Spending time with family, missing friends, a time for reflection and ‘staying home with my new unicorn’ are just some of the pros and cons of Covid isolation school students have shared with sound artist and composer Brett Canning for Lismore Quad and Lismore Regional Gallery’s Together//Alone project.

In the project, Brett documents the perspectives of 15 school students based in Northern NSW, ranging from kindergarten to Year 12.

He asked them to make audio recordings responding to questions about how they are feeling, how they are connecting with family and the outside world, what community looks like for them at the moment and what they are looking forward to doing once restrictions ease.  

Brett combined their responses with sounds recorded in the Northern Rivers natural environment to create a delightful and insightful audio work called Sound Connections.

Listen to the work here at www.lismorequad.org.au

“I wanted to give a voice to school students and encourage meaningful connection in this time of social distancing. I hope the students listening to the finished work can know that they are not alone in the way that they may feel at the moment,” said Brett.

Brett runs a philanthropic record label, Germinate Records, at the Lindisfarne Recording Studio on the Tweed Coast.

He is an accomplished musician in his own right, working with artists such as Missy Higgins, The Audreys and Ian Moss, he was nominated for an APRA for his songwriting work with The Waifs.

Brett has worked previously with Lismore Quad in 2019 as sound designer for the large-scale projection project celebrating Bundjalung culture and history, Dungarimba Wandarahn.

Brett created the original soundscape from recordings of Bundjalung Elder, Aunty Irene Harrington, along with students from Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar and musician Tom Avery.

Lismore Quad and Lismore Regional Gallery have supported 24 local artists with the Together//Alone project via micro grants for them to develop creative projects that include a component that can be shared online.

Developed over two week periods, artists do not need to present complete works, the emphasis is on the creative process and connection.

Their works are shared via The Quad and Lismore Regional Gallery’s websites and social media channels.

Find out more about all the Together//Alone artists and their projects at www.lismorequad.org.au