Resonate Magazine | Australian Music Centre

Moving On - the life and music of Brian Brown
Music resource kit by Lorraine Milne

A new kit Moving on - the life and music of Brian Brown, published by the Australian Music Centre in February 2018, is designed to introduce students in Years 9 to 12 to the music of Brian Brown, a composer and improvising musician often described as the father of modern Australian jazz. The first Australian to record the music of Miles Davis, Brown's changing and evolving style over the 50 years of his career can be heard in the 12 ensembles he led, the last of these a trio from 2000 to 2010. Brown's capacity to reinvent his music, his exploration of unusual instruments and his playfulness with sound are conveyed in five chapters that vividly demonstrate the development of a unique compositional journey.

An accompanying CD contains nine pieces of music (recorded between 1958 and 2008) along with a number of audio extracts aimed at showing students how a skilled improviser employs compositional devices that can be used as the basis for their own improvisations, creative responses and compositions. Students are asked to discuss particular aspects of a piece, perform from notated examples, and create their own pieces based on ideas and techniques from Brown's compositions. While many of the performance activities are suitable for advanced students, listening activities and research ideas can be used with generalist music students, and teachers can freely adapt any ideas to suit the maturity and ability of their students.

The kit consists of a 43-page study guide and a CD.
Price: $60.00 ($54.00 for AMC members) plus postage and handling.

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The author of the kit, composer, arranger and musica director Lorraine Milne has written and produced many resources from original songs and scores to children's music activity books, resource kits and study guides. In August 2015 she won an APRA/AMC Art Music award for sustained excellence in Music Education.

> Purchase the kit from the AMC Shop at $60/$54 (AMC members). You can also call (02) 9935 7805; or forward your Purchase Order to sales@australianmusiccentre.com.au.