While our physical doors have been closed, we welcomed a new member to the ANAM team! Meet Tim Hannah, Senior Coordinator, Training Program, who shares what it’s been like starting a new job in this online world and why this is his dream job.
2019 3MBS Bach Marathon at the Melbourne Recital Centre. From Left: Tim Hannah and Jessica Carrascalao Heard, the co-presenter for that session.
What has been the most surprising part of your role so far?
Starting at ANAM during this time, I find myself in the unusual position of having a whole new world of possibilities opening up to me just as the world outside shuts down.
My role at ANAM is a dream job and I feel incredibly lucky to be working with the amazing musicians, Faculty and staff that form this community, despite the circumstances. I have been amazed at the speed with which everyone has adapted to remote online life and the generosity with which everyone has approached the current reality we face.
I have also been surprised by the sheer amount of activity that continues online. It has been a clear demonstration of how motivated and devoted the staff, Faculty and musicians remain and has made me feel very comfortable with the decision to start in this role when I did. I’ve already had the opportunity to tick meeting some amazing artists off my professional bucket list!
Can you tell us a little about your music background?
I studied as a horn player (BMus Hons), though I also snuck in a BA (International Studies) alongside my music studies. To be honest, I was late in considering music as a professional pathway. Until my final year in high school I was heading towards medicine or academia. Like many, I have an excellent teacher to thank for encouraging me to make the right decision in the end.
I’ve performed freelance around Melbourne with smaller companies and done four China tours to date, but my true passion is chamber music, especially for mixed ensembles with voice. I love the flexibility of form and definition.
My fiancé is a soprano and we’ve been performing together as Ensemble Goldentree for over five years now. It’s been wonderful to explore rarely performed music, with a handful of rewarding commissions from Australian composers along the way.
Your current role at ANAM includes coordinating and hosting our online musician webinars. Could you tell us a bit more about that?
It’s very similar to producing live radio! Before the Webinars I work with Nick Deutsch to prepare the guests and resources for each session, including introductory packs for the ANAM musicians. During the Webinar itself I usually sit in the background and ensure everything runs smoothly, from playing musical excerpts to displaying scores and managing the Q&A.
It’s fast paced and exciting stuff and a wonderful opportunity to meet and work with some amazing artists and minds, and to get to know the ANAM musicians.
Even before you started working at ANAM, you had some interaction with our community as part of your roles at 3MBS and Musica Viva. Could you give us a quick rundown?
I feel like I’ve been dancing around ANAM for quite a while now. Funnily enough, the first date with my now fiancé involved an extended walk from the CBD to South Melbourne so I could get to a concert at ANAM (almost ten years ago!).
I host Music in Melbourne on 3MBS, a Saturday morning program featuring interviews and live performances from Melbourne musicians. We’re temporarily off-air (though the station continues to broadcast archival material), but one of the highlights is our monthly live-performance from an ANAM musician or ensemble. I’ve met many current and former ANAM musicians through that program.
Prior to ANAM I worked at Musica Viva for three years and had the pleasure of seeing ANAM alumni like Arcadia Winds continue their professional development through that organisation, especially as they developed educational programs for Musica Viva In Schools.
I’ve also had regular contact with ANAM staff and musicians in other contexts, from touring China with them to volunteering with them at festivals. It’s really amazing how far ANAM’s reach extends!
Tell us about your secret talent: haiku-writing!
Since the start of 2020 I have been writing a haiku every day. It’s a small creative exercise that keeps my brain active and encourages me to stop, witness and acknowledge a ‘moment’ each day.
It came out of a subject on creativity and ageing I did as part of a diploma last year. I was experiencing something of a creative block at the time and this intentional, daily task has literally changed the way I think.
Writing has become another creative outlet for me now, alongside music. Whether it’s articles, short stories, poetry or plays, I’ve found a voice I didn’t know I had simply by paying closer attention to the world around me and letting go of the perfectionism I carried with me for so long.