Overview

At fifteen, Michael Atherton landed in Sydney carrying one thing only: a cheap guitar he didn't know how to play. By the 1990s he was Foundation Professor of Music at the University of Western Sydney, drawing on his self-taught, working-class background to become the driving force behind an innovative, community-minded approach to music education. Michael is a multi-instrumentalist whose musical interests range from rock-and-roll to early music and folk, exploring new combinations of instruments both ancient and new. He has played in rock bands, early music and folk groups, cross-cultural groups Sirocco and Southern Crossings and the electroacoustic Sync, and composed extensively for TV, film, and performance. His story is one of prodigious energy, of adaptability, and of always being open to new understanding and new opportunities. He has striven especially to challenge snobbery in music and to celebrate diversity, collaboration and community.

Full Product Details

9781763692107

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Reviews

""A 'Who's Who' of intercultural music-making in Australia in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Essential reading for anyone with an interest in the history of music in Australia"" JIM FRANKLIN, composer and academic ""A colourful and eventful journey of courage and determination."" SANDRA RIDGEWELL, musicologist ""A fine attention to detail, and an extraordinary memory of the intricacies of a life made rich by a passion for music, make this autobiography a hugely enjoyable and compelling read."" BRUCE ELDER, journalist

Author Information

Emeritus Professor Michael Atherton AM is an Australian musician, composer, academic, and author. Born in Liverpool, England, he migrated to Australia with his family in 1965, aged 15. Through sport and music, he integrated into the working-class, multicultural society of western Sydney, and went on to attend university and build a career as a performer, composer, educator, and music therapist. In 1990, he was appointed Foundation Professor of Music at the University of Western Sydney. He has composed extensively for TV, film and performance.

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