In this short talk, founder and conductor of Moorambilla Voices Michelle Leonard OAM explains with passion, humour and relentless positivity, why music must be more than a passive activity.
With a shift in mindset from “scarcity to abundance”, Leonard teaches the audience basic music literacy to show how it is possible. At the end of her talk, she introduces 60 young singers from Moorambilla Voices to the stage, for a breathtaking performance of “Guya” by composer, Josephine Gibson accompanied with images by Noni Carroll, sung in Wailwan and English.
These children aged 8 to 11 travelled 10 hours by bus to perform at TEDxSydney 2018. Singing about arguably the oldest manmade structure on earth, the Brewarrina fish traps. It’s a reminder to us all to live in harmony with each other and nature – to not take more than we need – to dance, to sing, to dream and to live a life of abundance.
Conductor – Michelle Leonard
Composer – Josephine Gibson
Images – Noni Carroll Piano – Benjamin Burton
Soprano Saxophone – Christina Leonard
Violin – Lerida Delbridge Violin – Emma Jezek
Viola – Justin Williams
Cello – Rowena McNeish
Michelle Leonard OAM is a founder, conductor and Artistic Director of Moorambilla Voices, a program for country kids to learn about artistic expression. Through singing, dancing, drumming, recording, and creating incredible performances, this project helps kids find their voice, their passion and even their path for the future. Moorambilla embodies the spirit of generosity and positivity.
Established in 2006, it has now seen more than 25,000 students from 133 schools, aged between 8 and 18, annually attend skills development workshops as part of a unique cultural experience that focuses on music literacy, singing and the joy of creativity. Moorambilla Voices helps uncover artistic excellence in regional children and youth by giving country kids a rare opportunity to sing, dance and create incredible performances with artists of the highest calibre. At its core, Moorambilla Voices seeks inspiration from the region of NSW, its landscape, rich culture and inhabitants. Each year, over 300 students attend a camp where they dance, sing, compose, paint, weave, play drums and learn about the cultural traditions and stories of their landscape.
