Project for Music and Culture at the University of Newcastle

1. Newcastle Choir Day
Hampus Elinder
19-Oct-2014
Together with:

2. Overview
• Newcastle From a Music
Perspective
• Proposed event
• Benefits of practising music and
singing in choir
• The Newcastle Choir Scene
• Colaboration with the University
of Newcastle
• Potential of internet
• Program and Date
• Advertising and Media
• Conclusions
• Refferences

3. Identifying Newcastle from a Music Perspective
Newcastle is big city including a population with varied preferences. In order
to appeal to as many as possible, the following points have been identified
as critical in order to create a good event:
• Appeal to all age groups
• Integrate different music genres from
different cultures
• Be easily accessible by everyone
• Free
• Offer different activities

4. Proposed event
Newcastle Choir Day
A whole day with workshops, performances,
sing-along and finish with a big concert with the goal
to promote choral music and activities
In the following slides the positive aspects of practising choir, and thus the
importance of broadening the scene, as well as how the event will take
place, advertise itself and function will be explained.

5. Benefits from Practising Music
Involvement in music has been proved to help physical and psycological as
well as social problems such as:
• Stress
• Depression
• Heart rate
• Academic results
• Allows for self-expression
• Mood enhancement
• Creates a sense of belonging
• Builds bridges between cultures
Therefore the goal of the event is to involve, as well as entertain, the
audience

6. Positive Effects of Choir
Choir is practised as a group. Therefore, in addition to all the good aspects
achieved through practising music can be found in choir, social benefits and
bonding attained through working as a group will be achieved.
Presentation from Tedx Talks about positive effects of singing and participating in a choir

7. Positive Effects of Choir – the Multicultural Aspect
Since singing together is practised every society, a choir makes an
excellent bridge between cultures.
A choir is a good place to meet
people from other cultures –
reducing racism and
misunderstandings
Singing music from other cultures
broadens our general knowledge
and cultural diversity
Main theme from a video game called Civilization containing
musical influences from multiple parts of the world

8. Possibilities of Choral music – different genres
Choral music has the amazing capability of mixing genres, creating a
diversity rarely found anywhere else.
This allows choral music to act as a bridge between subcultures rather that
being a subculture itself.
Example of how choral music can reflect different genres

9. Newcastle’s Choir Scene Today
Today the official Newcastle choir scene consist of around five choirs and a
capella groups.
While the scene is small, broadening and developing it will not be as hard
as for other subcultures and scenes since (as explained in previous slides):
• Choir can implements all music genres and can thus appeal to everyone
• Participating is a social practise, enabling social factors to work as a
motive
• Does not differ between age groups, disability or ethnicity allowing many
different people to participate together
Officiall (or easily found) choirs and vocal groups in Newcastle

10. Importance of Broadening Newcastle’s Choir Scene
As explained before, practising music has an overall personal and social
positive effect
Pursuing a broadening of the scene will benefit
the whole society as well as broadening its the
cultural aspect improving relations between
different groups in the society otherwise without
means to interact
However, a push in the right direction is
necessary, thus the importance of Newcastle
Choir Day.

11. Collaboration with the University of Newcaslte
The event is to be held together with
the University of Newcastle to obtain
the following advantages:
• As the second biggest single
employer in Newcastle, it is a
central Hub and has relation to
most people in the Hunter Area
• Access to an international
community from more than 80
countries
• Includes all attractive age groups
for the event
• Ensures easy distribution of
information

12. Local Management and Accommodation
Working with the University of Newcastle
allows for use of the Conservatorium. This
means:
• Accommodation for the whole event in
one place
• Central and easily accessible location
• Free of use → No Entry
• Proper equipment
• Close relation to qualified staff and
students

13. Potential of Internet
While the potential to broadcast the event is great, consideration regarding
which parts to show must be made so that people still comes in person.
• Information, teasers and master classes will be available online.
• Main events will only be “IRL” to force people to come and preserve the
special live performance feeling

14. Program and Date
The event is to be held over one day: Saturday the 29’th of November
The thought behind this is that it is after the exams of the university
students, but before many of them leaves for the summer holidays.
It is also a weekend allowing the working-part population to attend
Furthermore, keeping it to one day makes it an easy go-to event that do not
require too much of people’s time

