Lara Dursun

Contemplations on the Ethical Ownership of Australian Reptiles

I'm a music student studying classical guitar in VCASS and I moved from Turkey to Melbourne three years ago. I've been playing guitar for nearly 10 years and this was my first serious attempt at composing something. I am intrigued by beauty and aesthetics in art, and by composing a graphic score with the sole purpose of it being musically and aesthetically pleasing was a very nice experience. I also love reptiles, mostly snakes!

This composition takes inspiration from the dreamtime story 'the Rainbow Serpent'. I composed it for a guitar duo with the intention of it being a soundscape of the environment that the story was in. I used many contemporary techniques, using a tennis ball, tuning the guitar very low so it would resonate more and using percussion in a more modern way. I wanted to create a dreamlike state with the gentle harmonics, drone and the spacious feel.