A new breed of beat is emerging on Kangaroo Island with a series of music workshops reaching the right note with young locals. The initiative, driven by Junction, is run out of our community centre in Kingscote.

Kangaroo Island Community Centre Co-ordinator Maree Baldwin said the idea was born out of community conversations and discussions with local musician, Tristan Simon.

“We started out with two groups of five young people taking part in weekly workshops hosted by Tristan and it’s just kept growing,” Maree said.

Originally supported by funding through Headspace, the pilot program has recently been boosted with funding from Our Town. Workshops are held on Monday afternoons with around 12 students from across the Island participating regularly.

Junction’s community bus supports several students to travel from Parndana to attend. The organisation also purchased music instruments with funding from a Social Impact grant made possible through the Department of Human Services.

Tristan said the workshops were designed to help young people learn to read and write music and how to play instruments in a fun, safe and dynamic environment – outside of school, with all the equipment.

“I don’t know what the classroom dynamics are but I can see what we are creating here is crossing over cliques and really breaking down barriers. Being in a band is about listening and taking people’s opinions on board,” he said. “There is a lot of kindness and empathy – no hierarchy or competition.”

Two terms in and significant talent and potential has also been unlocked.

“One student had never held a guitar,” Tristan said. ‘Now he’s playing bass in a band and writing his own music.”

“I’ve been playing guitar with my dad for eight years, but this is the only place you can gather to play music with kids your own age. I really enjoy it,” said Jack, 15, who plays guitar.

“I love band, it’s so great. I’ve made friends and learned music that I never would have thought I could play,” Piper, 11, who plays bass guitar, said.

Before settling at Baudin Beach with his wife and young family, Tristan carved out a successful career as a music teacher and performer including producing an album Earth, Mother, She as part of Tasmanian band, Avalanche.

Over recent years he has been best known for live, solo gigs at venues and functions across the Island, while teaching guitar and continuing to write his own music.

Tristan said he was driven to build the youth music program after benefitting from a similar initiative as a youngster growing up in Canada.

“In Year six, we had some mentors who came into our school and started a lunch time music group,” he said. “That’s when I started playing guitar. I wanted to pay that back some day.”

That day came – albeit almost two decades later on Kangaroo Island.

“It’s giving them faith that this can be a genuine career path if they want to take their music further,” said Tristan.

As a next step, students will take to the stage for Open Mic night at Kangaroo Island Yacht Club on Friday, August 23 from 7pm in what will be their first live performance.

“We’d love to work towards a Youth Music Festival here on the Island,” Tristan said. “We’ve got a great foundation.”

To find out more or if you would like to attend the music workshops, call the KI Community Centre on 8553 2809.