Ears join eyes as library hosts musicians

David Cooper, of Dunedin, performs in the Dunedin City Library lift for the Nook & Cranny Music...
David Cooper, of Dunedin, performs in the Dunedin City Library lift for the Nook & Cranny Music Festival yesterday. Photos: Peter McIntosh.
Ukulele band The Flukes (from left) Su White, Tushar Robins and Fiona Stuart, all of Dunedin,...
Ukulele band The Flukes (from left) Su White, Tushar Robins and Fiona Stuart, all of Dunedin, perform at the Dunedin City Library yesterday.

There was no point in shushing at Dunedin City Library yesterday; no-one would have heard it over the sound of music.

David Cooper, of Dunedin band Barabajajal, performed in the Dunedin City Library lift for the inaugural Nook & Cranny Music Festival.

"It was a bit jarring with people coming in the middle of a song and not knowing what to do.''

The confusion was shortlived, with people riding the lift and enjoying his original tunes.

During his set, some passengers made comments about the nice "elevator music'', he said.

The lift was a great place to perform.

"It was nice and relaxed. People get a split second of your song and then they're gone, which is quite nice. It was really enjoyable.''

The more than 40 festival performances spread across the library's four floors included a show in the children's non-fiction section by Dunedin musician Jake McComb, looping sound with his guitar and singing the hip-hop song Sunsets while sitting on a library stool.

Festival event manager Brendan Christie said the festival celebrated the start of NZ Music Month 2016.

The library was a great place for a music festival.

"Musicians are usually competing with ambient noise and in a library, it's frowned upon to have any noise, so it's nice to have an environment where they can be heard clearly.''

The Dunedin musicians were given a space to perform 20-minute sets but had to play original music or New Zealand songs.

The five-hour festival included seminars in the Dunningham Suite.

Presenters included Dunedin musicians Graeme Downes, of The Verlaines, and Martin Phillipps, of The Chills.

shawn.mcavinue@odt.co.nz

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