Written by Samuel Hooper, February 2025
In early February this year, I, along with other members and musicians of the Australian Youth Orchestra, were granted the privilege to meet and converse with the award-winning Deborah Cheetham Fraillon, over a Zoom video call. Deborah Cheetham Fraillon (formally Prof, Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO DUniv, BMus Ed, AmusA) is the founder and artistic director of the Short Black Opera, a national not-for-profit company supporting the development of Indigenous opera singers. After making her professional debut in 1995, Deborah has worked vigorously to form opportunities to support and further develop First Nations singers,
musicians, composers, and conductors in the world of classical music. During our time with Deborah,
we unpacked many topics including cultural confidence and its impact on the Australian music scene
going forwards, as well as the duty of care that we, as musicians and leaders within the music industry,
have to continue to add to the world’s musical history. In a way, witnessing this in-depth discussion
of such topics gave me a new outlook on what it really means to be an Australian musician, and more
broadly, a citizen of the world living in this specific musical period.
For me, Deborah’s discussion especially highlighted that Australia does indeed have its own vibrant
musical culture and identity apart from the western classical tradition that is the music that so many
of us have grown up with or around. Another topic that was explored on top of this was the importance
of language in the composition and performance of music. Deborah clearly stated, language heavily
influences the way in which music is written, for example, it is closely linked to many of the musical
elements (structure, tempo, rhythm, etc.), and can very much affect the way in which music is
interpreted.
When learning a piece of music, Deborah advised asking oneself questions such as “What did the
composer’s life represent at the time this work was written?” or “What language did this composer
speak at the time this work was written?” and “How will the composer’s language impact the rhythm,
phrasing, etc. in this work?” Now, as I’m learning to play a Bach Partita, I have attached even more
importance to understanding and recognising the influence of Bach’s personal circumstances, the
language he was primarily speaking, where he was living, and what he may have been thinking or
imagining at the time he composed the work. Interestingly, Bach was working for Leopold, Prince of
Anhalt-Köthen, and not for the Church, at the time he wrote this so-called “secular” music.
I found it fascinating that Deborah shared and described to us her compositional process and it was,
in fact, quite interesting to hear from someone who began their musical career as a musician, not a
composer. In addition to this, our group explored various ideas such as leadership (which she
described as being fundamental to not only a functioning musical culture, but a thriving one), and
how we as leaders in the music industry have a duty to continue and add to our own musical culture.
I can see how studying the worldwide (or even just Australian) music scene before and during our
generation can enable us to make positive actions to further contribute to musical history.
Unsurprisingly, I walked away from the meeting with a much more well-rounded and overall better
view of Australia’s wonderful musical history, and its importance in the music scene today. I realised
that I was a part of something bigger. Bigger than myself, than my violin practice, and my other AYO
colleagues. I realised that I am a part of a broader musical community throughout Australia, and that
I have a thread to weave in the great tapestry we call music. Although it may be a small one, I am
still making a contribution, and every contribution matters.