ABSTRACT
Chapter Six concludes the narrative focussed on percussion ensemble activity with examinations of nascent practices in the smaller hubs of Brisbane in Queensland, Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory and Hobart, Tasmania. Prior to 2000, contemporary percussion activity in these cities was limited in part by small populations that placed a focus on historic performing arts including orchestral and classical chamber musics. A high turnover of professional musicians in these cities until the 1990s prevented the establishment of tertiary training for contemporary percussionists. Consequently – as opportunities to become engaged in contemporary percussion practices in Australia at this time were often linked to the availability of professional training at tertiary institutions – until the 1990s no ongoing contemporary percussion scene was able to develop in Brisbane, Canberra or Hobart. During this decade, changes in the Australian musical landscape were reflected in new streams of contemporary percussion activity. These approaches as they manifested in Brisbane, Canberra and Hobart are discussed here, with a focus on percussion ensembles Drumwheel in Hobart and Clocked Out in Brisbane.
