Sharing the music of 'playing by ear' with some favourite renditions

Norfolk Island's Music Heritage: The Art of Playing by Ear -

This week we are going to uncover a musical snapshot  focusing on the custom of 'playing by ear,' a tradition deeply ingrained in our island's music heritage.

Many Norfolk Islanders developed the ability to pick up and play traditional songs and melodies without the need for sheet music or formal training. This skill was passed down through generations, with younger islanders learning from their elders and honing their ability to hear and reproduce the intricate rhythms and harmonies that define Norfolk Island's music heritage.

Unlike formal musical training, playing by ear relies on innate musicality, memory, and communal learning.

Norfolk Island's music boasts a captivating blend of genres, reflecting a rich and complex history. The singing of hymns to the echoes poignant war-era songs, to country music styles with catchy melodies, to family sing-a-longs and refrains of choral singing, to polynesian rhythms and in more recent years, songs composed in our Norf’k language … These genres all highlight an eclectic mix through the ages.

Sing-alongs are a cornerstone of the island's social life, bringing people together in shared moments of joy and camaraderie. The power of vocal harmonies, often complex and deeply emotive, adds another layer of richness to these family gatherings. These vocal traditions are not merely musical expressions but are integral to the island's communal identity, fostering a sense of belonging and shared cultural heritage. 

Playing by ear relies on a highly developed auditory memory. In the earlier eras on the island, cultivating this skill from a young age by being sonically immersed in the beautiful harmonies of elders voices and they way they played the piano or the guitar, and this would train ‘young ears’ to not just recognize but also retain the nuances of complex musical patterns, including subtle melodic variations and rhythmic intricacies.This capacity for detailed auditory recall is a cornerstone of our musical traditions.

It is my aim with this podcast series to share my sound collection as one branch of digital archives which showcases our Norfolk Island's music heritage. It is my hope that  by making these available via this online platform, will ensure a wider dissemination and accessibility for both present and future generations as well as visitors to our island to share research and a deeper understanding about our sound heritage, our performers, songs, and historical background to provide richer context. In this way I feel I can contribute to the preservation of our Norfolk Island traditions.

Thanks so much for joining me this week!

Untold Norfolk Island Travel Podcast Series - Sponsored by Baunti Tours www.bauntitours.com

Transcript

Welcome to Episode 9 of the Untold Norfolk Island travel podcast series.

My name is Jodie Williams and as a Norfolk Islander & Churchill Fellow, I am your ‘on island’ podcast host.

Audio - Ken Nobbs playing the piano

You have just heard a snippet of the beautiful piano playing by Norfolk Islander, the late Ken Nobbs.


Norfolk Island's Music Heritage: The Art of Playing by Ear

This week we are going to uncover a musical snapshot  focusing on the custom of 'playing by ear,' a tradition deeply ingrained in our island's musical heritage.

Many Norfolk Islanders developed the ability to pick up and play traditional songs and melodies without the need for sheet music or formal training. This skill was passed down through generations, with younger islanders learning from their elders and honing their ability to hear and reproduce the intricate rhythms and harmonies that define Norfolk Island's musical heritage.

Unlike formal musical training, playing by ear relies on innate musicality, memory, and communal learning.

Norfolk Island's music boasts a captivating blend of genres, reflecting a rich and complex history. The singing of hymns to the echoes poignant war-era songs, to country music styles with catchy melodies, to family sing-a-longs and refrains of choral singing, to polynesian rhythms and in more recent years, songs composed in our Norf’k language … These genres all highlight an eclectic mix through the ages.

Sing-alongs are a cornerstone of the island's social life, bringing people together in shared moments of joy and camaraderie. The power of vocal harmonies, often complex and deeply emotive, adds another layer of richness to these family gatherings. These vocal traditions are not merely musical expressions but are integral to the island's communal identity, fostering a sense of belonging and shared cultural heritage.

Playing by ear relies on a highly developed auditory memory. In the earlier eras on the island, cultivating this skill from a young age by being sonically immersed in the beautiful harmonies of elders voices and they way they played the piano or the guitar, and this would train ‘young ears’ to not just recognize but also retain the nuances of complex musical patterns, including subtle melodic variations and rhythmic intricacies.This capacity for detailed auditory recall is a cornerstone of our musical traditions.

Beyond simple memorization, musicians on Norfolk Island possess a remarkable ability to identify recurring patterns in melodies, harmonies, and rhythms. This pattern recognition allows them to quickly grasp the structure of new songs, breaking down complex musical phrases into manageable, repeatable segments. This skill significantly accelerates the learning process, allowing for rapid acquisition of new pieces.

The informal, community-based nature of Norfolk Island's musical culture provides a constant environment for repetition and practice. Regular participation in family gatherings of sing-a-longs, church services, and community events means that islanders are continually reinforcing their musical knowledge through active performance. The constant engagement ensured a high level of proficiency and kept the musical traditions alive and vibrant.

