Sound FX
Tura’s program Sound FX explores music, story, cultural knowledge, and language through long term collaborations with education and community partners in the Fitzroy Valley.
Facilitated by award-winning community music composer, researcher and educator Dr Gillian Howell, this program aims to strengthen and diversify the ways that music-making can support community goals around language knowledge, wellbeing, and healing. In its seventh year, Sound FX celebrates and facilitates the creation of new music with collaboration at the core of the program.
These creative collaborations support the revitalisation of local Aboriginal languages whilst developing new cultural works for performance, education and wider distribution, and create new opportunities for community members to develop their music skills and make music together in diverse ways.
Gillian Howell
Program Director
Gillian has been gathering and connecting people through music with her community-based work in Australia and around the world for over two decades. As a performer, facilitator, composer, sound artist, and community cultural development practitioner Gillian works with diverse communities to create musical ways of telling their stories, to connect with each other through shared music-making, and to explore new sound worlds and modes of expression.
Annika Moses
Workshop Facilitator
Annika is a sound artist with an eclectic and genre-diverse practice. She performs under the monikers Nika Mo, Great Statue, and contributes to the local ecology of experimental sound both as an individual and as a co-director of Tone List label. Annika facilitates sound-based creative projects with Martu, Gija, Bunuba, Gooniyandi and Walmatjarri language groups.
Baya Gawiy Children and Family Centre and Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre
Marninwarntikura Women's Resource Centre (MWRC) support Fitzroy Valley women & their families by encouraging safety & well-being & fostering leadership & financial independence. MWRC provide activities, mentoring, support, access to culturally sensitive & respectful services, & advocacy.
The aim of the Baya Gawiy Buga yani Jandu yani u Centre is to improve health and education outcomes for children and families in the Fitzroy Valley by working in partnership with the community. Baya Gawiy opened its doors in September 2012 and was formally opened on July 2nd 2013. The centre was opened as an integrated early childhood centre, constructed and developed by Marninwarntikura under the National Partnership Agreement for Indigenous Early Childhood Development, part of the Council of Australian Government (COAG) Closing the Gap agenda.
The word “Baya Gawiy” means freshwater whipray in Bunuba and “Buga Yani Jandu Yani U” means Baya Gawiy is for all the children and their families. Baya Gawiy is a place where “Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Doing” is central to all we believe and do, whilst also embracing the diversity of families within our community. We do this by connecting with culture and place, families and communities to promote a safe, comfortable gathering place where all visitors feel welcome, respected and valued.
Fitzroy Valley District High School
Fitzroy Valley District High School has a strong focus on developing the literacy and numeracy skills of their Kindergarten to Year 12 students.
FVDHS prides itself on being inclusive and welcoming children from a diversity of local Aboriginal communities in and around Fitzroy Crossing: Junjuwa, Kurnangki, Mindi Radi, Loanbung, Buruwa, Biridu, Darlngunaya, Jimbalakudung, Karnparrmi, and Gillarong. Secondary students travel to school each day from Muludja, Wangkatjungka, Ngalankadji, Mimbi, Ngumpan, Joy Springs, and Bayulu communities.
An understanding, appreciation and respect for traditional Aboriginal culture are paramount to the success of any teaching program within the school.
Sound FX is supported by the Australian Government’s Indigenous Languages and Arts Program The Western Australian Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries’ Creative Communities Recovery Program, the Minderoo Foundation, The Feilman Foundation and The University of Melbourne.
The Flow Album
The album Flow: Songs and stories from the Fitzroy Valley features a collection of songs written and recorded as part of Sound FX, the Fitzroy Valley New Music Project created and provided by Tura New Music in Fitzroy Crossing twice-yearly. It was released October 28, 2021.
Students from the Fitzroy Valley District High School, Bayulu Remote Community School, and Muludja Remote Community School came created the lyrics in workshops in their schools and then came together at Fitzroy Valley District High School to record their vocals. Songs in the Flow Album feature Bunuba, Walmajarri, Gooniyandi and English languages.
Credits:
Creative director – Gillian Howell (director of Sound FX)
Produced by Gillian Howell and Alan Pigram
Engineered and mastered by Alan Pigram
View the full music and lyric credits and purchase the album on Bandcamp.
Baya Gawiy Song Writing Project by Gillian Howell | Pursuit Magazine
Interview with Gillian Howell | Tura News
These Fitzroy Crossing women are teaching their languages through bright and bold picture books | NITV
The New Songs at Baya Gawiy Report is a summary of findings from Baya Gawiy's Songwriting Action Research partnership between Marninwarntikura Women's Resource Centre, Tura's Sound FX Program and the University of Melbourne.
Researchers: Patricia Cox, Susan Loughlin, Amy Menzies, June Nixon (MWRC); Gillian Howell (University of Melbourne, project leader), Annika Moses (Tura).
Songwriters: Patsy Bedford, Marcia Cook, Patricia Cox and family, Samantha Frank, Jayedene Green, Susan Hoad, Eva Nargoodah, June Nixon, Amarillo Oscar, Delphine Shandley, Brenda Shaw (contributors to the Language, Culture, and Wellbeing program at Baya Gawiy Buga Yani Jandu Yani U, MWRC’s Early Childhood programs); Gillian Howell and Annika Moses (Sound FX team).
Big Language Education Yarn: Patsy Bedford, Marmingee Hand, Eva Nargoodah, June Nixon, Brenda Shaw (senior language custodians), with members of Baya Gawiy’s Language, Culture and Wellbeing team.
Sound FX Flow Album
Tura acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and create. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. With solidarity and friendship we say thank you.
