George Palmer

My father was perfectly correct in that and I think I did appreciate that at the time.

What well-known composers were around in Australia in the 1960s, there was no household name on everybody's lips and the few people I did know as musicians, I could see from them that it was in some cases a hand-to-mouth existence going from one gig to another.

So I thought seriously about that.

So I signed up for arts law because a mate of mine, my close friend from school, was going to do that.

I thought, well, that's something I can do probably.

But for the first week or so on the campus, I'll go in and sit in on the music composition classes, which I did, thinking if I really have a passion for this, I can always change courses.

I found Peter Skullthorpe.

Australia's most preeminent, deservedly and internationally acclaimed composer there lecturing in the music composition class.

Now, Peter Scullthorpe was then in his Indonesian mood or mode stage.

Gamma Lan was everywhere.

It was compulsory to learn the Gamma Lan.

And Gamma Lan had not been a major part of my experience up till then, I have to say, my musical experience.

That was Peter.

And the other composers whom I won't mention my name were of the fingernails on blackboard screeching type music.

Now, that wasn't part of my experience either.

So I had gamelan music on the one hand, screeching fingernails on blackboard music on the other hand, and a cap at all...

One of the senior lecturers there was very into recorder and medieval music and she established an annual Runnymede Festival, right, which involved scattering rushes all over the Great Hall of Sydney University and the whole of the music staff and students dressing up in tight red tights and colourful things and playing the recorder and capering around.

And this wasn't what you dreamt of?

This was not my scene either.

So I thought that's what the music department at the moment has got to offer.