The Online Journal of a Professional Musician, Film Critic and Accidental Urban Farmer
21 Oct 2013 Leave a comment
in Music, Performance Tags: Australian music, live music, music, original music, performance, professional musician, Tasmania, Tasmanian music, Tasmanian original music
Very pleased to announce that I’m playing a set this week with exciting new talent, Cassie O’Keefe. This Thursday at Casbah Cafe, Liverpool Street, Hobart, Tasmania, AU.
Also, The Australian Songwriters Association are celebrating their 10th anniversary on Wednesday 11th December (also at Casbah Cafe). As one of the performers from ten years ago, I’m very pleased to be on the bill again, along with some of my students.
Check my Facebook page closer to the date for set times.
Take care all
😀
13 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Music, Performance, Singing, Touring Tags: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian music, Australian radio, live music, mural art, north west Tasmania, original music, performance, professional musician, Sheffield Tasmania, singing, Tasmania, Tasmanian music
Sheffield Spring
A couple of weeks ago I had a brilliant time doing the roadtrip thing up to Launceston and further to Sheffield. The weather was typical Tasmanian spring – balmy and warm to torrential rain, thunderstorms and snow in the space of three days!
Chris Ball
Had a great catch up with old friends at the ABC in Launceston and did a pre-record of an interview for their Drive program with Hilary Burton. I don’t care to think how many years it’s been since I last caught up with Andrea and Chris – of course we haven’t aged a day…… We talked about my current projects – the solo album “The Woman On The Edge Of The World” and The Fringe Dwellers’ debut outing “After Time” and I played a few songs from both.
Andrea O’Connor
Sadly, Hilary took ill the next day and the interview didn’t go to air as planned but they put it up on the ABC Northern Tasmania site in their blog section – along with some gorgeous words from Chris. I’m sure I’ll be heading back up north soon and will revisit the ABC studios! After a quick catch-up in town with my beautiful son I had a great night with Launceston friends Matt Sertori and Michaela Young (aka Butterscotch Pony). Matt’s latest venture is a new magazine “Spleen” which is about to hit Tasmanian streets but I’ll talk further about that in a future post.
Friday came around with unrelenting rain throughout the morning, so I trundled on up the extremely wet highway to Sheffield and the gig. It’s been years since I’ve been through this part of the state and I definitely recommend it to anyone – visitor or resident. Despite the rain, it’s a beautiful part of the planet and Sheffield in particular is really geared towards tourists and travelers.
After a beautiful lunch at the Blacksmith Gallery (the home of Skwiz) the rain stopped, the clouds parted and out came the sun again – just in time for me to take my new camera (Wayne) out for a stroll. Sheffield is billed as the town of murals, and they hold an annual festival that brings mural artists and tourists from all over.
One of the murals in the main street
The murals are interesting and varied and even though many weren’t to my taste I think it’s brilliant to find a town in rural Australia that has a park dedicated to such an artform. Also quite a few of the shops have embraced the form and it makes for a much more interesting streetscape. It’s also one of the friendliest towns I’ve visited. Locals were happy to help, provide directions – and bargains! There’s a fantastic op shop just off the main street, where everything is bargain price and the staff are lovely. Only 23kms from Devonport on the north west coast, I highly recommend the detour if travelling on the ferry from Melbourne.
Meanwhile, it was time to get back and set up for the gig….. and of course,
Audience moving in and drying off!
weather closed in again. This time there was thunder, lightning and torrential rain, and still people braved the elements! I met some great folks that night and reacquainted myself with a few more! I ended up playing for over two hours, telling stories and having a really lovely time. I really wish I could have transported the venue and the audience down to Hobart. There really aren’t enough listening venues – and audiences to match – anymore.
Doing my thing. Photo by Greg Eyre
They are one of the things solo artists adore, people who want to hear the songs! Allen Stott who organises the gig on behalf of the Friday Night Folk mob does a great job. In fact, everyone involved was wonderful to me and I thank them all sincerely. I was billeted out to Dianne whose property is at the base of Mt Roland. She and her son were so hospitable….. there was even good coffee in the morning! And because it’s Tasmania and springtime, there was also snow on Mt Roland!
