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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-11-02 Daily Xml
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Brumley Songwriting Exchange

The Hon. J.M. GAZZOLA (15:55): I congratulate South Australian songwriters Dan Crannitch, Taasha Coates and Kelly Menhennett for being selected to represent Adelaide in a once-in-a-lifetime international songwriting exchange in Austin, Texas. This unique project presented our talented songwriters with the opportunity to contribute to unfinished material recently unearthed from the estate of the late Albert E. Brumley, one of the greatest American gospel songwriters in history. Some of you may be familiar with Brumley's I'll Fly Away, his best-known track and one of the most recorded songs of all time.

The Brumley songwriting exchange was made possible by the collaborative forces of the Music Development Office (MDO) and the Texas Music Office, who led the MDO to Troy Campbell of The House of Songs. Founded in 2009, The House of Songs is a songwriter exchange program based in Austin, Texas, which hosts artist residencies with a focus on relationship-building and international collaboration. House of Songs pairs talented artists from different countries to facilitate unique songwriting experiences and brilliant original work.

The exclusive element to this project came when Troy introduced the South Australian songwriters to Betsy Brumley, granddaughter of the late Albert E. Brumley and founder of the I'll Fly Away Foundation. Betsy was excited by the idea of the international partnership and was able to present the artists with the last of Brumley's unfinished material. To gain perspective on how significant this achievement is, Brumley's original music has been performed or recorded by the likes of Bob Dylan, Keith Urban, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash and, more recently, Mumford & Sons and Kanye West.

Brumley Music has received 25 GRAMMY nominations, nine GRAMMY Awards and many Dove and Americana Awards. Brumley's music has appeared in a number of movie soundtracks, including O Brother, Where Art Thou? starring George Clooney, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Apostle. TV shows featuring Brumley's music include current HBO hit Treme and I'll Fly Away, which features not only the song title, but influenced the show itself. This TV series won three Golden Globe Awards, three Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award and four NAACP awards. Allowing our songwriters access to the much-revered Brumley's music is noteworthy recognition from one of America's music capitals.

Adding a unique twist, the project and subsequent live performance was documented by Adelaide film company Closer Productions and will premiere in Austin next March at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival. We will have to wait a bit longer for the Australian premiere, however, with the Adelaide Film Festival presenting it, along with live music performances by the featured artists, in October 2017. It is hoped that the Austin musicians involved in this project will also be in attendance that night.

The completed collaborations have since been presented and performed live. Musicians from Austin and Adelaide performed together on the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians benefit day on 13 September. The songs created in the Brumley House of Songs project have also been showcased in Arkansas and this year's Americana festival in Nashville. During the Americana festival, the artists were also given the opportunity to share their experiences on a conference panel. The Premier visited Austin recently to attend the South by Southwest festival and connected with the Texas Music Office. The Premier understands and acknowledges the benefits provided by the music industry to this state, and those who work in the industry appreciate his support.

I congratulate singer-songwriter Taasha Coates on her appointment as an Australian Performing Right Association Ambassador. She is the first woman artist to be appointed APRA Ambassador for South Australia. I am sure we will see many more talented international collaborations showcasing South Australia's UNESCO Music City status. Our gratitude and accolades must also go to Karen, Becc and Elizabeth and the Music Development Office (or KBE of the MDO) for their work on and facilitation of this project. An additional thank you to Channel 7 for taking an interest.

On a sadder note, I wish to offer my condolences to family and friends of Patrick Nicholas O'Grady. Patrick was often described as an eccentric and a passionate supporter of the arts. Patrick filmed, recorded and documented many South Australian artists through at least the last three decades. Patrick may not have been famous or made a fortune through his work in the arts community, but he was certainly loved and supported by his friends and family. Those of us who worked with and for Patrick appreciated his support and were inspired by his commitment and passion for the arts. To us, he was a trailblazer, a legend, and he will be sorely missed. Vale Patrick Nicholas O'Grady.

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