Kalkadunga composer and musician, William Barton, will be awarded the Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music at the 2023 Art Music Awards on 15 August.
Established in 2002, the award recognises musicians who have had a significant impact on the Australian music scene.
At 42, Barton will be the youngest-ever recipient.
He is also the first Indigenous recipient.
Barton said it’s an honour to receive the award.
“It’s an important one because it’s given to you by your peers, by your colleagues across the foundational musical supports here within Australia, so it’s a really huge honour to carry on that legacy, also of Richard Gill, who premiered Kalkadunga with the Sydney Symphony all those years ago.”
Barton collaborated with Gill back in 2008 with a performance of Kalkadunga. The work is a tribute to his Country and people and includes a song he wrote at just 15 years old.
For Barton, music isn’t just entertainment. He said it’s about connection to culture, language, Country and people.
“It’s a musical statement that connects the ideals and values of our connection to mother earth and our identity through language,” Barton told NITV.
“That’s why language is so important for our nations of Indigenous people throughout Australia and the world. It’s important to learn our Songlines and our history and what better way to create that safe space than to actually open up that conversation and dialogue up through music and draw people in from all walks of life.”
On reflection, Barton’s connection to music has been ever-present.
As a child, his mother played classical music for him and his father played the guitar and listened to old country vinyls.
“This is on top of our Indigenous connection to Country and watching the old Song Man and listening to the song women perform ceremonial songs,” said Barton. “It was a very special time.”
Barton has since established himself as a trailblazer in classical music, but acknowledges the people who have gone before him.
“I want to acknowledge my aunties and uncles, grandfathers and grandmothers who have created that safe space for people like myself to be a voice on the platform of expression, which is in my world is that classical world,” said Barton.
“Knowing that you have a legacy of your own Indigenous culture, which is my Kalkadunga nation, and having that landscape be the inspiration throughout my life, I share the success with my community, the Kalkadunga, and all other nations across Australia.”
As the first Indigenous person to receive the Richard Gill Award, Barton said it’s about the next generation.
“It’s always creating that fire that’s already there, that legacy that’s already there,” said Barton.
“This is just adding to that and if that can stoke the flames for the next generation of storytellers, whether they be storytellers, poets, artist, Songmen and Songwomen of our cultural lore, that’s a good thing because just amplifying the seed of one idea.”
Barton said looking back he still sees himself as that kid from Mt Isa.
“I look back on my life and I see Kalkadunga Country and this young kid from Mt Isa and everyone has dreams.
“I’ve been very fortunate to become that dream but through the strong values of culture and language and the identity of my people… Mum and Dad, their legacy lives on through all of us.”
Barton said he’s currently working on an opera about AFL legend and Adnyamathanha man, Adam Goodes. He also has special projects with his mum and wants to continue to inspire the next generation of storytellers.
“I just keep doing what I do,” said Barton.
