Katie Noonan and Karin Schaupp have an intuitive musical connection.
It’s no wonder: they met before they remembered meeting, with their musical mothers both teaching at Stoliarsky School of Music in Brisbane.
Now, many years on, these two musicians are mothers themselves, carefully carving out a career that balances family and creativity.
‘We have a lot in common as we are both working mums. We both base our working career from Brisbane/SE Qld and we love exploring musical worlds. Not just one genre. It’s rare in classical musicians. Karin can play anything and has played all around the world.
The life of a solo guitarist is quite lonely and she wanted to get into collaborating more, which was like me. We came together at a time when our priorities were similar but we have really different skill sets.
‘Karin and I are both strong feminist women. Our mothers’ careers always fitted around our husbands.
In my family I am the sole breadwinner; Karin and her husband are very equally career driven,’ says Katie.
Songs of the Latin Skies is the album that the two of them have combined forces to create. Noonan and Schaupp put a fresh spin on Latin jazz and classical pieces from the masters of South America.
‘The project was led by Karin,’ says Katie, ‘because she has always been into Latin music.
I love that music too but it was a learning curve. We went on an educational journey. It wasn’t just the music of Brazil; we went to Spain, Chile; we found ancient Andean folk melodies. We like to explore various musical styles and that was about it. Everything on the album is a genuine musical artefact.’
This isn’t the first time these two have made their way into the recording studios. This is the third time they’ve come together to create something exquisite.
Join these two remarkable musicians as they journey through the great South American songbook of bossa nova, samba, salsa and tango, interpreting work by Gilberto Gil, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Luis Bonfa, Antonio Carlos Jobim and more at one of Noonan’s favourite venues, the Bangalow A&I Hall.
‘I love the A&I Hall. I have had so many beautiful gigs there, yeah, and bringing it back to the song and the lyric, and the two of us making intimate music.’
Friday 19 May at 8pm.
Tickets and info at redsquaremusic.com.au.
