Personal Statement - Robert Kennedy

I began making music at 15. and have completed the following courses and had training in a variety of instruments.

Age 15-19 Private classical guitar lessons began in 1975
19-23 Private piano and musicianship studies
23-26 Private flute, violin, trumpet
27-32 Private composition and orchestration under Dr Anna Zarasyan nee Pimakova. Anna lectured at the University of Sydney and UNSW after having completed her PhD in Music Composition (University of Sydney)

58 - University of Canberra, Communications, Media and Journalism degree ARB102, completed one semester, distinctions for every unit, on intermission as of February 2020, no plan to return

58 - Orchestration 1, Berkley online, completed satisfactorily
60 - Jazz Harmony 1, Sydney University Open Education.

I have been making music for over 40 years. I have over 40 albums in a variety of styles on my Bandcamp site. My preferred style is tonal post-classical music.

I currently write about music as a freelance for CityNews and Interlude classical music magazine. I have just started a jazz quartet in Canberra. Jazz composition/arrangement has been a focus over the past two years. Plus studying widely across music journalism, psychology in music, music history and musicology.

Several of my compositions have been used in live and recorded performances.
Ripple - Canberra Dance Theatre, 2019.
The Mystery of the Cave Suite, for recorder quartet. Played by the Viandante Ensemble, 2019.
Life, Film Music for the short film Life, by Garry Stanford, for the 2018 Canberra Short Film Festival.
Portraits, a contemporary dance piece by Canberra Dance Theatre, 2018.

Interest in specific musical repertoires
Post-classical music moves me most because it is of the time we live in now. That said, Prokofiev influences me the most. I model my music on his dynamic rhythmic style. His love of skewing tonalities and his disjunct, forceful rhythms, which makes his music stand out for me.

However, while not a fan of 12-tone music, the ideas that can be realised through serialism I find fascinating. I created an album titled Things Five. Through the five major pieces on the album for oboe quintet, I used a combination of things in fives. Such as five instruments, 5/4-time signature, phrases over five and not eight bars, built in a pentatonic scale at tempos that are in divisions of fives.

Baroque music is the music I feel very close to. The clear sound of the Baroque even when highly ornamented is the reason I fell in love with this style. The harpsichord and recorder are favourite instruments. Their bright and sparkling resonance sets the music of the Baroque apart from other genres; it defines Baroque music.
Along with the tranquil and mellow sound of the recorder, (which I’ve been playing for a few years now), it speaks out about a period of music that was highly inventive, adorned, and is instantly recognisable.

The many Baroque groups in Australia and around the world prove the popularity of this genre. Also, the enjoyment music lovers derive from the 150 years of its popularity speaks volumes. Some of the greatest composers ever lived in the Baroque period.
3. Statement of compositional goals and an outline of how tertiary study will assist in my musical, professional and scholarly goals for the future

Even after 40 years of writing and studying music, there are gaps in my musical knowledge. Coming from a large family, the academic study of music was not an option for me when younger. There are many years of music left in me and I have felt for a long time that my music is lacking in fundamentals, so it is not heard as quality, professional music.

Musical development/progression is an area where my compositions lack the most. My chord progressions are weak, and my voice leading is not good. While I have tried to study these things privately, I’m still not able to create professional music which pleases people.

My goal for my music is to have it played by orchestras and ensembles around the world, like the music of Sculthorpe, Kats- Chernin and Edwards is.

Also, my goal is to make a difference in Australian music. We have many talented composers and musicians in this country, yet few are seen on the world stage as compared to other musicians and composers, such as Arvo Pärt and Steve Reich.

Based on what I have done, and the drive I have for creating music, given the right training, I feel I can create better music and be known as a world-class composer, nevertheless; I still need the education to get me there.