Minds and mentors meet for Western Australian Music’s Sounds of the Mid West in Geraldton

Music minds and mentors came together under the warmth of Queens Park Theatre’s stage lighting last week to give a few talented local acts the chance to work in a studio environment and capture the sound of the Mid West. Sisters Kim and Caroline Allison, or Good Strife, said they were both nervous and excited to take part in Western Australian Music’s Sounds of the Mid West project. “We’ve never done a recording session before, so this is a big deal for us,” said Kim. Both sisters agreed they had learnt to stay open to suggestions while working on the project, as they had unexpectedly elevated their work. “You don’t really know what you can make better until you step into the studio,” Caroline said. Good Strife was one of 10 local acts chosen to be a part of Western Australian Music’s regional recording program, which has run for about 12 years, from numerous parts of regional and remote WA. According to producer Matt Gio, the program has helped launch regional music careers, giving them the connections and confidence to record music in Perth. “They never would have done that before the project. They would have just put it in the ‘too hard’ basket,” he said. Although he said they were initially treated with suspicion when they started working in regional Australia, the word had got out and their project has been very well received. Mr Gio and co-producer Tim Nelson said the essence of the program was to underscore the wealth of regional talent that sometimes struggled to find the spotlight. “No matter where you go in this country, there’s great music being made,” Mr Gio said. Daron Keogh and Tony Turner from the Midwest Music Development Program also attended the session. The group have mentored two of the 10 musicians chosen for the program, Good Strife and solo artist Nicky Robson. Western Australian Music is a Midwest Music Development Program partner. Mr Keoh said both share the same broader objective. “We want to showcase music talent for national and international audiences,” he said. Mr Turner said the music of the Mid West had something unique to offer the broader music industry, and local musicians were capturing their stories in lyrics. “There’s a degree of reflection as to how people feel about themselves, and how they feel in this place,” he said.