All in all, a really great weekend away – going to have to do it again soon!
Mt Roland
10 Oct 2012 Leave a comment
in Music, Performance, Singing Tags: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian music, interview, original music, professional musician, singer/songwriter, singing, Tasmanian music, The Fringe Dwellers
Hey everyone,
This is a lovely article on the ABC Northern Tasmania blog written by the most articulate tech in the country – Chris Ball. I’ll be writing a blog of my own in the next few days….. with less photos of me in it!
Wherever you are, enjoy!
Deb
In the ABC Northern Tas studio
16 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Music, Performance, Teaching Tags: Australia, Australian music, music education, music teaching, performance, performing v teaching, professional musician, Tasmania, Tasmanian music, touring musicians
“I Want It All!!!”
Every since I can remember there’s always been a debate as to what musicians should do – perform or teach.
As a small child I recall being present when my father (possibly the finest musician I’ve ever met) was discussing with a couple of performer friends the merits of his teaching work, who were shaking their heads sadly. The implication was that he’d somehow sold out by going down the teaching route. He was still performing at that stage too!
I don’t remember this but apparently they asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up and (true to form) said I wanted it all!
The story goes like this. If you teach, you must be a second rate performer and if you perform you can’t ever be a decent teacher. Personally, I’ve always found it a vacuous argument – I do both and have done for many years. How well I do them is a matter of conjecture of course, but I have managed to balance the two – and I believe I am a better performer and music educator for the experience.
I know most of my students would tell you that they come to me because I am a performer and understand what it takes to be that kind of musician.
Recently, I had a phone call from a family member, who took the teaching route after graduating from a prestigious Australian music conservatorium. She teaches at an International School in South East Asia and many people I know would be jealous of her career and lifestyle. Nevertheless, a touring musician made a thoughtless remark at a concert she recently attended that amounted to saying teaching was second rate compared to the exciting life of touring.
Touring is hard work. Yes, it’s exciting going to new places and playing to new audiences but very risky financially, physically very draining and (no matter what anyone says) can be grindingly dull when you’ve played so many dates you can’t recall what town you’re in anymore. These days I try and break up my performance schedule with a little time off, a day for relaxation and sleep and just playing tourist or catching up with friends or family. Fellow Tasmanian musicians The Sign are a good case in point. Currently touring in the US, they’re making it a road-trip holiday and family get together plus a very slick and professional music tour. Smart people!
In many respects I think teaching is the harder gig. One-to-one or groups, students hang on your every note and word, and they’re very happy to question if you do anything that might contradict what you’re trying to get across! The process of educating for me is a different kind of performance, with it’s own specific skill set. And it must be said that just because someone is a brilliant live performer that does not follow that they will be an equally brilliant educator!
For me the old “those who can, do – those who can’t, teach” chestnut just doesn’t stack up – I love both and will continue to educate and perform to the very best of my ability.
If you want to read more, this 2007 blog from professional double bass player & educator Jason Heath is recommended.
I’ll finish by quoting US classical pianist Joshua Nemith;
The path to a narrow musical career is paved with good intentions. Today, more than ever, that path needs to widen rather than permanently branch into two unconnected avenues: educators who are not performers, and performers who are not educators.
14 Jun 2012 1 Comment
in Downloads, Merchandise, Music, Recording Tags: Australian music, downloads, merchandise, mp3s, music, professional musician, recordings, singer/songwriter, Tasmanian music
TWOTEOTW Front Cover
Below is a review of my latest album, which I released earlier this year. Reading it still gives me goosebumps – Matt’s review is extraordinarily generous!
If you’re interested in having a listen, “The Woman On The Edge Of The World” is available on my SoundCloud page. Individual tracks as well as the full album are available for purchase.
