WORD.PLAY
Join us for a unique audience experience where sound worlds collide: music & literature - two expressive languages defined by sound. The human desire to create meaning in shared experience has influenced innovations in communication & the Arts since the beginning of civilisation.
​
WORD.PLAY is the initiative of Australian multi-instrumentalist & New England native Maryanne Piper. WORD.PLAY began in Germany as collaborations with actors & authors while Piper was primarily based there. A highly lauded collaboration with German master actor Ralf Grobel has seen innovative cross-genre programming, commissions, festivals & other unique performances in the European scene for over a decade. International contemporary, classic & experimental literature coupled with Piper's musical palette received enthusiastic resonance. Innovative children's literature has also been featured in this cross-disciplinary exploration of the human interpretation of sound.
​
With clarinets, soprano saxophone, global winds, percussion & electronics, Piper builds a rich sound world. Highlighting subtle literary portrayals with layered soundscapes, influenced by the musical traditions of their chronicled tales, WORD.PLAY is literature wrapped in charismatic sonic flight for the listener's ear. Piper invites collaborating authors & musicians from around the local New England North West area, as well as further afield in Australia, in this series of pop-up events.
Maryanne's joined by original German colleague, master actor Ralf Grobel (Schauspielbühnen Berlin/Stuttgart/Wuppertal), plus a crew of fine Australian & New Zealand actors, authors & musicians: Keyna Wilkins (flutes, piano), Rob Thorne (traditional Maori instruments), Daniel Weltlinger (violin), Damien Wright (Flamenco
Guitar) to name a few, both online & live.
​
WORD.PLAY is part of your community: local & Australian-wide. Our live cohort loves playing in unique locations as much as they do for radio, film & concert halls. If you are a New England North West business owner, organisation or creator & have a unique location you'd love to bring to life (online or live), featuring internationally active artists, please drop us a line.
​
WORD.PLAY also offers a range of workshops for various ages, pre-school to aged care, concentrating on literacy & literature through music.
Cross-genre Arts have been proven to increase connectivity in the brain, assisting rapid development & improvement in foundation skills: verbal, written & numeracy. There are currently many studies confirming the benefits of music & cross-genre Arts in cases of dementia and alzheimer's disease in aged care. With the unique combination of music & literature, in both concert & interactive workshop format, WORD.PLAY is able to activate key memory connections in the brain through a series of creative activities stimulating the primary sense of sound. You'll find more information here.
​
MARYANNE PIPER
A native of New England New South Wales Australia, musician & artist Maryanne Piper has gone on to forge a "fantasy-filled world of sound" (SDZ) throughout her career. She's an award-winning creative that has scarcely left a stone untouched: music, theatre, visual arts & literature. Maryanne was primarily based in Europe for 16 years after international scholarships & prizes took her to The Netherlands. Further studies, touring, recording, teaching, artist residencies & international project funding has taken her across five continents in the past 20 years. She's a permanent resident of Germany & currently divides her time between her home region of New England NSW, Europe & NYC. She can be hear on the likes of ABC Classic, Radio National, NPO, CBC, BBC & RTÉ. More info, media & sounds @ www.maryannepipermusic.com. A comprehensive site features all cross-disciplinary work, plus music collaborations: www.maryannepiper.com - this site is being re-developed in 2020, stay tuned for updates. All photos of Maryanne Piper by kind permission of Anette Hammer - Freistil Fotografie, Germany, unless otherwise noted.