She’s Alive with the

Sound of MusicA journey being experienced by

Caitlyn Patmans0240036

It all began with......a mother.My mum raised me by herself when I was an infant. I can’t recall exact memories of her singing me lullabies or songs but I have the books as evidence and the emotion. The feeling of being tucked into my bed with mum’s soothing voice is still something familiar within me.My first memories of music would have to be sitting in my little seat on the back of her bicycle feeling a sense of calm and happiness hearing mum’s high pitched melody trail behind her.

As Diverse as they come

When my stepdad joined the family he quickly introduced me to a bevy of musicians such as Cyndi Lauper, Elton John, Alice Cooper, Chris de Burgh, Pink Floyd and Andrew Lloyd Webber. He always seemed to take pride in the repoitoire of songs his little girl could hum and sing on her daily business.

While the cat’s away......the mouse will play.We lived a little out of town so when mum and dad needed to visit the store they would often leave me at home to amuse myself. And amuse myself I did.I would put on my favourite dancing skirt, flick through the 100s of CDs and turn up the stereo.Prancing around the dining table to the sweet melody of Song for Guy by Elton John set my little heart free!

It’s getting serious...When I entered primary school music became a little more structured. I attended a private school and at the time didn’t have access to a specialised music teacher. Instead I found myself thrown into hymns to God and footy anthems thanks to the fanatic Sister Lyn.

Baptism at St John’s Church

The Power of MusicEvery Monday and Friday morning saw our little school of 200 marched up to St John’s Church to say our prayers and sing our thanks.Admittedly I no longer hold beliefs in God but I still harbour a very strong appreciation for the power of song and the happiness and connections it forms.

Playing with the big kids nowIn 2001 I left my private school to embark on an adventure in public education. Music as a subject was an ‘option’ and a test had to be passed to be accepted. I still remember nervously walking into the music room and seeing it stocked with more music equipment and instruments than I had ever witnessed.The new dimension of music theory came to light and I embraced the opportunity to create my own music. The Geraldton Senior College Band, 2012

“Pick up your instrument!”‘Class Music’, as it was called, required all students to take up instrumental lessons within the school and join the school band. This was a very exciting learning curve for me and continued til I left high school in year 12.The lessons taught me perseverance, patience and, above all, how to create my own music with the clarinet. In my spare time I took a small interest in acoustic guitar as I struggled to accompany myself singing while playing the clarinet.

“Who was that singing?”One day I was accidentally heard singing by my music teacher outside our classroom. He quickly paired me with the class’s most accomplished 14-year-old pianist and the singing began. All of a sudden I found myself ripped from the safety of the school choir and dumped in the spotlight of hundreds of peers for solo performances of the national anthem and various pop songs.

Give me that Country Music!By 2004 I had quietly learnt enough guitar basics to put together simple versions of songs.After playing for my mum she encouraged me to enter the Country Road to Tamworth music competition. “What a silly idea,” I thought, but mum would be thrilled. I filled out the forms, got on stage in the centre of town and fumbled my way through a Kasey Chambers cover and an original. Apparently that was enough as the phone call came inviting me to fly to Tamworth with 33 other Australian State finalists in 2005. The experience was terrifying! Performing onstage on the Country Music Chanel, judged via the web by American judges and having a pre-famous Jessica Mauboy chatting backstage was insane.Alas, I didn’t make it through to the next heat but the streets of Tamworth in January were enough to satisfy any music lover.

All is lost...Despite the amazing experience in Tamworth I returned to Geraldton broken-hearted. The pressure of being a 16-year-old girl who didn’t have much else going for her and having to tell everybody I met that no, I didn’t win, took its toll. I stopped singing in public and put down my guitar to gather dust...My focus turned to dropping out of school to work, study at T.A.F.E and eventually securing a full-time job like a real grown-up.

Dibble, dabbleAfter a few years of ‘finding myself’ through work and travel I returned to Geraldton and the fates secured me a cadetship in Journalism at the local paper. This new career opened my eyes to my community and the people striving to build it. It also threw me in the middle of the entertainment scene.Attending various gigs, shows and dramas piqued my interest again in music causing me to dust off the guitar. Having to draw on prior experience and lesson in the class created detailed and accurate reviews of local and visiting shows. Mutual contacts and events saw a GWN reporter move into my share-house. He also happened to be a brilliant guitarist... I dreamt of performing duets with him, but for now they remained dreams.

Me with award-winning performer, Tomas Ford

“He’s a DJ! How dreamy!”Funny as it seems my job found me in a nursing home oneday for a news story and put me in front of my now boyfriend. He was a media organiser for a health focussed organisation. As we grew closer I discovered he was a talented ‘closet’ DJ. He has all the equipment and records his friends but I’m still working on getting him to perform himself!However, he did manage to push me in the right direction and eventually I was on the main city street accompanied by my guitarist house-mate singing for a Local Government promotion of music and culture within the community. I was back on the music horse!I soon jumped onstage at the pub and sang my little heart away.

Kickin’ it old school!My partner uses vinyls for his DJ mixing and has 100s of the beauties. I hadn’t messed with the idea of vinyls before but my fascination with their rustic sound and impressive presentation, especially the newer ones, had me hooked. I binned my little stereo and replaced it with a portable record player.This simple change has gotten me back into the sound appreciation of music and its influences.

And if I don’t like a particular vinyl I pick up from the thrift shop, I’ll turn it into a bowl!

Time for a ChangeI completed a year of my journalism cadetship when I decided, although I loved my new-found connection with the community, to change careers. Previously studying Education Support in my late teens I longed to return to the primary school classroom and make a career of it.

A clay pot I created during my art unit.

Studying the arts through my Learning Management arts class has opened my eyes wider on how all the arts helps us develop as individuals and express ourselves.It’s painful to imagine it absent from our curriculum especially when it plays such a large part in our personal lives.

Thank youThank you for watching my presentation. I hope it gave you an insight on how music has helped me grow as a person, always changing and learning. It also uncovers how music has been a huge part of my life and that I am ready and excited to explore the Arts in our curriculum and their connections to the development of our own youth in our schools and communities.

Photo credits

• Tommy Emmanuel ‘Guitar Boogie’ - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lbvSBNLLoo

• http://videokeman.com/image/pics/cyndilaupersongPics1jOZMZ6h1HB116M.jpg

• http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41B9Z1T7GWL.jpg• http://cdeb.com/images/verybestdutch.jpg• http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/53384243/Welcome+to+My+Nightm

are+folder.jpg• http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/412J7TFWV5L.jpg• http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/pin

k_floyd__dark_side_of_the_moon.jpg• http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3171/2941222745_004eb3a647_z.jpg?zz=1• http://www.bugthorpeprimary.org/imagefiles/children_singing_church.j

pg• http://setup.finalweb.net/home/140002156/140002156/images/140005

967/Children%20Singing.jpg• http://www.gsc.wa.edu.au/temp_website_jpg/The_Link_Aug_2012.pdf• http://anthem.net.au/downloads/Australia%20Sheet%20Music%2003.jp

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