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Farm Music

"Farms are sound playgrounds! 40 gallons drums, brake cases, tractor suspension springs, circular saws, taut no. 8 wire, everything wooden and steel, buckets, tubs and guttering...." - CHRIS O'CONNOR

Airing time: Your choice, on demand



Farm Music is a unique Taranaki community arts collaboration focused on creativity, mental health and wellbeing support for participants, which has brought Taranaki men together over six weeks to explore innovative ways to create music and sound sculptures from items found in their backyard, shed, paddock or garage.

The men have worked with renowned drummer, composer and educator Chris O’Connor (who has performed with musicians as diverse as the Phoenix Foundation, Don McGlashan, Trinity Roots, Neil Finn, Nadia Reid, Leila Adu, Jeff Henderson and the Auckland Chamber Orchestra) and sound sculptor Bridget Johnson, Senior Lecturer at the Massey School of Music and Creative Media Production in Wellington.

Join us for this series of interviews where we meet the people and talk about the ideas and inspiration behind this brand new community arts and wellbeing initiative.

"Farms are sound playgrounds! 40 gallons drums, brake cases, tractor suspension springs, circular saws, taut no. 8 wire, everything wooden and steel, buckets, tubs and guttering...." - CHRIS O'CONNOR

  

Farm Music was created in partnership with the Taranaki RetreatAccess Radio Taranaki and Rural Support Taranaki and funded by Creative New Zealand.

Podcasts

Click on the title of an episode to listen

Performance Day

This limited series of Farm Music culminates in the participants performance during the Reset 2020 festival

Duration: 00:29:47 | Date: 28 November, 2020

Participants

Meet some of the people taking part in Farm Music

Duration: 00:29:00 | Date: 21 November, 2020

Farm Music Workshops

Chris O'Connor ran two workshops at Taranaki Retreat as part of the Farm Music project - a listening exercise and a way to explore sound - which you, the listener, are encouraged to experience for yourself

Duration: 00:24:51 | Date: 14 November, 2020

Bridget

Meet Bridget Johnson, sound artist, and hear some of the music that has been created during the project so far

Duration: 00:30:10 | Date: 7 November, 2020

Sally and Moira

Meet Sally and Moira. Sally Barnett is "the inspiration and driving force" behind the Farm Music project. Moira is a social worker at the Taranaki Retreat and is working with Sally on the project.

Duration: 00:29:00 | Date: 31 October, 2020

Meet Chris O'Connor

Presenter Warren Smart chats with Chris O'Connor. Chris is the artistic director of a new and unique community arts collaboration focused on creativity, mental health and wellbeing support for participants: Farm Music. He is a renowned drummer and is training to be a music therapist.

Duration: 00:27:08 | Date: 24 October, 2020