Melanesian Popular Music, Local Recording Industries and Copyright. Australia has recently begun to express heightened concern for the social and economic sustainability of its Melanesian regional neighbours. Along with providing aid and peace-keeping forces, we are now exploring the distinctive forms of local socio-economic practices. These practices resist easy incorporation into Australian or broader Western norms. The project aims for informed dialogue and debate to better understand local c ....Melanesian Popular Music, Local Recording Industries and Copyright. Australia has recently begun to express heightened concern for the social and economic sustainability of its Melanesian regional neighbours. Along with providing aid and peace-keeping forces, we are now exploring the distinctive forms of local socio-economic practices. These practices resist easy incorporation into Australian or broader Western norms. The project aims for informed dialogue and debate to better understand local cultural and industrial practices. It will be of significant benefit to Australia in its engagement with the cultures of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji. Read moreRead less
Music and modernity in Osaka during the interwar years. Japan continues to be among our paramount trading partners, and is Australia's proven ally in many contexts. Both Australia and Japan have sought to carve out distinctive musical identities while striving for acceptance according to international standards. Osaka in the interwar period was host to multiple musical subcultures, a situation that is relevant for Australia in its ongoing quest to become a culturally diverse society. Australia s ....Music and modernity in Osaka during the interwar years. Japan continues to be among our paramount trading partners, and is Australia's proven ally in many contexts. Both Australia and Japan have sought to carve out distinctive musical identities while striving for acceptance according to international standards. Osaka in the interwar period was host to multiple musical subcultures, a situation that is relevant for Australia in its ongoing quest to become a culturally diverse society. Australia stands to benefit from a comparative perspective on the construction of national musical identity, the interplay between global and local musical cultures, the balance between modernity and tradition, and the emergence of hybrid cultural phenomena.Read moreRead less
Local Noise: Indigenising Hip hop in Australasia. The research will lead to an increase in public understanding of the cultural, linguistic, social and pedagogical importance of hip hop culture in general, and particularly among youth of indigenous, Pacific and non-Anglo background in Australasia. Particular emphasis will be placed on the empowering aspects of hip hop as a means of asserting confidence among youth from indigenous and migrant backgrounds, and the educational applications of hip h ....Local Noise: Indigenising Hip hop in Australasia. The research will lead to an increase in public understanding of the cultural, linguistic, social and pedagogical importance of hip hop culture in general, and particularly among youth of indigenous, Pacific and non-Anglo background in Australasia. Particular emphasis will be placed on the empowering aspects of hip hop as a means of asserting confidence among youth from indigenous and migrant backgrounds, and the educational applications of hip hop, providing new material for multicultural and indigenous programs in schools, along with fostering the employment of hip hop artists in schools and community centres to teach, disadvantaged young people. Read moreRead less