Sales have been very good but I’m currently looking at potential crowd-funding methods of releasing a physical CD & vinyl version, with posters and possibly art & lyric book.
I welcome your feedback 🙂
March 2012 Sauce Magazine Review
“The Woman on The Edge of The World”
Many would know Deb as the female vocalist from ARIA award winning Wild Pumpkins at Midnight or more recently as one half of the blues/roots Fringe Dwellers. Like her contemporaries, Deb had always enjoyed more recognition inEurope. Angie Hart and Monique Brumby have publicly acknowledged the importance of Manskey’s influence.
I won’t go into why it took 13 years to make this album but in many ways the songs tell so many beautiful stories of sadness and sorrow, perhaps it’s better to let the music tell the story.
This is a stripped back acoustic album, just vocal and guitar. “Drowning On Dry Land” is perhaps the most intense song on this album, far more intimidating than anything PJ Harvey, Sinead O’Connor or Patti Smith have ever committed to tape.
”Sandy Bay” is an un-mistakenly Tasmanian song, capturing feel of the suburb and referencing the landmarks, as John Lennon did when he sang the Rubber Soul era, “In My Life”. But it’s not an entirely miserable experience. “Mr Invincible” is a wonderful up-tempo slice of pop, as is “Beautiful Life”. This album has been a long time in the making, it might be more accurately described as a greatest hits album, no doubt the toughest decision was deciding which of the hundreds of great songs she wrote in its preparation to banish to the orphanage.Manskey possesses one of the finest voices imaginable and if you buy this album you will discover, she is also one of the finest songwriters.
Matt Sertori
12 Jun 2012 Leave a comment
in Biography, Music Tags: Australia, biography, music, professional musician, singer/songwriter, Tasmania
The hardest thing about any writing project is finding somewhere to start.
I’ve been thinking about this blog for ages and confess every time I’ve opened up WordPress, full of good intentions I’ve ended up writing another piece for Bumper Crop – my “other life” as an avid organic gardener and cook.
But with autumn taking hold in the southern hemisphere, it’s high time to make a start and share some of my musical life with you all. Many of you would never have heard of me, so here’s the official bio, direct from the press kit…..
Debra Manskey was born into a musical family in South Australia. In fact, for the first ten or twelve years of her life, Debra thought everyone lived in a home where music was on the menu most nights of the week.
“Growing up, it was a revelation for me to discover that some families didn’t play music together or even own a musical instrument. We used to sit around the kitchen table and just do it! Looking back, it’s a gift I can’t thank my parents enough for.”
One of the founding members of Australian 80’s indie icons Wild Pumpkins at Midnight, Debra’s trademark soaring vocals contributed to the Pumpkins’ 1990 ARIA award for “This Machine is Made of People”
Throughout her long career, Debra has graced many concert stages and festivals, including Pt Fairy, Moomba, Cygnet Folk Festival and Tasmania’s jewel, 10 Days on the Island. In recent years as a solo performer she has also supported other outstanding artists such as The Stiff Gins, Neil Murray, Stefan Grossman, Sophie B Hawkins, Mick Thomas, Dave Steel and the inimitable Dave Graney.
Debra is also highly regarded as an arts administrator and educator, regularly conducting specialist workshops for adults and children in voice, songwriting and performance skills. She has worked as a Writer-In-Residence, been celebrated as Tasmanian Living Writer and released a live cd in 2006 which received excellent reviews and has now sold out.
Her first full-length studio album “The Woman on the Edge of the World” was released in January 2012 and is available as a digital download through SoundCloud.
Besides her solo work, Debra has also been in the studio again with a new four-piece band The Fringe Dwellers, featuring guitarist/songwriter Malcolm Battersby. Their debut album “After Time” is due out in the second half of 2012
Ok, that’s enough to begin with………
Next time I’ll give you all a rundown on beautiful Hobart in winter (including some pics) 🙂 and some of the projects I’m involved in at present. Life is busy!
Debra Manskey 