Unique Musical Concert Hits Griffith

Former Griffith resident David Lockeridge delivered a truly unique musical experience when he performed his free solo concert at St Albans Anglican Cathedral last Saturday night.

He kept the audience spellbound with engaging stories using images in music.

Lockeridge said he received over 50 emails cancelling all of his work for the year due to COVID.

“Things such as festivals, national tours, recording sessions, solo concerts were all cancelled in a barrage of emails,” he said.

“I instantly knew I had to put something together and start creating a new solo concert that I could perform once things opened up.

“A concert like this usually takes about seven to 10 months to prepare as I perform all of the music from memory, and I thought, what a perfect time.”

Lockeriddge also engaged composers to write new music for the concert as a way for them to deal with the losses of work.

“My inspiration was to fill that void I was missing in my life and have a product that audiences could see straight away after the first lockdown.

“I have been touring this concert since its first performance which was in September 2020 to a COVID restricted audience.

“I am happy that Create NSW has come on board to fund the concert so audiences can see it for free.”

Music has been a part of Lockeridge’s life since he was a small child “Music means the world to me,” he said.

“I am very fortunate to be in a position where I have worked and performed on some of the biggest productions that have occurred in Australia in a wide range of forms.

“Music creates communities at all levels and once you are in that community there is a language that can be spoken that ties everyone in.

“I love creating music with musicians, teaching music to students and creating performances that people enjoy and won’t forget.”

When offering advice to musicians aspiring to take their love of music to a professional level, Lockeridge said there really wasn’t one single answer. “One of the most important things to do is listen and go and see everything, not just your instrument,” he said.

“If you’re a drummer, go and see percussionists, string quartets, organ recitals, everything.

“I am yet to meet a professional musician who didn’t go and listen to a wide variety of instruments.

“Yes, listen to different genres, but you need to see other musicians. “The next thing is study.

“You need to be able to read music fluently as it is the universal thing that connects musicians.

“The majority of work I am involved in has a high level of reading and it is common that people who can’t read struggle to find opportunities. “The most important thing is to play music with other musicians.

“Through this process, we develop something called chamber skills which lets us perform together and teaches us how to perform with a wide variety of musicians.

“This could be a jazz quartet, a community orchestra, wind band, a rock band or choir.

“Play with people as much as possible.”

Lockeridge said that the rise of shows like The Voice tricked young musicians into thinking it was possible to win a career.

“Frankly, I know this to be a dead end,” he said.

“Hard work, a good practice regime that involves quality not quantity over a long period of time will help you.

“Finally, go and study at one of the fabulous music schools at a University.

“This exposes you to some incredible players and more importantly networks that can help you get a career in music.

“I spent 10 years at University developing my craft and meeting connections and challenging myself.

“It was scary but it was also the most rewarding time for me.

“Believe you can do it, work hard, challenge yourself, listen to other musicians, study the art of music and it will take you on a wild ride.”

We will be seeing more of David Lockeridge, of that there can be no doubt.

• Topics:

• Music and Entertainment