Sound Art, Sound Design, Sound Installation and Music Composition

Heather Frahn is not just a singer songwriter, she also has an outstanding career in creating unique and interesting sound art compositions. Since the late 1990's Heather's music has been made for theatre companies, dance companies, short films, radio documentaries and more.

Heather started writing her own songs early and with an obvious natural talent for music, was encouraged to record her first demo tape of original songs in 1994 at age 14. From this, her performance career took off as the word spread through the local arts industry about her astoundingly mature voice. Heather soon became engaged in professional music concerts and theatre productions in Adelaide, while also going through secondary school.

In 1994, Slack Taxi's production of Crash Culture launched Heather as a singing and music sensation to an amazed public and arts industry. Heather then went onto performing the lead role in Patch Theatre Company's "Respectable Shoes", a multi-media rock musical which had constant touring and performance schedule in Australia from 1995-2000. Since these early days in her career, Heather has consistently progressed as a musician, vocalist, sound designer, instrumentalist and arts project facilitator.

Photo: Heather Frahn with Leigh Warren and Dancers Photo courtesy of the Messenger Newspaper

Heather is one of the few professional female sound designers in Adelaide and has written compelling and original music for theatre/dance productions, arts projects, radio documentaries, installations and short films. She started recording and experimenting with musical art in her home studio in the late 1990's with one of her first pieces made up entirely of sounds made on her washing machine!

“The piece utilises the skills of musician Heather Frahn, who performs an instrumental accompaniment, bowing her guitar and using "lots of samples and beats". Frahn becomes an integral part of the ensemble during the performance "It's got that melancholic sombre feel, but there's also that techno bass aspect to it. She's a one woman band says Worth enthusiastically.” dB Magazine - review of ‘Headlong' by Restless Dance Company

Heather's attitude that “any sounds can create musical textures” gave her a unique edge in her work as a sound designer. Heather has produced arrangements with acoustic instruments, found objects, spoken word as well as beats, loops, digital sounds and the human heart beat! This combination has infused musical soundscapes and compositions not unlike Bjork, Nitin Sawhney and Colin Offord.

"Heather Frahn's electronic score, quietly thrumming, booming, chattering, her own voice rising and falling in wordless chant through and above the sound." The Australian - Review for ‘Proximal' by Restless Dance

Heather has also designed her own musical instrument called the “Steel Drum Harp” made with a 44 gallon steel drum shell, harp strings, Tibetan singing bowls all played with various sticks and mallets. It has a uniquely beautiful sound which can either be powerful, rich and layered or spaciously gentle and fragile.

"I closed my eyes and opened my mind" was a reaction from an audience member after seeing a Restless Dance Company production featuring Heather's music.

Heather's diverse musicality developed through exploration in different musical styles including folk, rock, jazz, world, electronic, instrumental and improvised. Her vocals are astounding and dynamic. Her vocal tonality, precision and raw passion stirs audiences in her live performances and it's Heather's dedication to vocal development that has taken her singing into areas including harmonic singing, jazz scatting, Sanskrit mantra and beat boxing.

Photo below: Heather's Steel Drum Harp, a unique sounding string and percussion instrument. Phot by Todd Telford.

Heather plays many instruments and can make something musical out of almost anything! She has performed with an array of instruments over her career including 6 and 12 string guitars, double bass, lap slide guitar, mandola, Irish bouzouki, Turkish saz and Indian sitar. She teaches hand drumming in African and Latin styles and occasionally is guest percussionist with performance groups. Heather also has an interest in ancient sound healing techniques and has worked with hospital patients presenting gentle music with string instruments, harmonic singing, gongs and Singing Bowls to bring relaxation and well being.

“Frahn is on stage the whole time and her stunning music and soundscape, which gains in intensity throughout the performance, is a major factor in the success of the piece.” The Advertiser Newspaper - "Starry Eyed" Review

There have been countless projects over the years where Heather's sound design has featured. Some engagements have been with independent performance artists as well as companies including Restless Dance, Budgie Lung, Vitalstatistix, Radio Adelaide, SA Women's Health Centre, Riverland Youth Theatre, Tutti Arts, Carclew Youth Arts and Urban Myth. Some productions have featured in festivals such as the Adelaide Fringe, Feast, High Beam and Come Out.

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