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  • Dr Nick Abbey

    Dr Nick Abbey

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    http://www.nickabbeymusic.com
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Dr Nick Abbey

Lecturer

Staff Member Details
Email: n.abbey@ecu.edu.au
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2359-2638

Nick is a Lecturer (Jazz and Contemporary Bass) and First Year Student Officer at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.

Background

Since arriving from Melbourne in 2006, bassist/composer Dr Nick Abbey has become an integral fixture of WA’s jazz and contemporary music scenes. Not only an eminently reliable sideman featured with the likes of Veronica Swift, Peter Bernstein, George Garzone, and Paul Grabowsky, Nick has established himself as a compelling artistic voice in his own right through his award-winning original music projects. Nick’s main creative outlet is his eponymous trio, which released ‘Phantoms’ (Newmarket Music) in 2019 and is working towards a new studio release featuring an expanded quintet lineup. Nick is also currently developing a self-produced audio-visual recording of original music for solo double bass, as well as a collaboration between jazz/hip-hop trio TRISK and a series of exciting vocalists and MCs.

Through over a decade of teaching at WAAPA and in UWA’s Conservatorium of Music, Nick has demonstrated a sustained excellence in tertiary education that was recognised via receipt of the 2021 ECU Vice Chancellor’s Sessional Staff Award. He has recently joined WAAPA’s full-time staff, teaching across each of the music specialisations, from diploma to postgraduate level, and into a range of topics including performance, research, recording, and music business skills.

Building from his divergent-thinking PhD, which explored holistic issues facing modern-day musicians, Nick’s key interest as an artist, educator, and researcher is to help improve social practices in the field by exploring strategies for adapting to the challenging, evolving context surrounding modern-day arts practice.

Professional associations:

  • Newmarket Music
  • International Society of Bassists
  • Musicological Society of Australia
  • APRA/AMCOS
  • WAM
  • Perth Jazz Society
  • JazzWA

Awards and recognition:

  • 2022 - APRA/AMCOS Professional Development Award shortlist
  • 2021 - Edith Cowan University Vice Chancellor’s Sessional Staff Excellence Award
  • 2020 - Freedman Jazz Fellowship shortlist
  • 2015 - National Jazz Awards semi-finalist
  • 2012-2014, 2019 - 4x WA Music Industry Jazz Song of the Year winner

Research areas and interests:

  • Practice-led research
  • Understanding and adapting to the evolving creative context of arts practice
  • Composition and songwriting
  • Best practice for learning and teaching musical skills

Qualifications

  • TAE40116, Other WA registered training organisation, 2021.
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Edith Cowan University, 2019.
  • Bachelor of Science, The University of Western Australia, 2014.
  • Bachelor in Music with First Class Honours, Edith Cowan University, 2012.
  • Bachelor of Music Major in Jazz Performance, Edith Cowan University, 2008.

Research Outputs

2023

Creative Arts Research Outputs

  • Paget, J., Abbey, N., Oehlers, J., Smith, S., Ding, S., Filipe, L., Li, S., Ye, T., Yang, T. (2023). East meets West: Cross-cultural imaginings. [scores, video files, audio files]. Nanjing University of the Arts. https://doi.org/NA.
  • Paget, J., Abbey, N., Oehlers, J., White, T., Ding, W., Huang, C., Lancaster, G., Ling, S., Ling, K., Tang, Z., Wang, Y., Ye, D. (2023). Nanjing Epiphanies. [video files, sound files]. Nanjing University of the Arts: Recital Hall (9th), Popular Music Theatre (13th), Experimental Theatre (15th). https://doi.org/NA.

2014

Creative Arts Research Outputs

  • Torrance, V., Tarr, C., Abbey, N., Jeans, S., Cohen, T. (2014). Victoria Newton at the Perth International Jazz Festival. Forrest Place Perth, WA.
  • Berstein, P., O'Halloran, T., Susnjar, D., Abbey, N. (2014). Peter Berstein at the Perth International Jazz Festival. The Ellington Jazz Club, Perth.
  • Wood, G., Vanderwal, B., Abbey, N., Kate, H. (2014). Hetty Kate with the Graham Wood Trio. The Ellington Jazz Club, Perth.

