Ben Bulla 2022
Multi Instrumentalist Musician | Awarded $10,000
The Trustees of the Robert Juniper Award for the Arts are pleased to announce the successful scholarship recipient for 2022 is musician Ben Bulla. A singer and multi-instrumentalist, Bulla received his award from RJAFTA Patron Trish Juniper at the annual RJAFTA Award Soiree on 9 December, which was held at Juniper Galleries for the first time.
Bulla was a finalist in the 2021 awards and says of the experience “It was great to be a finalist, but I realised pretty quickly that I had not addressed all the criteria in the application, and I was determined to make sure that this year I did. I phoned a couple of the Trustees for advice and bounced ideas off them before starting my application. After doing the application, I wasn’t sure that I had done it quite right and the Trustees were happy to point out what was missing and help me focus my project. Once I had hit that submit button online, I felt confident that I had covered all my bases! My advice to prospective applicants is to contact the Trustees for help with your application before you submit it.”
Born in Alice Springs Bulla’s family moved to Mount Helena when he was 8 years old. Bulla’s father Steve played guitar and Ben recalls his father teaching him some basic chords when he was around seven years old. “Dad wasn’t a virtuoso, but he knew a few chords and enjoyed playing for us at home. One of the earliest songs I remember him teaching me was ‘Hey Joe’.”
At aged 10 Bulla had guitar lessons with a teacher at the Mundaring Music Shop. He continued his music education at Eastern Hills Senior High School, playing Tuba under the tutelage of Steve Searle. “I really liked playing the Tuba, but it didn’t have the connection with the audience that I wanted. Mr Searle was a brilliant teacher, and introduced me to playing Jazz.”
Bulla really enjoyed the music programme offered at EHSHS, under Music Director Maurice Borgault. “Mr Borgault was just so passionate about music. He taught us the value of learning theory, but he also instilled in me the joy of playing music, and the importance of Voice Leading - the art of combining vocal or instrumental progressions over time to create harmony. Learning this was exciting to me.” Although Bulla was playing Tuba in the EHSHS Concert Band, he had not put his guitar away. He took up the guitar again in year 12, having lessons privately with renowned Perth Hills guitar teacher Fenton Oldmeadow. He passed his Year 12 ATAR exam in guitar, and also the AMEB exam (Australian Music Examination Board).
Bulla cites Perth Hills folk musician Kevin McKenna as being one of the most significant influences for him. “I met Kev when I was 15 years old. Kevin runs the Mundaring Folk and Blues Club, which has been going for about 35 years. Honestly, I would have to say that Kev was really my first real influence in focussing where I wanted to go with my music. He was the first musician to really just sit with me and work songs out with. He taught me about repertoire, delivering a performance, and how to engage with an audience.” Bulla is on the committee of the MFBC, and helps set up the stage prior to performances. “I still go every month to the Club, and I have seen so many brilliant performances there.”
After graduating from high school Bulla applied for and was accepted to study the Contemporary Music Artist course at WAAPA under Vinnie Crea, and graduated 2 years later with an Advanced Diploma of the Music Industry. Bulla recalls enjoying some amazing performances at WAAPA, especially the Songbook Sessions and also playing the ECU Chancellor’s Farewell Banquet. “I met some great people at WAAPA, super creative and talented people that I had the privilege to play with. It was a great time, and I learnt so much there. I still play with some of the people I studied at WAAPA with.”
Bulla has a diverse appreciation for many different styles of music. “Growing up a friend introduced me to Metallica and I was like ‘Wow!’. I was amazed at the technical skill of the guitar music, and for a while played this style of music with friends.” Bulla’s Latin influences came when playing with a friend, American actor and percussion player Scott Brantley, who he met prior to starting at WAAPA. “Scott taught me the power of percussion! I never realised how powerful or awe inspiring that could be, and how percussion can move an audience. He introduced me to Jazz and Latin styles I had not heard of before, and he was certainly a big inspiration for me”. Bulla played with Brantley in Latin-groove band Rubaclava, which was started by friend and drummer Will Chiew. “That was so much fun. Sometimes there would be just a few of us on stage, sometimes a heap. It was great playing with such talented people and playing with a horn section was really cool.”
Bulla’s successful RJAFTA scholarship application will enable him to attend an intensive workshop at the Brazilian Guitar Academy in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2023. The workshop is presented by Master Guitarists such as Everton Gloeden, Camilo Carrara and Gilson Antunes and explores and teaches about the history, techniques, practices and repertoire of Brazilian classical guitar, as well as Brazilian improvisation, Brazilian rhythms, and song accompaniment.
“I am really excited about this. I am always on a musical drive, searching for the next step in the journey of understanding music theory. Great musicians like Antonio Carlos Jobim showed how to merge jazz and the bossa nova and come up with this exciting new music. The Brazilian take on approaching chords is fascinating – all the crazy chords that I never knew how to approach before, but I am now playing, and exploring. I want to immerse myself in the culture of that music, refine my learning, get down to the nitty gritty, the nuts and bolts of playing that style of music, and how that can crossover to the many different styles of music that I play already. Many fine guitar players have come out of Brazil and because of that, I want to learn from Masters of their craft.”
When Bulla returns from Brazil, he will spend time developing a repertoire and rehearsing with other musicians to present three evening Brazilian Music Soiree performances in late 2023 at Juniper Galleries in the Perth Hills. Bulla is no stranger to Juniper Galleries, being a regular player at the Juniper Galleries Twilight Series which runs from late Spring to late Autumn.
“Being awarded this scholarship is huge for me. The things I learn from this unique course will not only benefit my skills in playing Brazilian music and repertoire on guitar, but will also be relevant to all genres of guitar music that I play. I am hoping it will unlock hidden parts of the guitar to me, and the mysteries of musical harmony and melody. Every song I learn from that point on will be viewed from a more enlightened musical perspective and potentially help me play more efficiently and achieve a higher standard of performance. It means that I can bring back what I have learnt at the Brazilian Guitar Academy, share the knowledge, share the playing, and enjoy playing it to an audience. I’m pretty excited about that!”
Listen to Bulla play “Wings to Take Me Where” HERE.