BY GRAHAM REID
Although well known as a percussionist with local jazz, rock and hip-hop artists such as Jan Hellriegel, Mark de Clive-Lowe and King Kapisi, Nick Gaffaney is this Thursday making a break into a new style.
Then he is making an even bigger break as he heads off to teach at a music school in earthquake-ravaged west India.
In Gaffaney's debut as a one-man percussion performer in his show Industry he works with electronic equipment and tapes, but uses his body as the instrument.
"It's amplifying sounds which are small and hard to hear, such as rubbing hands together and skin on skin, and hitting arms and legs to create rhythms with effects and delays.
"I'm sure other people do it but I've never seen anyone. What drew me to it was that I've always been a writer and written verse.
"I was sitting at home one day reading some verse and thought I wanted to use it in a performance.
"I've done a lot of gigs with Andrew McMillan who runs the New Pacific Music Ensemble. We've got another band that does live soundscape work and I started doing vocals on that and singing tones. From there I moved into thinking of using verse and spoken word inside the music I was making."
Gaffaney says some of the sound is generated by the patterns and rhythms of the words.
Others are generated by the idea of soundscapes made on electronic gear, and yet others have been recorded live so the effect is of a raw sound.
"The spoken word part sits in as one more component, but in the performance there will also be fairly straight songs and some chanting to create a sound bed."
Industry is Gaffaney's farewell performance because shortly after he will leave to spend at least seven weeks teaching percussion at the Darpana Academy of dance and percussion in Ahmedabad.
Gaffaney heard about the teaching post through fellow percussionist, Australian Nick McBride, who had previously taken the position through AsiaLink which sends musicians to various schools in Asia. The school invites international performers for teaching and, although the position is unpaid, Gaffaney expects it to be its own reward.
It is his opportunity to learn basic tabla drumming, Indian musical history and something of the folk dance traditions of the region.
It is, however, the area affected by the recent earthquakes and Gaffaney admits to some reservations about taking up the position in the midst of such a human tragedy.
"The school hasn't been affected and they say the compound where we teach is fine. I've phoned them a couple of times to ask if they still wanted me to come but they said they carried on and felt it better that I should still come. They wanted life to go on."
Following his period at the school, Gaffaney expects to travel around northern India visiting artists and musicians and having private tuition.
* Nick Gaffaney performs at Industry, Odeon Lounge, corner Mt Eden Rd and Symonds St, Thursday, February 8, 8.30 pm
One-man show beats out rhythms from unheard body of sound
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