional and creole Aboriginal languages and studied linguistics, worked with languages Dalabon, Mayali, Jawoyn, Top End Kriol, Gupapuyngu, done language documentation and research)… Perhaps combining them with music via songwriting or any other means.  I’m trying to mount a show called The Inferno with Darwin Symphony Orchestra, with Shellie Morris singing passionate, fiery songs arranged by me and including classical music including my own new works.  This would be one of the greatest fulfilments.  I am a contrabassoonist (not that there’s any call for that up here…) and intend  to include this obscure but so effective an instrument in the show.  Getting DSO’s attention for this project has been the greatest challenge but I don’t think it’d be worth doing or adventurous enough for me if it wasn’t challenging! I love to combine classical with pop music – I mean really that’s the musical equivalent to being a suicide bomber.  But even so it’s my dream.

I’m fascinated with the difference between Arts and Entertainment.  It’s a distinction that needs to be made, albeit very tough, because it can make or break a gig and your reputation. I recently lost an audience to the bar because I wasn’t “entertainment”.  The only thing I can put my finger on so far is that arts events and activities are where you’re exploring or learning something, looking for an experience, stimulation, something new or a re-interpretation of something you know. Entertainment (on the other hand) is generally not very memorable but for its ‘dazzlingness’, and generally only grabs your attention and keeps it at the time, but doesn’t last or give you something to go with in the future – it refers mostly to the past and to cliches I think.  I believe it has a definite distinct value separate to that of arts, but I’m not sure how to describe it.

MuNT: Who are some of your favorite NT artists?

SH: Shellie Morris, Gurrumul, Tableland Drifters (they’re my Joy Division of the Australian desert!), B2M, Nabarlek, Warren H. Williams. I was honoured when WHW asked me at iNTune to work with him on a classical project out bush recently.  I plan to head down there some time and try to make that happen.

MuNT: Describe one of the best gigs you have ever played?

SH: ‘Musicircus’ in Melbourne 2007 at BMW Edge run by Madeleine Flynn and Tim Humphrey.  Also my favourite ever musical experience, favourite ever performance and possibly favourite ever event of any kind.  I wrote to them afterwards to thank them and I don’t know what I wrote but it excited them enough to commission a new composition from me!  I played a structured improvisation for a spoken word/theatre piece by Sivan Gabrielovich (Israeli theatre-maker) with projections.  A very political piece installed in a room with another ten or so performances at once.  More a good overall show than my particular show!

If it counts that I just had a piece played as playing a gig, then it would be when I had my piece “Motet” played by Sydney Sinfonia in City Recital Hall, Angel Place, Sydney in 2007.  Probably one of the most crowning moments for a composer is to have a piece played by effectively a professional orchestra.  I realise it was only the beginning and an amateurish piece but a great place to start from.  The audience feedback to me was glowing and so inspiring.  I love Sydney and that performance really put the feather in its cap for me.

Most poignant/meaningful gig but not a public one, was when I played and sang with Sydney Street Choir at their performance for Mutitjulu Lutheran Church in 2008 when I joined them on their NT tour.  It was a traumatic time with a troublesome drama on the tour – we had a filmmaker with us who went off the rails and started causing offence to communities we visited – but such a big moment singing a “Sorry” song there, right there in the middle of their Pitjantjatjara Church Service.  Unforgettable.

Best gigs I’ve been to up here, would be the Black Arm Band playing “murundak” at Nimiluk 2009.  I also had a wonderful time at Timber Creek Festival’s first time in 2008, Gurrumul was excellent at Merrepen in that year also.

MuNT: Please finish this sentence. “In five years time I will be…”

SH: … still writing!

Do you have any upcoming gigs, and what’s the best website I can link to the article?

Sebastian’s next performance in Katherine is ‘Sweat Soiree’ is 7pm, December 3rd 2010, at Knotts Crossing Resort Function Room.

Read more about Sebastian on MySpace, or visit his website at the Australian Music Centre.

Words: Megan Spencer. Thanks to Sebastian Harris for the interview.