Anita Quayle for 'Mic Check' Interview
Get ready to dive deep into the world of music with our latest interview featuring cellist and composer Anita Quayle, Australian Musician’s current artist of the month!
Can you tell us a bit about your performance background and how you got started in the industry?
I began my creative life as a freelance cellist, composer and collaborator while in the throws of classical studies at the VCA. I was approached by a Melbourne based folk duo who saw me with my cello watching a gig at the infamous Dan O’Connell Hotel in Carlton way back in 1997. They asked if I’d ever played in a band before. I said “no, but I’d be keen to give it a go!” We went on to play many shows and Melbourne based festivals together, and it was the ultimate turning point for how I would navigate the course of my artistic life going forward
Can you describe your approach to the creative process, starting from generating ideas to bringing them to fruition?
Over the last 5 years there’s been a real shift in the way I approach my creative process, since I’ve added the Yamaha SV110 electric cello and Headrush effects and looper pedal board to my tool kit. I now frequently gravitate to this combination of both instrument and technology when composing, to allow ideas to rise to the surface. It’s certainly been an incredibly freeing way to navigate this initial ‘creative play’ process, as it most often allows me the chance to drop into a state of ‘flow’, a space that is void of judgement, attachment or fear, while paving the way for some pretty surprising outcomes!
From this phase I transfer the ideas I’m most drawn to, either by recording them into a DAW (I use Logic) or a music notation software program ( currently using Sibelius) and then expand and develop them from there.
What would you say is the most significant accomplishment of your career to date, and what makes it stand out for you?
I’ve had so many wonderful encounters and collaboration opportunities so far, but without a doubt the one that stands out the most is the project I have with violinist Xani Kolac, called Melbourne Amplified Strings. Since it’s inception in 2018, we’ve had the great fortune to be able to collaborate with an incredible array of female artists, including Thando, Shauntai Sheree, Mindy Meng Wang, Nat Bartsch and Andrea Keller, in some of the most incredible venues in Melbourne (such as Hamer Hall, Chapel off Chapel and Melbourne Recital Centre). These women are bubbling at the top of their field doing extraordinarily unique and meaningful work, and we as contemporary string players have been able to utilise these collaborative experiences to explore and push the boundaries of what’s possible for contemporary strings and modern chamber based pop music by incorporating electronic effects and live looping. This in turn has enabled me to discover my true voice, opening the doors to a new way of self expression.
But then again, also getting to play with Pete Murray and his band at an NRL grand final in front of 80,000 people was pretty amazing too!
How do you balance the creative and business sides of the performance industry, and what strategies have worked best for you?
It’s certainly a constant work in progress, but these days when choosing to work alongside other creatives and professionals, I am conscious that there is always the possibility of working together again in future, and as such I’m mindful of nurturing any future business there. So with that in mind, I make it a rule of thumb to not just say yes to any gig that comes along. This ensures that the work itself will always be enjoyable and fun for me (and don’t we all deliver our best work under these conditions?) while also focussing my energy on strengthening relationships with those that acknowledge the value of what an artist’s work is worth.
How do you stay motivated and inspired to create and develop new work?
I’m fortunate to have some very clever, diversely talented and driven friends over in my little corner of the creative world, and we will often get together over a glass of wine or 2 and mull around on concepts and ideas we’ve been thinking about. I find this act of simply having a conversation about ‘the what, the why and the how’, incredibly stimulating and energising, and as such will often spark or cement an idea for developing work of my own.
Could you describe a collaboration or project you were part of that left a lasting impression or had a significant impact on you?
Working alongside violinist Xani Kolac to come up with string arrangements for Eddie Perfect’s recent show ‘Introspective’ was pretty memorable. With just a bunch of piano scores guiding our way, we were able to come up with some pretty amazing arrangements for violin, cello and electronic effects to accompany Ed (and his grand piano) for performances in some pretty fabulous theatre spaces across Australia. Not only was this a career highlight, but it was also a great (self) reminder of what I’m capable of as both a performer and an arranger.
How has the Australian Arts industry changed since you first started, and what changes do you anticipate in the future?
Since I stepped onto my first (very male dominated) stage back in 1999, the scales have been tipping and we’re seeing a lot more contemporary female instrumentalists up on stages these days, which is great! And while there’s still a long way to go before the scales are balanced, it’s nonetheless very encouraging to be a witness to this shift!
There’s a lot more support out there for professional musicians these days. We now have a union for musicians called ‘Musicians Australia’, who are helping to navigate and establish some much needed ground rules concerning fairer working conditions and pay rates.
The age of streaming services has greatly hindered the way many artists go about making a living, while sequentially demonetising the very music that’s being created. But on the flip side its also done wonders for gaining their music exposure on a global scale.
With the advancement of technology (including the internet!!), artists have been able to relish in the process of being self sufficient. From making albums in their home studios, to learning all about the processes involved in doing so (youtube videos are the best!!)
While we can’t predict the future, I anticipate that artists will need to keep reinventing the wheel to stay relevant in a climate that’s constantly changing, and at a rate of great speed!
What advice would you give to aspiring artists looking to break out?
There are 2 questions that may be useful to ponder on….
1. What is it that you are really passionate about?…. not just generally speaking, dig deep and get really specific about this.
2. How can you harness this very specific passion and turn it into something unique and tangible? There’s a lot of competition out there, so if you can deliver something to an audience in such a way that no one else can, then you’ll be in demand!
Can you talk about a project or album that you're currently working on and what we can expect from it?
Beyond the Lake is a neo classical ambient project I started during the pandemic lockdowns of 2020 with my partner Nick Delaney (Twelve Tone Diamonds, Toehider). We began a series of weekly improvised livestream performances from our upstairs studio in the hope it would assist in alleviating anxiety in those who were finding that period of existence a little difficult. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive, and since then we’ve released 2 live albums, ‘Music for Sleep Volumes 1 and 2’ and our debut studio produced album called ‘Coming Home’.
This year we’re set to release a new album, this time with the help of 9 incredibly influential and creatively diverse musicians, thanks to the financial support we received through Creative Victoria. You can find out all about it, along with the musicians who feature on it, over on our website and follow along with us on our Instagram page.
And that's just the beginning! Connect with Anita on Instagram to discover more of her amazing talent and creativity or get in touch to book Anita for your next event!