Essence of Place

Nicky and Peter have been partners in music, life and art for over 30 years. In the past 20 years they have performed extensively as the duo Little Oberon. Their creative journey has always been strongly connected to nature and on a trip to the Snowy River in 2006 they found themselves spontaneously composing a piece of music while camped on its banks. This was the birth of Essence of Place, a project that sees them traveling to places across Australia and composing music arising spontaneously from their relationship with the landscape.  

In 2011 they were introduced to the practice of deep listening by indigenous elders from Australia and North America while participating in the Shearwater Festival on Phillip Island. As well as participating in circles with elders they also played in the Deep Listening Band. In 2015 they were invited by the local first nations people to perform at the Quandamooka festival, Stradbroke Island Queensland. They have played music at retreats for space holding to create a nurturing safe space for self expression, for Indigenous people presenting papers at university, at the International Bush Adventure Therapy Conference in Sydney, The Star Light Festival Byron Bay, Bass Coast Yoga Festival, The Re Connect Yoga Festival Melbourne, The Creative Mental Health Forum South Gippsland, accompanying yoga classes and as Essence of Place Sound Journeys around Victoria. 

In 2012 Nicky did diplomas in both Voice Sound Therapy and Holistic Voice Therapy to formalise the healing power of music and sound she had witnessed in 30 years of teaching singing. This scientific understanding of the healing properties of sound combine with the artistic sensibilities of many years of performing and the intuitive connection to nature in the music they offer.