15. Program and Date
The program will consist of different workshops with focus on:
• Teamwork and the positive aspects to sing together
• Choral adaption of different genres
• Master classes (both with individual singers and the Unieversity choir
Echology), some by teachers abroad, coaching through internet calls.
These will also be viewable via internet
• streams
• Singing
Food and Beverage will also be available for purchase

16. Program and Date
The main event will be the concert ending the day taking place in the great
hall. The concert will feature the University’s own chamber choir: the well
renown Echology. They will combine everything the event has been about:
• Socialization
• Cultural diversity
• Positive aspects of singing
• And more
The concert will offer:
• Music from different cultures and genres
• Sing along with the audience
• A fun, joyful and unforgettable evening
A small taster of what echology has to offer

17. Advertisement and Media
To reach as many potential participants as possible we will make use of the
University’s and Conservatorium’s mail lists.
On top of that, social medias (such as Facebook
and twitter), advertising in local papers and radio
channels as well entering Newcastle’s event
calendar, will be used.
Link to Newcastle’s event calendar:
http://www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/about_newcastle/events/events_calendar/
events

18. Advertisement and Media
It is important to appeal to the whole community. To do this, two age groups
plus people’s diverse taste have been identified as targets for
advertisement.
• The diversity of choral music opens the event to all
• subcultures
• Young people tend to get drawn by music the like
• – contemporary and mainstream music will secure
• this.
• Older people are more motivated by potential socialization, which choir
covers perfectly
• The event being free and drop in is always appreciated

19. Conclusions
Why Newcastle Choir Day is so important:
• Practising music generates positive social and personal effects
• Doing this with a choir also adds social benefits
• The whole of Newcastle will benefit from Newcastle Choir Day through a
more cultural, healthy and happy community.

20. References
Author’s notes regarding references:
Since it is so hard to implement references in a PowerPoint and still make it look good, I
have chosen to remove all references in the actual presentation. This, however, does not
mean that the information presented is not correct or based on research. Because it is hard
for the reader to scan everything from the reference list and figure out him/herself what facts
comes from where, I will briefly explain the most important references and their impacthere:
• The critical points identified as critical for a good event is based on Gelder and
Robinson’s article (2010) on motives for attending festivals. Consideration of their
recommendations has also been made.
• The positive effects of music upon personal and social health comes from multiple
sources (listed under references) but have a foundation in Packer and Ballantyne’s
article (2010) when they refer to positive effects when practicing music.
• Inspiration to the internet related parts come from Holt’s article (2010) “The economy of
live music in the digital age”. The point he made that live performances, the relation
between the performer and audience, means something extra has made me make extra
effort to ensure as much face-to-face encounter’s as possible, while allowing some of the
parts to be accesible internet

21. References
• Gelder, Gemma, and Peter Robinson. "A Critical Comparative Study of Visitor Motivations for Attending Music
Festivals: A Case Study of Glastonbury and V Festival." Event Management 13 (2009): 181-96. Web. 19 Oct.
2014.
• Packer, Jan, and Julie Ballantyne. "The Impact of Music Festival Attendance on Young People's Psychological
and Social Well-being." SAGE, 1 Oct. 2010. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
• Holt, F. "The Economy of Live Music in the Digital Age." European Journal of Cultural Studies (2010): 243-61.
SAGE. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
• Duffy, Michael. "Newcastle or Bust." The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 Apr. 2009. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
• Horn, Stacy. "Singing Changes Your Brain | TIME.com." Ideas Singing Changes Your Brain Comments. 16 Aug.
2013. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
• Choir Research. Creativity Australia. Web. 19 Oct. 2014. <http://www.creativityaustralia.org.au/research/choir-research/>.
• Clift, Stephen, and Grenville Hancox. "The Significance of Choral Singing for Sustaining Psychological
Wellbeing: Findings from a Survey of Choristers in England, Australia and Germany." 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 19 Oct.
2014.
• "The Chorus Impact Study: How Children, Adults, and Communities Benefit from Choruses." Chorus America, 1
Jan. 2009. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
• All Events. The City of Newcastle, 10 Sept. 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/about_newcastle/events/events_calendar/events>.
• Choirs and Groups in NSW. Acappella Central. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
<http://acappellacentral.com.au/choirsearch/NSW>.

22. Video URL
Since slideshare could not show embedded videos, I will post the url’s here:
First video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_HOBr8H9EM
Second video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Pxc-iW5wM
Third video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7AORLLrovM&feature=player_embedd
ed
Fourth video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvzVDh8jByY&feature=player_embedd
ed