THIS is the second in a series of monthly articles considering the offerings of some of the great musicians who live in our region.
Andy Copeman’s career in music is far from typical, although it kicked off like most of your classic folk rockers of the 70s and 80s. At seven he took up his brother’s guitar and spent his school years experiencing a wide range of instruments and musical styles.
He became a folk musician and moved into world music radio production with the ABC in WA. As a performer, Celtic, Eastern European and Scandinavian musics were his predominant interests, though as a sideline he played in rock bands. The breakthrough, which was to take him into a totally new musical world, occurred about 15 years ago when he discovered sound healing and shamanic practice and it turned his musical world on its head.
Up to that point in life he had played folk music – what he saw largely as a political form of music-making that looked for problems and faults in the world that needed fixing.
He had played the blues which found commonality amongst its supporters by saying how bad things were and he had played punk which was aggressive, angry music.
The philosophy which underpinned much of these musics he now realised was both indulgent and addictive, and it had all come to a head with his discovery of a music-making which took the opposite approach. It looked for good in the world and told positive stories, and Andy discovered in this new music-making process something constructive and healing.
If the music has an affirmative vibe, he found it is mirrored back to you by your listeners. He views such music-making today as prayer rather than performance.
That word can make some people uncomfortable, but he said it doesn’t have to be viewed as hymnal or even as spiritual music. He cites as an example an old folk song he performs – Spencer The Rover, made popular in folk music circles with John Martyn’s version some years ago.
Andy says it is the positive message in the song that attracts him and makes it suitable for his repertoire. The character in the song, weighed down by the troubles in his home life, escapes it by running away to the forest.
There the forest talks to him and assures him that finding the love and beauty in something that he might be struggling with, rather than railing against it, will lead him toward a good life.
Finding the beauty in things and promoting it through music is Andy’s quest. It is the philosophy which underpins all his work now with the healing retreats and music therapy classes he runs.
It is work which is designed to help people acknowledge their pain or illness and integrate it into their life. Own your hurt and have your life guided by good things, he says. Leave your worry behind and look at your connection with the earth and your community in a loving way. Rewire how you look at life. Thank you Andy for the powerful healing work you are doing through music.
Andy Copeman, whose recordings are available at
www.andycopeman.bandcamp.com, will be performing his music at Muzika, Maleny on Thursday November 3. Do get along if you’d like to catch him in action.
Michael has a recording studio in Peachester and plays . If you would like to find out more contact him on 0419 026 895 or E: whitickerm@bigpond.com
