Research

Sainsbury's research in music and in sonic art present us with opportunities through which we may see and revise existing paradigms from new and unique aspects. His new developments in notation are substantial.

Research Publications and Interests

As a manager in music education and as a composer Chris Sainsbury has had occasion to publish in both scholarly and industry-based environments. In recent years he has presented within the Arts and Media Faculty of Sydney Institute, at the University of Sydney Conservatorium Faculty, at the Darwin International Guitar Festival and the Northern Territory University, on ABC-FM National Radio, at the Sydney Acoustic Guitar Festival, at the Gosford City Cultural Laboratory (a peak body for regional arts), via concert platforms (in Sydney, Darwin, Brisbane, Melbourne, and in Europe, including: Finland, Estonia, Holland, Germany, Norway and Belgium), and via the Web.

Major recent research topics include:

The main publications of a composer are music scores. There are many to choose from under Sainsbury's List of Works pages, and excerpts to hear under the Sounds and Scores page.

Contemporary Guitar Techniques (Bi-tones - Performance Techniques and Notation), dating from 2001. This text (120 pages) is published through Sainsburymusic. For material using bi-tones check the notation excerpt on the Homepage and the Mango Tango under Sounds and Scores.

James Penberthy (Australian Composer). A 40 minute radio program, originally presented to Sydney Conservatorium Composition Masters students (1999). CD available through Sainsburymusic.

'Listening Grounds' - a paper which delves into 'belonging' as a fundamental premise for making music. Dating from 2006. See the extract under the Philosophy page.

Singing You Singing Me (Running a Community Choir) - a text for the choir director (70 pages) available through Sainsburymusic.

The 'Ground Sounds and Sky Sounds Approach to Composition' (2006) - a practice-based re-interpretation of the various elements of music. Delightfully Australian, but with potential wider contexts. The Symphony of the Birds was composed using this approach. A brief outline is included under Philosophy, yet one must really study the score, excerpts of which are on PDF under the Sounds and Scores.

The following research interests are in various stages of development, and are longer term projects for 2008 and beyond.

Tropical Harmony for Alpine Frets - a beach-side approach to harmony for guitarists. This hilarious new concept of harmony is refreshingly liberating. Soon to be available in text through Sainsburymusic.

Music Notation in Performance Art - New developments in music notation, more complex than Ferneyhough and more simple than Cage!

In addition, Sainsbury was one of six people who devised the original suite of TAFE NSW contemporary music courses from Certificate through to Diploma level.