Rekindling passion in the "City of Dreams"

When Ian moved to Sydney after tending a farm in the Southern Highlands for many years, the change of scenery brought him back to a love of music.

Playing from a young age before the responsibility of raising his daughter took priority, a health crisis led Ian to seek a fresh start in Woolloomooloo.

Feeling adrift upon his arrival while living in public housing, he stumbled upon the Ozanam Learning Centre (OLC), a community inclusion service operated by the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, where he was encouraged to join the centre’s music program. 

“I was a bit lost when I came to Sydney, so I just came, dropped in here [OLC] one day and talked to Omar [the OLC music coordinator] and he suggested I come in and record a few songs. I did that and that was a good experience”, he recalls.

Ian's musical journey goes beyond his time in Sydney. He has explored various genres and drawn inspiration from spoken word artists like Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, and Laurie Anderson.

“I started with classical music and during the ‘80s, ‘90s, I played in a few bands. Then I went to Indonesia and studied gamelan. 

The last musical thing that I did is I played in a free jazz band and because I write a lot, I was a spoken word artist in the free jazz band, and we still play occasionally."

In addition to contributing his musical talent as a guitarist for the OLC’s resident band, the OLC Music Collective, Ian also brings his passion for song writing. He composed a track titled "City of Dreams" for the band's forthcoming album, "Alternate Voices”. The song serves as a homage to Sydney, a place that holds a special place in his heart.

“It sorts of talks about my relationship with Sydney. I've travelled a lot in Australia in my younger years and coming back to Sydney, it was always like this idea of being the dream city, the Emerald City, where everything would happen.

“I still feel that it's very much my home. My parents grew up here when they were younger. My mom went to Sydney Tech. My dad was here during the war, he was a soldier in the Pacific War.”

For Ian, his relationship to music is symbiotic in shaping his life and perspective, which in turn influences his musical preferences.

“I don't like to do covers much. I find that quite depressing because I think we're all living, always living in the past. I think we should always be looking at inventing a future”, he concludes.

Ian, together with the OLC Music Collective will be performing their latest album, Alternate Voices on 27 July at the Factory Theatre. The album features 12 original songs illuminating band members' personal stories and collective growth through the OLC music program.

Tickets for the show are on sale at: https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/110274