The power of memory and repetition is further enhanced by the deep emotional connection that Norfolk Islanders have with their music. Songs are often linked to specific memories, family stories, or historical events, imbuing them with personal significance. This emotional resonance strengthens the memory trace of a song, making it easier to recall and reproduce without the need for written notation. It helps to maintain the integrity of traditional melodies, ensuring their continuity across generations.

Oral Tradition
The practice of 'playing by ear' is not simply a method of musical performance; it is the lifeblood of Norfolk Island's musical heritage. It signifies a deep connection to the island's history and the unique way musical knowledge and creativity are transmitted across generations. This method fosters innovation and allows for the music to evolve organically.

The Art of Playing by Ear
What is 'Playing by Ear'?
Playing by ear is the ability to perform music without the need for written notation. Musicians rely on their acute listening skills, a finely tuned sense of musicality, and a remarkable memory to reproduce melodies, harmonies, and rhythms they've heard. This often involves improvisational elements, where musicians adapt and embellish existing tunes based on their own interpretation and creativity. It’s a skill that combines innate talent with dedicated practice and a deep understanding of musical structure. The process is deeply immersive, engaging multiple senses and fostering a strong connection between the musician and the music itself.

Norfolk Island's Unique Approach
On Norfolk Island, playing by ear is more than just a skill – it's a cornerstone of our unique cultural tradition. Islanders have honed this ability over generations, passing down musical knowledge and creativity through oral transmission. This rich musical legacy is deeply intertwined with our heritage and identity, reflecting resilience and creativity. The music isn’t merely performed; it’s actively shaped and reshaped by each musician, ensuring that each performance carries a unique character and expression, and that the music continues to evolve organically within the community.

The piano as an instrument holds a significant place in Norfolk Island's musical heritage . The rich, resonant tones of the piano were well-suited to the island's musical traditions, and it was often used to accompany songs and dances as well as silent movies!

Silent films basked in a heyday era of over 100 years ago between 1890-1920. Racking up a tally of some 20,000 films before ‘talkies’ claimed dominance in the arena of public entertainment and demand by 1929.

Recent revivals of silent film performances and often frustrating efforts to preserve and restore these early creatives, have been spasmodically ‘in vogue’ over recent decades.

It is described that the pianist who performed the musical accompaniment to a silent film had a number of stipulations ~  you needed to be both skilled and sensitive to improvisation, content with remaining in the ‘background’ of the production and able to strike a delicate balance of highs and lows of moods for the film.

Harvey  (Brookie) Christian was one of the best-regarded dance pianists on Norfolk Island. Learning the piano as a young child he moved to New Zealand and found work as a silent film accompanist. He returned home in 1930.

Brookie played at community dances for the young and old at popular venues like Rawson Hall. His training in silent film accompaniment perhaps sharpened his evident dislike of ‘hot’ styles of dance and music.  In 1999 interviews for the book publication, Bounty Chords, islanders remembered that if Brookie could see that things were getting too lively on the dance floor he cease to play and command the audience to behave with more restraint: “no more of that jumpy-jumpy” and also that “he’d get up and take a broom and waltz round the stage with it” to show the dancers what they should be doing ‘properly’. For twenty years he continued to play and always maintained a strong advocate of ‘old time’ styles with acceptable social nuances.

Rawson Hall has traditionally been our primary venue to host large community functions and events such as: public meetings, concerts, school prize giving, wedding receptions, the A & H Show and the annual Bounty Ball.

It has also been used as a basketball court, movie theatre, rollerskating rink - so it is a community hall which has worn many, many hats!

The hall can comfortably seat around 450 people. The timber building is shaped as a large rectangular ‘box’; 30 metres long x 16 metres wide, with a high-pitched ceiling. Even though this shape holds a generous cubic-air volume, effective accoustic resonances have always proved to be challenging.

The sound energy is not spread evenly because of the 'bounce of standing waves’ - from wooden ceiling to wooden floor. Additionally, there was an architectural placement of a line of windows high up above the side walls which further hinders the success of the sound accoustics.

Methods of placing material hanging from the rafters and decorating the hall with palm fronds, branches with leaves and other greenery assists with diffusing the sound reverberations, especially when the sound is amplified on stage.

Listen to these early recordings from concerts hosted at Rawson Hall:

>>> Garth Menzies - The Wild Side of Life

Historical journals attempt to describe on paper the natural musical talents and melodious singing voices of the islanders.

Pre-war entertainment for island families involved visiting one another in the evening to enjoy an inpromptu sing-a-long to the accompaniment of the piano, organ, ukelele, guitar or mouth organ.


