Graeme Leak

ABOUT

Name: Graeme Allan Leak
Height: 170cm
Weight: between 63 and 68kg, depending on self-care regime, or lack of it
Favourite possession: 40 yr old Swiss Army knife
Favourite thing: Sound
Lifelong obsession: Making things for people to stop and listen to

I find the question ‘what do you do Graeme?’ really hard to answer. I choose Musician – Sound Artist – Maker to describe a lifetime of eclectic projects that all centre on sound and music – through performance, installation, community, collaboration and instrument making. 

When I was a kid visiting my Grandparents I slept on a metal bed. I spent hours playing it with my ears pressed to the frame, a beautiful, private Gamelan orchestra. I would play the bathtub while listening with my head under the water. If you’ve not done this you should. Mum told me I used to say ‘can you hear the music in the cars?’ when I was a toddler.

That’s where it all started. I’ve been exploring, searching, making, seeking, delighting, listening, and mucking around ever since.

I look for ways to bring the things I have discovered into earshot for others. The infinite and glorious beauty in sounds that are happening around us at all times are often overlooked. I try to find ways for more of us to pause, notice and listen.

In the words of John Cage, ‘the music never stops, only the listening.‘

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