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Artist of the Month
Elizabeth Walsh - Musician, Teacher, Conductor
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When your father is a physicist it’s hard to avoid experiments. Narrandera artist, performer, musician, teacher and conductor Lizzie Walsh happily confesses to being an experiment.
“Dad wanted a classical musician in the family, so when my parents were expecting me, he was forever steering Mum’s belly toward the Mozart or Beethoven on the record player. I think it worked!”
“I really had no choice.” Says Lizzie with much laughter, “I was picking out all the violin I could hear in the music by four and by seven I commenced formal violin lessons. The music has never really stopped.”
Music is deep in Lizzie’s DNA. Her grandmother had said to her as a child ‘take every opportunity to learn your music’. It wasn’t until later when Lizzie learned that her grandmother as a young woman had sat for her Australian Music Exams, and was a very talented musician herself, that she understood the context of her grandmother’s interest and passion.
“In that era, for women especially, it was important to get through your musicianship, or any kind of education or training early, because you knew that the path ahead of you was most likely going to be marriage, family and caring duties. She was always in a big hurry for me and advocating for my learning. It was so moving and beautiful when the pieces she had played for her own music exams were played at her funeral.”
Lizzie completed high school at Melbourne’s Avila Girls Catholic College, continuing her violin and working her way up through the school orchestra to first violinist, and playing in the string ensemble. “I wasn’t giving up my music, but it meant giving up most lunch hours and a lot of after school hours when my friendship group was hanging out together.”
Despite crippling examination and performance nerves Lizzie chose to continue her musical education at Monash University, majoring in Violin and Orchestral and Solo Performance. “I failed a key exam in second year and realised that the world was not going to end. I sat the exam again two weeks later, and despite having full body shakes passed with a distinction. It was this lightbulb moment that the nerves are because you care so much, not because you hadn’t worked hard enough.”
A move to her partner Chris’ hometown of Narrandera was a new adventure, but a long way from her Melbourne roots. She found artistic connections with Vic and Sarah McEwen of the CAD Factory, who around that time had launched their recording studio, and newly arrived music teacher, guitarist and now life-long friend Fiona Caldarevic – with whom she formed the duo ‘Two Girls, Ten Strings’.
Lizzie signed up for distance learning and completed a Bachelor of Teaching for primary and secondary education. With three little children at foot, the degree was a blur of exams, tutorials and assignments, amongst the breast-feeding, tonsilitis and ‘some weird purple rash that kept popping up.’ She completed her degree and commenced teaching at St Joseph’s primary school in Narrandera.
The artist and creator did not take a back seat to the teacher. Shortly after joining the school, and to celebrate the launch of a newly built hall, Lizzie presided over the planning, instigation and production of a whole school version of ‘The Lion King’ drawing even the most reluctant students into singing, acting and music roles.
“I see regional kids missing out on music because of resources and funding, and at the same time I can see what an incredible vehicle it is for teaching literacy, maths, and building social skills and confidence. It should be at the front and centre of everything.”
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Lizzie continued her music in the community partnering with Narrandera musicians Mary Sutcliffe, Joan Graeme and Fiona Caldarevic to form a quartet, playing regular gigs with Riverina legends The Tin Shed Rattlers, freelance recordings at the CAD Factory, and messing about constantly with music with locals Peter Anthony and Ben Kschenka.
When Narrandera Shire Councillor Tracey Lewis attained a grant to kickstart a Community Choir, Lizzie was her obvious choice to lead the choir, and With One Voice Riverina was launched. Amongst the With One Voice community choirs Riverina is the only regional one that has managed to survive covid-19, small populations and long distances. For Lizzie and members, the choir is based on community, well-being and being there for one another.
“We show up every Tuesday at 6.30pm, and have a beautiful venue because of the support of the CRC Church Narrandera – there might be six or sixteen on any night – and sing! It’s wonderful seeing experienced singers teach new members, and the new friendships and connections that have grown.”
“We sing, but gosh we laugh! The community choirs are about fun first and deep connection, and that is what ours is built on. We have members who are coming from no musical background at all, and I absolutely love that as a group we are building musical literacy and performing. The group has gone from groaning when I say we are going to perform to nagging me for the next performance. Our collaboration with the CAD Factory, Conductor Sarah Penicka-Smith and Narrandera Parkside Museum was such a highlight for everyone involved. When we competed in the Leeton Eisteddfod we won against ourselves, but no one cared. It was the buzz we needed!”
“Every session I aim to get through something so that we all feel successful; that we’ve achieved something. I want all our singers to feel respected, supported and appreciated, people are here only because they want to be here, and I am so mindful and grateful for that.”
The choir is constantly looking for ways to support itself, even running cake stalls to raise money for sheet music, which has to be purchased and cannot be shared or emailed, and dream of having a bus so that their Leeton and smaller town singers can join them for learning and rehearsals occasionally without having to travel.
It is clear that Lizzie’s purpose and mission is to share her skills, to teach and to keep music alive and thriving in the Western Riverina. The experiments in doing that continue.
And, to give Lizzie the final words. “You will never leave choir grumpy. Oh, and we need sopranos!”
Words Gemma Purcell 2024.
Friday 7th June 2024
Images: Lizzie Walsh, with conductor and colleague Dr Sarah Penicka-Smith, and conducting the With One Voice Riverina Choir. Courtesy Gemma Purcell Western Riverina Arts.
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