Simon Crean (Hotham, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaker, on indulgence: yesterday I had the pleasure to congratulate Gotye for three Grammy awards. Today I want to congratulate another standout Australian musician, Tim Munro, who took home two Grammys with his Chicago-based ensemble, Eighth Blackbird. Meanwhile, Tim Munro and his recording won a Grammy for the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance and a Grammy for the Best Contemporary Composition.

Like Gotye, Tim also received an Australia Council grant of $7,440, in 2009, to commission a new musical work for flute, Lost Compass. This premiered in Chicago in 2011.

This is another example of how investments in the arts do produce important dividends for this country. Tim and his ensemble, Eighth Blackbird, also play regularly in Australian performances and have included a collaboration with students of the Australian National Academy of Music, ANAM .

Tim himself studied at ANAM in the early stages of his career. Tim is also giving back to emerging Australian artists through his participation as an international music mentor with the Australia Council's JUMP program. I congratulate Tim Munro for his great achievement and also for his contribution to Australian music.