Sing-alongs brought  together people of all ages, backgrounds, and musical abilities, fostering a sense of shared identity and belonging.

Norfolk Island's musical tradition is deeply embedded in vocal harmony. Sing-alongs provide a vibrant platform for this unique talent. Multiple voices blend seamlessly, creating rich textures and a captivating auditory experience. The intricate harmonies, often passed down through generations, are a testament to the island's rich musical heritage. Listening to these harmonies is like hearing the island's history and soul resonate in song. The blend of voices adds a layer of beauty, creating something greater than the sum of its parts.

Sing-alongs on Norfolk Island aren't just about entertainment; they are living classrooms. They serve as informal settings where older generations pass on their musical knowledge and traditions to the younger ones. These events aren't just performances; they're opportunities for mentorship and cultural preservation. Through these shared musical experiences, the island’s rich musical heritage is kept alive and enriched, ensuring the continuation of its vibrant culture for generations to come.

With an appreciation of all genres of music, but in particular throughout the 1930s country music stood at the forefront on the island.

The late Baker (Foxy) McCoy recalled:
In the 1930s - there were stacks of LP records on the island... everyone had those old spring-loaded wind-up players - with singers such as Wilf Carter, Tex Morton, Harry Torrani (British yodeller) and Hank Snow. .... During the war - and after - we would get together with guitars, ukuleles, squeezeboxes and have sing-songs at people’s houses. Or if there was a radio program featuring Tex Morton, or someone else we all really liked, we would listen and sing afterwards. Radio 2KY (from Sydney) was popular - we’d have the old radios with big valves and aerials stretching up to the top of the pine trees, right up high, to get a good reception.
(1999 interview - Bounty Chords, P.Hayward 2006)

>>> SINGALONG COMPILATION AT FOXY’S

For the islanders, the war-era songs served as more than just entertainment; they became a powerful means of preserving memories and honoring the experiences of the conflict. The melodies acted as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made, the lives lost, and the impact of the war on their community. These songs became deeply interwoven with the island's collective memory, forming a unique soundtrack to a shared historical experience. The act of singing or playing these songs was a way of collectively processing and preserving the emotional impact of the events, fostering resilience and community spirit during difficult times.

The legacy of these war-era melodies continues through intergenerational sharing. Older generations, having lived through the wartime period, actively passed down the songs to their children and grandchildren. This oral tradition ensured that the songs weren't merely historical artifacts but remained a vital part of the community's cultural fabric. Family gatherings, informal sing-alongs, and even formal musical performances all played a role in this crucial transmission of knowledge and emotional connection. This continual transmission highlights the importance of music as a vehicle for preserving and sharing cultural heritage, ensuring its continuity over time.

It was in the early-mid 1930s that the island experienced an economic depression which prompted the relocation of small groups of Norfolk Islanders to Australia for work prospects. Philip Hayward in his Bounty Chords book publication shares, that membership at the Polynesian Club in Sydney brought these Norfolk Islanders in contact with others from various islands in the Pacific. Over the next 20-30 years, visits to and fro for short term, or long term bases for study, work or just to live in Sydney for a while, meant connecting with many other Norfolk Islanders already living in the city. George ‘Steggles’ LeCren originated a song, that after various modifications and collaboration with Norfolk Islander singer/ songwriter Eileen Snell has become one of the best known contemporary Norfolk Island compositions. It is called ‘The Coconut Song’:

Songs in the Norf’k language
Philip Hayward’s visits the island to complete his research and his dedicated support of local musicians and songwriters prompted a small financial grant to host a Norf’k language song contest in 2001. At his suggestion, the contest was limited to under 30 year olds to stimulate a new generation of songwriters. Kath King’s winning entry was an uptempo celebratory song about island life entitled ‘Ai Gude’ meaning ‘I am good / I am happy’.

I’d like to share with you now her beautiful rendition:

‘Ai Gude’

The oral nature of Norfolk Island's 'playing by ear' tradition presents significant challenges in formally documenting and preserving the songs. The absence of written scores and formalized methods of notation makes preservation efforts considerably more difficult. This reliance on memory and aural transmission increases the risk of losing songs and musical techniques as knowledge holders age or pass away.

This demographic shift poses a significant threat to the long-term survival of these musical practices. Active measures are needed to ensure that the knowledge of these individuals is transferred to younger generations before it is lost forever.

It is my aim with this podcast series to share my sound collection as one branch of digital archives which showcases our Norfolk Island's musical heritage. It is my hope that  by making these available via this online platform, will ensure a wider dissemination and accessibility for both present and future generations as well as visitors to our island to share research and a deeper understanding about our sound heritage, our performers, songs, and historical background to provide richer context. In this way I feel I can contribute to the preservation of our Norfolk Island traditions.

Thanks so much for joining me this week!