An occasion steeped in ceremony and careful staging, leaders photos are a highlight for media at diplomatic summits.
But it was the dramatic music that caught the attention of journalists and diplomatic staff at this month’s ASEAN Special Summit in Melbourne.
In a pointed choice, Prime Minister and Cabinet’s leader of operations and ceremonies manager Dean Worthington chose Nigel Westlake’s score for the Australian film Paper Planes, according to a departmental spokesperson.
“The orchestral film score for the movie Paper Planes, which was composed by Nigel Westlake and performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, was played during the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit leaders’ arrival,” they said.
“The music was chosen to be a celebration of Melbourne and Australian culture.”
Paper Planes tells the story of 12-year-old Dylan Weber’s journey to the world paper plane championships in Tokyo. On the face of it, this humble story is a peculiar fit for a diplomatic summit, but Westlake thinks they might have been attracted to the combination of gravity supplied by the orchestra, and humility from the leading wind instruments.
Westlake, one of Australia’s greatest living composers, had no idea his music was being used at the summit but was delighted to hear his score had found a life away from the screen.
“I can imagine the positivity and optimism one might be able to hear in the score might have been useful in this context … I hope it worked to good effect” he said.
“I’m always thrilled when my music finds a home somewhere and has a practical application as well as a high art application in the concert hall
“I had no idea — it’s so weird but interesting. I’m really excited to hear it.”
The Paper Planes score is more Australian than will be obvious on first listen. While Westlake says he drew inspiration from 20th-century American composers like Aaron Copeland, the film was made possible in part thanks to a Screen Australia grant.
Australian musicians often find themselves frustrated trying to get grants to create original music. With individual grants for new music down more than 70% over the last 20 years, you are more likely to be bitten by a snake than receive a grant for original music in Australia. The majority of music funding distributed by the government is pre-allocated to large metropolitan organisations, performing the music of dead Europeans.
Westlake is keenly aware of this. He suggested if the government wanted to see more music celebrating Australia, ensuring people have the resources they need is the first and most important step.
“I think the success of that score is due in no small part to the fact I was given the freedom and resources to create something special and memorable,” Westlake said.
“For music to be able to be relevant, and be able to be used in a situation like this, that’s the result of a lot of work, investment of time and resources and opportunities.
“Resources can play a very important part in the creation of new work … It’s good to be cognisant of in terms of the future of the arts in this country.”
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