About Mick Ryan
Mick Ryan is a proud Ngarrindjeri and Gunditjmara man, and musical artist who has been performing live for over 20 years.
Over the last 10 years Mick has performed with bands The Louds and Loud & Deadly, composing and performing music that tells Aboriginal stories to broad audiences.
Through music and performance, Mick seeks to share stories of the experiences and treatment of Aboriginal people in the region that many would not be aware of.
Mick Ryan’s Geelong Arts Centre artwork
Mick’s art is installed as a soundscape throughout the Level 1 glass link foyer at Geelong Arts Centre.
Inspired by the Moonah Forest, Mick's work consists of a range of different sounds and instruments, including guitar, bass guitar, percussion, tree branches, nesting birds and wind sounds, and has been crafted to emulate the sound of the Moonah Forest environment.
Having travelled to Point Lonsdale to visit some of the oldest living Moonah trees in Australia, Mick was moved by their impressive structure and the cultural significance of the Moonah tree to the Wadawurrung people.
Mick's work has been designed to showcase the calming sounds of Geelong's natural surrounds, and to create a sense of intrigue for all exploring Geelong Arts Centre.
The project team worked closely with an audio specialist to select an audio system and speaker layout that would provide the best immersive experience for Mick’s work.
Having provided a suite of original audio files to help the initial audio tuning on site, Mick then continued to work with the project team for 4 months to refine the audio tuning to suit the desired impact of the soundscape.
FOR KIDS
Mick Ryan is a Ngarrindjeri and Gunditjmara musician.
He created the sounds you can hear in this part of Geelong Arts Centre.
Mick got his inspiration from the Moonah Forest, a beautiful place with tall, old trees. He used different instruments like guitars and drums, and even things like tree branches and bird sounds to make the soundscape. He wanted it to sound just like the Moonah Forest in Point Lonsdale, which is very important to the Wadawurrung people.
When you listen to Mick's soundscape, you can imagine being in the peaceful nature of Geelong. It will make your visit to Geelong Arts Centre even more exciting!
Mick Ryan reveals his soundscape at Geelong Arts Centre, 4 August. Photo by Peter Foster.