2013

Creative Arts Research Outputs

  • Tarr, C., Holmes, R., Greive, C., Mackey, C., Abbey, N. (2013). Becc Sanderson. The Ellington Jazz Club, Perth.
  • Mackey, C., Vanderwal, B., Abbey, N. (2013). Luke Sweeting PJS Collaboratory. The Ellington Jazz Club, Perth.
  • Wood, G., Susnjar, D., Abbey, N. (2013). The Graham Wood Trio 2013. The Ellington Jazz Club, Perth.
  • Wood, G., Oehlers, J., Jeans, S., Abbey, N., Vanderwal, B. (2013). Remembrance - The Graham Wood Trio + 2 CD Launch. The Ellington Jazz Club, Perth.
  • Styles, M., Abbey, N., Perkins, M., Macdonald, G. (2013). Glyn MacDonald Group at the Ellington. Ellington Jazz Club, Perth.
  • Oehlers, J., Abbey, N., Vanderwal, B., Cohen, T., Robertson, B., Fischer, D., Keller, A., Magnusson, S. (2013). Alison Wedding with the Jamie Oehlers Quartet. Bennetts Lane Jazz Club, Melbourne and Ellington Jazz Club, Perth.
  • Thorne, D., James, S., Falle, B., Foster, C., Abbey, N., Malet, R. (2013). Det Nopsus. Daniel Thorne and Stuart James.

2012

Creative Arts Research Outputs

  • O'Halloran, T., Abbey, N., Tarr, C., Coffin, S. (2012). Sean Coffin. The Ellington Jazz Club.

2011

Creative Arts Research Outputs

  • Luebbers, J., Falle, B., Abbey, N., Foster, C., Robinson, T., Dixon, D., G'froerer, C., Little, S., Collins, B., Nicholls, S., Fisendon, S. (2011). Johannes Luebbers Dectet CD Launch. The Ellington Jazz Club.
  • Wood, G., McNulty, C., Bollenback, P., Abbey, N., Vanderwal, B. (2011). Chris McNulty live at The Ellington Jazz Club. The Ellington Jazz Club.
  • Wood, G., Abbey, N., Vanderwal, B. (2011). The Graham Wood Trio 30/9/11. The Ellington Jazz Club.
  • Wood, G., Abbey, N., Vanderwal, B. (2011). The Graham Wood Trio 8/7/11. The Ellington Jazz Club.
  • Oehlers, J., Grabowsky, P., Greig, J., Mackey, C., Abbey, N., Evans, J. (2011). The Bitter Suite - Perth. Ellington Jazz Club.
  • Luebbers, J., Thompson, B., Nicholls, S., Little, S., G'froerer, C., Robinson, T., Foster, C., Abbey, N., Falle, B., Fisenden, S., Collins, B., Dixon, D. (2011). Performance with the Johannes Luebbers Dectet featuring Brett Thompson. Ellington Jazz Club.
  • Wood, G., Abbey, N., Vanderwal, B. (2011). The Graham Wood Trio 28/10/11. The Ellington Jazz Club.
  • Styles, M., Macdonald, G., Perkins, M., Abbey, N. (2011). Beijing Ninegates International Jazz Festival. National Library Concert Hall, Beijing.
  • Wood, G., Vanderwal, B., Abbey, N. (2011). The Graham Wood Trio 13/5/11. The Ellington Jazz Club.
  • Wood, G., Abbey, N., Vanderwal, B. (2011). The Graham Wood Trio 19/8/11. The Ellington Jazz Club.
  • Wood, G., Abbey, N., Vanderwal, B. (2011). The Graham Wood Trio 10/6/11. The Ellington Jazz Club.
  • Luebbers, J., James, S., Thomas, E., Nicholls, S., Little, S., Collins, B., G'froerer, C., Dixon, D., Robinson, T., Foster, C., Abbey, N., Falle, B., Malone, A., Jeans, S. (2011). JLD: The Exquisite Corpse of Beethoven. Kieran Kenderessy and Stuart James.
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