Consultation & Peppercorns

My mentor Robin Minard is back in town for brief spell before he takes a 4WD up north into the wilderness for three months. We've caught up a couple of times over the past week and it's having some very positive outcomes in terms of research and my associated practice. The peppercorns are dancing on illuminated resonant surfaces and I think I might have something special on my hands. I'll be constructing the frames over the weekend.

Dysfunction

Speaking to sound artist Robin Minard on a rainy evening in February this year, he explained to me that writing a Masters thesis is one of the most gut wrenching and difficult experiences you can ever put yourself through from an intellectual perspective. Writing an Honours thesis was hard enough in that surreal final month of October 05 - it felt at times like a bad one night stand that kept happening over and over again. Writing a Masters thesis for the past two years has felt more like a drawn out dysfunctional relationship - you love each other, the sex is alright, but more often than not there are disagreements and you feel the necessity to start throwing things at each other.

Analogies aside, it's a question of commitment and dysfunction when it comes to the masters thingo.

The good news is that thing are beginning to work themselves out, the amended research paper is progressing and should be in front of my supervisors before weeks end. Robin's been back in town for a couple of days after his extensive research tour of the north country and finally has some gaps in his schedule to discuss the mentorship. Confidence is gradually coming back after a frustrating period of indecisiveness and non-activity, a couple of meetings/brain picking sessions over the next couple of days with Robin should prove vital.

The amended research paper will be posted here soon, all things mentorship-centric will be posted as per usual.

Exciting times ahead.

Mentorship with Robin Minard commences proper

After a few months of e-mail correspondance, my Helpmann Academy/Optus sponsored mentorship with German/Canadian sound artist Robin Minard is about to commence. Robin arrives in Australia today to start work on a radio commision project in Adelaide for the next month. I have half a notebook of research-centric concepts to flight with him as well as a few ideas relating to the eventual project that I will develop under his guidance throughout the year.

Meanwhile I'm a slave to the wage processing government rebates, slowly building a pile of gold to fuel a flight to Europe in September. With that in mind, posting on the blog will a bit sporadic for the next couple of weeks I think.