BEI concert review (coming soon!)

Of course I’ve got lots to report on the BEI concert! Has been a crazy couple of weeks juggling CICADA deadlines with medical appointments, but don’t think I’ve forgotten! 

Media publicity: Bionic Ear Institute's Interior Design Concert (UPDATED)

Some amazing sounds coming from the Fairfax Theatre at the moment - just listening to the performers getting ready for the show!

We just wrapped up our interview with ABC TV. Be sure to tune in to the 7pm national news on ABC 1 tonight, if you're interested!

UPDATED ON 14/02/2011:
Here's the link to the online news story!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/02/14/3137688.htm

Music for bionic listeners - concert day!

It’s ‘Concert Day’ – sort of! It’s after midnight anyway. And I should be in bed resting up, but am feeling a little flat after watching my football team lose twice in the one night. Should be used to it, I suppose, but with football only just starting up again for the year, I need to slowly wean myself into the disappointing losses once more. For my Aussie readers: I’m a mad (in all senses of the word) Tigers supporter, if you didn’t realise already.


But, tonight’s game is in the past now – I’m done with devoting my Saturday to sports, and ready to devote my Sunday to the arts. (Do I epitomise the typical Melburnian, or what??!)

Interior design: music for the bionic ear!

Very exciting weekend ahead with the Bionic Ear Institute’s concert taking place in Melbourne on Sunday!

-----------------------------------------------

Sunday 13^th February, 2011

Where: Fairfax Studio @ the Arts Centre, Melbourne

Times: Choose from: 5:30 pm or 8:00 pm

Prices: $25 adults / $15 concession

Also an optional 7 pm lecture for all ticketholders, limited space available (first come, first served). Lecture will cover how the music was made along with some of the issues encountered.

Buy tickets here: http://www.theartscentre.com.au/whats-on/event.aspx?id=2403

-----------------------------------------------

The calm before the storm

Tap tap tap. Tuh-tuh-tuh-tap. Tuh-tuh-tuh-tap. Tuh-tuh-tuh-tap.

Ignore that, if you can. Or give me A Look, whatever. That’s what Jase does. It’s the sound of me tapping my fingers on the table and I’m told it’s Annoying. Why am I tapping? Because I’m waiting.

Music updates … and other activities

Can you believe it’s October already? My cochlear implants have been activated for six months now, and life is so amazing. Better than it was before because I’ve had the chance to meet so many wonderful people, and explore things I’d never be able to otherwise.

"Cochlear music" – the ABC Radio National interview

Very happy to take part in a national radio interview to spread further awareness about the work the Bionic Ear Institute are doing here in Melbourne.

Can I just point out the not-so-obvious but overwhelmingly amazing fact that this interview was conducted over the phone? Imagine that! Only five months ago, I'd pick up the phone and not even hear a dial tone. For about 14 months prior to that, I couldn't understand speech well enough to use a phone.

Triple J radio publicity

And the media publicity for the Bionic Ear Institute's 'concert project' continues ...!  

I'm so honoured to be able to help them out with this. What an incredible way of overlapping the arts with the sciences! And anybody who knows the importance of making music FUN is going to get my firm seal of approval. ;-) 

Here's a link to the Triple J interview played earlier this week: http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hack/stories/s2953719.htm  

Interview: BEI concert project for cochlear implantees

Jase chuckled at the first line.

I waved the newspaper at him and said, 'you see! It's official! I don't like to complain! The newspaper says so! That means it's true!'

He shook his head and gave me the 'oh-if-only-they-knew' kind of grin.

OK, so I might be the Complaining Type when it comes to stuff around the house. Mostly temperature-related stuff. (‘It’s too hot in here’ … ‘it’s too cold in here’ … ‘how long has the heating made that whistling sound?’ … ‘how long has the air-conditioning made that groaning sound?’) Seriously. Room temperature is supposed to be 22 degrees, right, not 18? Back me up here. (You see, I’m complaining right now.)

But it is true that you will not hear me complain about my cochlear implants. Though I might (Ever-So-Meekly) admit that music could be better … if there’s a chance I think admitting it might help others.

Where did she go?

Investigative reporters have been forced to go on a search around Melbourne for that ever elusive blogger known simply as ‘Daniela’, after questions concerning her whereabouts grew to an all-time high last week. (Well, to some she’s ‘Daniela’. To others, she’s ‘the strange Aussie one with a fascination for cuckoo clocks’.) We pocketed the following clues about her recent habits. 

Music improvement for CI users (the Bionic Ear Institute)

I never used to know East Melbourne all that well, but I seem to be spending more and more time there!

The little pocket I'm spending lots of time in is known as Melbourne's 'hearing precinct'. It includes the Eye and Ear Hospital, the Melbourne office of Cochlear and the Bionic Ear Institute. There's more to it than that – it also includes the offices of my surgeon, and nearby is the hospital where I had my operation. There are probably a zillion other 'hearing' connections I haven't discovered yet, but these are the ones I know of so far.

It sounds really corny but I get so excited when I see the street sign for Bionic Ear Lane! I peer down it excitedly, half expecting Professor Graeme Clark himself to come scuttling along, deeply focused on another amazing brainwave of his.