Current ecomusicological research has opened new avenues for exploring human-environment relationships. In this volume we explore the close relationship between music, sound and the environment in Indigenous societies of Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and beyond. The articles in this issue centre on performance traditions of music and dance, and the use of new technology to hear the sounds of earth that are beyond reach of the naked ear. We consider how long standing social and environmental interconnections are carried forward across generations through musical performance in societies, many of whom have had a relatively small environmental impact. We illustrate how intercultural song, dance and engaged listening practices are key to maintaining and nurturing the interrelational links between people and their environments, and address some of the ways in which the belief-systems and practices underpinning these traditions can redress environmental crises.
Guest edited by Georgia Curran, Myfany Turpin and Payi Linda Ford
Cover Image:
Pilu Fire Painting 2025 - Yimin pilu ga woewoe kayyama
Artist: Payi 3rd November, 2025
Rak Mak Mak Marranunngu
Country: Kurrindju, Via Darwin, Northern Territory, 0820 Australia
It is difficult for an English translation to encompass the full complexity of what is described in my language Mak Mak Marranunggu, the language for Kurrindju Country. Within the fire painting, the pilu ‘men’ perform songs and dance at multiple levels that point to the contextual heritage of Country. The pilu are performing inside the black circles, spot fires started by the akarrk 'falcon'. Both living and non-living pilu are embodied within an ever-changing environmental habitat, where, building on symbiotic connections, their survival is reliant on their ability to adapt to climate and environmental changes.
Ecological understanding links all the pilu who sing up the fire: the whistling kite, chicken hawk and others, including us humans who whistle up the fire and manage it. The fire nourishes this dense web of mutual relationality, enabling it to grow and flourish, building on the ability of both living and non-living entities to perform and listen deeply. The renewal can create new life after it's been sung and danced into existence.