PETER AND KEN GO GRAHAM AND GRUNDEN !

PETER AND KEN GO GRAHAM AND GRUNDEN !

Following on from PBGB’s donation to the Mallacoota based Graham and Grunden Music Scholarship for young Musicians, an amazing piece of serendipity has unfolded – and the story goes like this :

Background:

April 2010 :

PBGB donates to the Graham and Grunden Scholarship for Young Musicians.

Auntie Jean Nickels ( Scholarship Secretary ) writes to thank PBGB.

May 2010 :

Ken Vatcher, very well respected drummer, moves from Mallacoota to Pambula Beach. PBGB knows nothing of Ken’s involvement in the Scholarship, but get in touch with Ken to see if he is interested to join in PBGB goings-on.

June 2010 :

Ken pops into THE SHED and records a version of Gus’s ‘Boozer Blues’, thus becoming a member of the PBGB Family. Still PBGB doesn’t know about Ken’s involvement with the Scholarship.

Auntie Jean rings Peter to ask if he would be prepared to join judging panel for the Scholarship. Auntie Jean tells Peter the other panellists include Ken Vatcher !

So Peter and Ken and Peter will travel to Mallacoota on July 3 to assess applicants and rank the finalists.

Serendipity indeed !

By way of background on the Graham and Grunden Scholarships :

The aim is to give encouragement to
young musicians aged from eight to
20 years from Mallacoota, Cann River
and Noorinbee areas. The scholarship
was established by the Mallacoota
District Reconciliation Group and the
Mallacoota Strum Club and is named
for two local professional musicians.
Merv Graham is a Kukuimi ji man
who has been supported by some
Mallacoota people in his quest to find
the family he was taken from at birth.
John Grunden has been the inspiration
for 12 years of family enjoyment and
music-making through the Strum Club.
Both Graham and Grunden are committed
to encouraging the next generation
of young musicians in their
region “to express greater acceptance
of each other, and through musical
expression move towards a nation that
engages in mutual respect”.

The scholarship presentations will
be made by Merv Graham and John
Grunden at a concert on 10 July in
Mallacoota Mudbrick Pavilion during
NAIDOC week. There will be performances
by some of the young
applicants backed up by Merv
Graham-Warner’s ‘Are We There Yet?
Band’.

Donations to the scholarship, and further information can be sought by contacting

The Graham and Grunden
Music Scholarship, c/- Jean Nickels,
Secretary, PO Box 414, Mallacoota
3892, telephone 5158 0367.