Australian Culture with Paul Taylor (Multidiscipline Residencies, Performances and Workshops)
Paul Taylor has performed and taught for over 300,000 American children. His educational concerts present Australian culture in story and song for elementary, middle and high school.
Paul performs to all ages, Wonders Down Under, Australian Music & Stories, an interactive multifaceted performance adapted to any age level. Paul presents audiences with a unique look at the wonderful Aussie character through an exciting blending of, stories, songs, dance, painting, theatre and didgeridoo, drawing comparisons in American history and culture. Focusing on many of our cultural icons it honors both Aboriginal and European roots.
Paul is mentored by Aboriginal custodian Yidumduma Bill Harney and presents Bush University, featuring rock art with creation stories. Bush University is the Aboriginal term for the School of Nature, learning and paying attention to the plants, birds, animals, insects, the land, that are alive with story and song and constantly teaching us, reminding us of our primary role as humans, to be the custodians, to care for the natural world. Bush University is interactive and can be adapted to any audience.
WORKSHOPS/RESIDENCIES; Paul Taylor offers twelve workshops in Australian culture, music and stories and one week residencies for elementary, middle and high school.
Paul’s residencies with students are a blend of storytelling; theater; visual arts in the form of murals, traditional rock art, and craft such as didjeridoo painting; folk music of Australia including song, story songs and traditional instruments; folk dance; geography; history; and social studies.
The objectives achieved in Taylor’s presentations are:
– To introduce students to the European migration to Australia through storytelling theater.
– To present Australian culture as it was in the founding of the country and as it is today through interactive songs and stories.
– To draw parallels between US history and Australian history.
– To introduce students to the culture and traditional stories of both European and Aboriginal Australia.
– To introduce students to the Aboriginal music, instruments and art.
– To explain the physics found in the sounds of transitional instruments and in the workings of the boomerang.
Paul presents traditional instruments and song from both the European and Aboriginal cultures. The presentations include the context, language and story of several folk songs; traditional instruments such as the didjeridoo, boomerang, lagerphone and clap stick; the purpose of song and the songlines in the Aboriginal tradition.
English
Chinese (Simplified)
French
German
Igbo
Russian
Spanish
Vietnamese
Yoruba