Gumleaf Playing Competitions

Abstract

The author considers a tension present in the different performance styles of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal contestants in gumleaf playing competitions. Drawing from extensive research throughout the decade, she 'animates' the scene through detailed explanations of gum leaf playing styles and the history that has· brought them to existence. (gum/leafplaying remains an identifiably Australian activity. A leafist places his/her instrument against the lips and blows air across it; the precise method and the quality of mid to high-pitched sounds produced varies markedly depending on the leafist's expertise and the species of eucalyptus selected.)