3 Shades Black

Image by Sarah Walker.

Hi, My name’s Miranda and I’m the founder and artistic director of 3 Shades Black.

I’m a classically trained double bassist, musician, producer, and educator. My performance interests move from historically informed period performance through to improvisation, and I am passionate about bringing experimental musical concepts to a broader audience, and integrating improvisation and experimentation into music education.  Increasingly, my work includes social justice and activism; through creating music for protests, to community music direction, and working with diverse members of our community.

Aside from 3 Shades, I am Musical Director of Riff Raff Radical Marching Band;  led the street bands for Serenading Adela, and was co-director with Jane York of the Sing4equality project, which culminated in a 20,000 strong choir singing for marriage equality. I’m also one half of: “Octave Pussy” electro-acoustic drum and bass duo with Nat Grant; the artistic collaboration Fine Fine Small Mountain, who in 2015 spent 7 months living and working in rural China, and toured east coast Australia in 2016;  and with Leah Scholes: The Flying Tapirs, the tastiest theatre-music duo you’ve ever met. I am a core member of BOLT ensemble, Scottish Baroque group the Evergreen ensemble, Genesis Baroque, and The Adam Simmons Creative Music Ensemble. In non musical spheres: I keep the hotel room blog “Why won’t the windows open?” and a highlight of 2017 was playing a “lesbian avenger” in the Taylor Mac ’24 hour decade history of popular music’ at the Melbourne Festival!

 
As a double bassist, I earn my keep freelancing in groups such as the Melbourne and Adelaide Symphony, Orchestra Victoria, Opera Australia regional touring Orchestra, Australian Romantic Classical Orchestra, Arcko Symphonic Ensemble, Melbourne Baroque Orchestra, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, and any ensemble doing suitably amusing projects. I teach at ‘Crashendo’ el sistema string program in Laverton with Erica Rasmussen, as well as a studio of private students.

I studied at VCASS, the VCA, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and the Hartt school of music in Hartford, Connecticut, with teachers including Steve Reeves, Diana Gannett, and Robert Black.

My interests have always veered towards the experimental and fun. Steve Rush, Professor at UofM taught me about bringing laughter to classical performances, and the new set of challenges that arise when you mix artistic genres with a sense of humour and levity.  3 Shades Black is dedicated to making experimental music and performance accessible and transparent to a new audience. Taking high-falutin’ artsy concepts and framing them so everyone can appreciate how awesome they are.

Not such a big ask, surely.