THE Murrabit community is in for a special musical treat when the Nancy Bates Trio comes to town this month.
Performing at the Murrabit Hall on Sunday, May 21, the Nancy Bates Trio, comprised of singer-songwriters Bates, Lainie Jamieson and Flik Freeman, will perform an afternoon show of original songs to mark Mother’s Day and National Reconciliation Week.
Despite not coming on to the music scene until late in her life, Bates, a proud Barkindji woman, said she had one of the “greatest apprenticeships of my life” under the guidance of Archie Roach, travelling with him as a backing vocalist and guitarist for three years before embarking on her own career.
Bates met Freeman and Jamieson in the South Australian music scene and the trio decided to put together an all-female ensemble to perform songs from Bates’ albums.
“I’m really passionate about wherever possible working with female musicians, because while we represent 50 per cent of all qualified musicians, we are only represented at about 20-25 per cent within the industry,” Bates told the Gannawarra Times.
“There is a chronic underutilisation of female musicians – it’s a very male-dominated kind of industry.”
Bates has a real passion for songwriting, and particularly likes working with communities to create songs. In Murrabit, she will host a songwriting workshop before the performance.
“It’s not just a gig, it’s about community participation and linking in creatively,” Bates said.
“We love to not just sort of fly in, fly out, but actually interact with community, and I think that there is no better way to do that than to write a song together.
“I love the feeling of going in, that trepidation of holding a songwriting session and not knowing what will come out of it.
“At the end of that session is a beautiful song, and it’s a really powerful kind of experience to write a beautiful song but do it across communities and a group of people.”
The afternoon will begin with the optional songwriting workshop with Bates from 12.30pm-2pm, with the song created in the workshop to be performed during the show. Local children’s group Typien Kwe will also play.
The performance in supported by Creative Gannawarra, Regional Arts Victoria and Creative Victoria.
Tickets are $25 per person or $60 per family, which includes an afternoon tea by the Ladies of Murrabit Art and Culture Group. For bookings or more information, visit www.trybooking.com/CHNWG or call 5457 2205.
