Peter Wockner's interview with vocalist and composer Kristin Berardi 24 April 2015

Historical article recovered from a Wayback capture dated 2018-02-24.

As part of the 2015 Capital Jazz Project, Queensland trio Sean Foran, Kristin Berardi and Rafael Karlen premiere their ANZAC Centenary commission Memory & Emotion drawing on sounds from jazz and folk music and themes from ANZAC letters;

Peter Wockner:

Your new project entitled ‘Memory and Emotion’ draws its inspiration from ANZAC letters. How was this idea conceived and what support have you received?

Kristin Berardi:

It was conceived by Sean Foran who approached Rafael Karlen and myself to join him in this journey of creating a musical output tied directly to the ANZACs. This is being done through studying letters of correspondence throughout the war and sitting with those words and concepts explored in them and to then through written music, words and improvisation and interplay between us, depict these emotions and experiences.

PW:

These compositions derive themes of hope, fear, separation, loss, love, and conditions of war. There’s quite a broad range of emotional palette to portray here. Can you tell us about the compositional process for this project and the collaborative aspect with Rafael and Sean?

KB:

We have been to the State Archives, the State Library in Brisbane and also looked through the online archives from the War Memorial Museum in Canberra, and found letters that have resonated with us personally; not always from those at war writing home, but from family members left behind, or those too young to go to war, begging to be allowed to serve, or from people writing to government offices requesting information. We have then sat with these letters alone, coming up with musical ideas and sketches for them. We keep meeting together to make sure we aren’t coming up with the same sounding material, and also encouraging one another in this very delicate process. We are also meeting together to co-write some works also, and to hopefully, in the recording process, be able to come up with some interplay which is improvised, which is something we all do and would like to include on this album, if it works on the day ?

PW:

More broadly, what role do you believe music can play in pacifying cultures or society?

KB:

I think music is a very healing tool. It is something which can reach beyond people’s race, beliefs, preconceptions, culture, language ..it is for all people because it connects us at our core – at our emotional core, if we are willing to be vulnerable. I think music can soothe but more importantly allow us to feel what we need to feel, if we allow it to. Which is perhaps why, at this time of the ANZAC centenary, this project can hopefully be of some significance and comfort to some people.

PW:

On the face of it, there must have been some intense thought and consideration on a number of levels with a project of this nature. Firstly the idea of maintaining the entertainment factor of the music for the audience while dealing with such tragic themes but secondly assuring that the project does not glorify war or that you are seen to be capitalising on the centenary. Describe how you deal with these balancing acts?

KB:

Indeed - I know I have been talking to Sean and Raf, and also close friends about these exact matters. For me, I just hope that we can perhaps put a different slant or focus on these terrible events through acknowledging what has gone before, paying respect to it, resting in it, and learning from it, drawing what hope we can, and empathy for others who have been or are today being affected by some of life’s worst circumstances. But yes – even at this late stage in this project I am still grappling with these issues, which is a good thing that is still at the forefront of our minds. It keeps us treading respectfully and lightly, remembering the most important aspects of a project like this.

PW:

Will there be a recorded life for this music beyond the scheduled live performances?

KB:

Yes. We are recording the works as an album, as well as touring it around the country this year.