Gratitude and laughter: Julie Tracy’s time and effort made our meeting memorable and joyful.
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Hello and welcome back.
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Firstly, I must say thank you for your interest in the Shepparton Football Club and your kind offer of help. There has been some confusion about the two written histories, and I must clarify that.
The history I had and was working from was published for the opening of the new clubrooms in 1981. Tom Carey described it as “the bones of the club” and it contains stories about coaches and prominent players over 100 years. The second one was described as a flesh and blood history — yet to come. I guess today, we would describe the second one as containing the data missing from the initial publication. I had a copy of the second one, perhaps 18 months ago, but a fair section of it was missing. Anyway, thank you, but it was the second one I felt I needed.
I must also thank a kind reader who has sorted out the confusion about when my uncle, David Clark, was killed. I initially had the date wrong by a couple of years, then altered it to fit with the history, making it very wrong. I thought it was possible that one of you would know more about my family than I did, and in this, at least, I was right.
Thank you all.
This week, it went something like this
I’m waiting in the coffee shop for my interviewee. A staff member asks me if I want to order anything, and I say, “Not yet, thanks. Just waiting for a friend.”
Staff member says, “Here she is now. Is this your friend?” I could have replied with, “Not sure! Don’t know her well and haven’t seen her for 50 years.” But I didn’t. Two staff members are now checking out Julie Tracy, wondering what sort of friendship this is when I can’t recognise her.
Finally, my eyes met Julie’s, and we recognised one another. To the assembling staff I say, “We haven’t met for a while.” The real explanation was just too complicated — but I notice that we are still an item of interest to the staff, as we settle in, with our coffees, for a 95-minute chat.
The past
I can’t remember ever having had a conversation with Julie; our paths kept missing one another. Yet, I always knew her name and had a fair idea of her contributions to music and music theatre. She would be a pianist for a Shepparton Theatre Arts Group production — and it would be one in which I was not participating, and so it continued.
So, I gave her a call and we made a good attempt at making up for lost time; finally we decided to meet for coffee and joked about the difficulties of recognising one another.
The Australian National Piano Award
A local idea has become one of Shepparton’s most successful musical events; it has played a big part in Julie Tracy’s life.
It began with a group entitled Shepparton Performing Arts Association, which had been organising theatre productions to visit Shepparton. In 1992, the group had been discussing other options for the city – including the establishment of eisteddfods. However, the group decided this was too large a task and decided to settle for an award for one instrument.
Julie remembers it was Erna Werner who first suggested the Piano Award. And with considerable assistance from Melbourne’s ‘Team of Pianists’ and, in turn, Maria Riccardi-Weight, the format for the event, which would run every two years, was designed. And, astonishingly, the first event took place just a few months later — September 1992.
As it began
There may be any number of entries; however, the number of contestants is kept to 14. Three judges, two from overseas and one Australian, determine which of the entries become contestants. This year, there are 24 entries, with the contestants to be named shortly.
The 14 who make it into the award are privately billeted in our community, and the committee makes sure each has access to a grand piano for practice.
All entries must be Australian-born; even if they have been studying overseas, they are accepted as long as they fit the criteria — born in Australia or a permanent resident and aged between 21 and 35.
So it continued
There had been 14 awards before the ‘troubles’ began. The standard was rising; funding was provided without difficulty, and the award went from strength to strength. It had become a highlight on the national music calendar, showcasing Australia’s most brilliant pianists.
Then came COVID-19 and, along with everything else, the award was cancelled for 2020. That meant a four-year gap, from 2018 to 2022, except Shepparton flooded in October 2022. Fortunately, some sensible decision-making saved the event.
The format normally consists of each contestant performing two 45-minute recitals — from Monday to Thursday. On Thursday night, the semi-finalists are announced, and these five pianists will participate on Friday afternoon. The three grand finalists are then announced and will perform on Saturday night.
In 2022, due to the floods, the committee was asked to vacate Eastbank by Friday night. It was decided that the Friday night semi-final, with five contestants, would have to become the grand final.
Somehow, with incredibly short notice, the competition was satisfactorily concluded.
And this year
This year, the award will be held from October 7 to 12. And, once again, our city will be ‘writ large’ on the nation’s musical calendar, thanks to a hard-working and innovative team.
Our chat
It will be apparent that Julie and I talked predominantly about the Piano Award. However, we did fit in some catch-up.
We both remembered separate STAG matinee performances of Oliver. In Julie’s case, her son gave his one and only performance of Oliver, with his nervous mother a member of the orchestra.
I, meanwhile, took three of my grandchildren to the show, which just happened to change my grandson’s life profoundly and positively. (But that is a long story.)
We then realised that the matinee performances of Oliver were 25 years apart!
We are both sure that, next time, I’ll be able to say I’m “waiting for a friend” — and it will be true. I’ll even be able to recognise her!
I thank Julie for making the time and effort because it was fun; we laughed a lot!
Our council elections
Sometimes, things change for the better, and sometimes, they change because somebody can change them.
Melissa Horne has been the minister for local government for a couple of years now, and perhaps she wants to be seen doing something. Shame it isn’t a change for the better!
Voting for our council has been something I enjoyed doing because this was the only election where a voter could assess the whole team. How is it doing? Does it need to change at all? Do we need someone else with experience — or someone young and enthusiastic? What, in the voter’s opinion, did they get right, and what did they get wrong?
There is no point in any of this now because we all only get to vote for one councillor who may or may not be someone you want to change. We want a champion team, a well-balanced team, a fair-minded team, a group of people who think past ‘I reckon’. And now we have no possible way of voting for this outcome.
I do wish the Victorian Government would stop messing with the things that work well — and fix some of the many things that don’t.
Our digital ID
Last week, the Federal Government revisited and voted in favour of a digital ID. I’m surmising this would mean that the information contained in the cards we carry, such as Medicare cards, health cards, driver’s licences and pension cards, would all be contained on our smartphones.
I read all the information I could find but am still not totally clear. Are we the first country in the world to agree to this? And what about the people who can’t manage this technology, don’t have a smartphone, or simply don’t want to learn? What about the thousands of homeless people? What about the people like me who don’t yet trust technology? Well, right now, it isn’t compulsory.
But, the possibility exists, that this is a necessary step towards a cashless society. No more notes or coins, just the debit card that most of us use anyway. That really scares me because we would be totally dependent on technology that is not yet dependable. Could anyone absolutely guarantee the security of such a vital part of our existence?
If we are not heading towards a cashless society, why do we need a digital ID? You could ask any member of the Labor Party or the Greens — or most, if not all, independents. The Liberal and National parties voted against.
Is it possible that the conservative parties have just won next year’s election?
Yes, I know! New and difficult territory, but I just wanted to give you something to ponder!
That’s all for this week. May it be easy, my friends.
16°C