Collarts provides high-quality professional Arts Degrees specialising in music, audio production, and creative industries management and has served as an educational platform for those wanting to break into the music industry for years. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sitting down with some of the lecturers an educators at Collarts, all of whom have varied and impressive professional experience, and talking to them about how they got their start in music, what some key moments have been, and asking them for some tips of the trade.
Phil Bywater is a saxophonist, vocalist and composer who has toured extensively across Australia and overseas since the early 1990s. In addition to his own projects Fallingwater Trio and Big Fela Afrobeat Orchestra, he has performed with a huge range of Australian and touring international stars including Models, Joe Camillieri, Doc Neeson (The Angels), Dawn Penn (UK), the Caribs (Jamaica). He was a long time member of reggae funk band Bomba, ABCTV Spicks and Specks favourites Adam Simmons Toyband, and Melbourne underground post-rock legends Hexfarm. He has recorded as a featured soloist on numerous film, TV and ad soundtracks including Crackerjack, Boytown, and Woodley. Upcoming performances include CD launches for indigenous music legend Bart Willoughby and world-jazz ensemble States of Play.
Can you take us back to the beginning of your career – where did you study music and how was your experience as a student?
I started out sitting in with jazz bands in Hobart in my teens, later studying Composition at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music in the early 90s. While that degree ultimately wasn’t for me, I learnt a huge amount, got introduced to a stack of amazing music, and made connections with great musicians who I am still inspired by.
Were there any important lessons that you have incorporated in your own teaching style? Or teachers you try to emulate?
Saxophonist Brian Brown was one of the teachers who made the biggest impact on me. Brian was always able to find something valuable to impart to improve any student’s performance, no matter what style of music they were playing. He always believed you were capable of more.
After spending such a long time as a touring musician, do you enjoy being able to (mostly) stay in the one place now?
Touring is great when you’re young! As you get out of your 20’s, its gets harder to sustain the late nights and epic drives. I still get out on the road from time to time (just did a great little trip up to the Festival of Toy Music in Brisbane) but I’m now happy to leave the Taragos to the next generation. That is, until the next phone call…
What do you class as some of the major highlights of your playing career to date?
I have been fortunate to work with some extraordinary musicians. For some years I played seasons at the Sydney Opera House with Irish vocalist Camille O’Sullivan, which was always a delight. Many years ago I played to a massive 10,000 or so audience at Darwin festival with the late great Indigenous musician George Burrawanga (Warumpi Band). That was a wild experience – he really knew how to work a crowd! Touring Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific with Tribe of Jubal is another adventure I’ll never forget.
Who have been some of your favourite collaborators?
I am still working with many of the players that I studied with in the mid 1990s – people like Paul Coyle (trumpet), Kynan Robinson (trombone), Elliott Folvig (guitar) and Dale Lindrea (bass). These musicians are great players who have worked with loads of great Melbourne bands, and it is a joy to play with people whose music you know so well that you can find amazing blends of sound.
You recently played with ska legends The Caribs as part of the Melbourne Festival, how was the show?
It is incredibly humbling, I feel, to work with musicians who have such a long history of playing. To work with people like Caribs guitarist Dennis SIndrey, who knew all of the great Jamaican musicians of the 1960s, and can tell you stories about legendary producer Coxone Dodd, reminds you that music is something can transcend so many boundaries of time and space.
What other musical endeavours have you recently been – or are you currently – involved in?
I have two bands that I run. Fallingwater Trio is sort of a post-jazz/ambient/instrumental project, focussing on lush sounds and delicate spaces. We will be releasing our 2nd CD in 2014. By contrast, Big Fela Afrobeat Orchestra was the first band in Australia to play authentic 1970s Afrobeat in the style of the great Nigerian bandleader Fela Kuti. It is really hard to get this 10 piece band together, but I am still hoping to finish our first record in time for our 10th anniversary in May 2014! This past month I have been busy with the near-sold out season of Tania Bosak’s multimedia show Miss Jugoslavia and the Barefoot Orchestra, another wild ride.
Having such a diverse range of styles in your armoury your influences must be incredibly varied, but can you give us an idea of those that have had the greatest impression on your playing?
As a saxophone player, Pharoah Sanders is a great influence on me. His deeply expressive and emotional playing is something I come back to often. Also the wonderful Sydney saxophonist Sandy Evans. As a soloist generally, Jimi Hendrix carries an ongoing fascination for his energy and drive. As a composer, I can’t go past Duke Ellington – his control of instrumentation and mood is phenomenal. For musical concepts John Cage and great local artists like Ren Walters and David Tolley.
How long have you been teaching music in general, and how long at Collarts?
I started teaching music at my old High School, the Friends School in Hobart, as soon as I finished year 12. That was a great experience which helped me learn an awful lot about the process of teaching when I was still quite young. I always feel sad that there are musicians who wind up teaching without a passion for it, and wish they could find something else to do! I think if you are going to teach music, you have to always carry great enthusiasm and belief in what you are doing. I have been at Collarts only a year or so, but I think it is a great course, and I look forward to being there for many years to come!
I know it’s hard to distil, but what is some of the best advice that you pass on to your students as they embark on their music careers?
Be the very best musician you can be. Find out what your weaknesses are a player, and try to make them into your strengths.
Stay tuned for the future instalments of our chats with the experts from Collarts.
