SHOWCASING SONGS
Leah's development as a producer began informally more than thirty years ago with her own one-woman cabaret shows. More recently her efforts have been poured into projects that showcase admired singers and musicians.
In 2019 Leah was creative producer for 'The Genius of John Rodgers' for the Queensland Music Festival with QPAC and the QSO. In 2018 she was the creative producer for community choir event 'Songs From Our Suburbs'.
Her most noteworthy collaborations include:
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'The Ultimate Prize' (Brisbane Cabaret Festival 2005) which framed the songwriting of John Rodgers in a comedic narrative,
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'Foolish Things', (Museum of Brisbane 2006) a performance and exhibition for which Leah and Helen Russell interviewed generations of Brisbane musicians
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'Whoa Tilly!' (Sydney Children's Festival 2010) which celebrated the warmth and charm of Barbara Fordham in a suite of new jazz songs for children
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'Little Birung' (Cairns Indigenous Arts Fair 2010) which brought together John and Megan Sarmardin to create a song cycle telling the story of six generations of a proud North Queensland Indigenous family
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'Remembering the Primitif' (Creative Sparks 2015) which assembled the musicians and patrons of Brisbane's original modern jazz hub, sharing their homage to Peter Hackworth's hip cafe with the new generation of young jazz players
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In 2023, with Narelle McCoy, Leah hopes to co-produce a site-specific performance about grief and death rituals weaving together personal, philosophical and practical reflections with a rich selection of folk music, called 'Whistling Past the Graveyard'.
