If you missed out on a ticket to Diplo’s sold-out show at the Hordern on the weekend, there’s still an opportunity to catch the producer in a much more intimate setting. This Sunday at the Giant Dwarf he’ll be sitting down with Nina Las Vegas for a Q&A session, talking about his work through the processes of discovering, collaboration, and creating. Over an hour, Diplo will give insight into how consistent collaboration, learning and persistence has allowed him to create a global empire from the ground up.
All profits from the even will go to Heaps Decent, a non-profit arts organisation founded by Nina Las Vegas, DJ Levins and Diplo himself back in 2007. 10 years on, Heaps Decent continues to works with young people and emerging artists from marginalised and disadvantaged communities. They facilitate songwriting and production workshops around Australia in remote communities, juvenile detention centres, and locally out of their home base in Redfern.
We checked in with Nina Las Vegas to hear what we can expect from the session, and find out what’s coming up at Heaps Decent.
You’ll be talking with Diplo about collaboration, learning and persistence. What’s the importance of these when making music?
I think you survive better when you open yourself up to working with other people, learning from them and continuing when it gets real hard. Being a creative is always going to be a hard path. But if you make it enjoyable, it will be a million times more rewarding.
You grew up in a pretty rural zone. Any advice for producers trying to connect with the music community if they aren’t close to big cities or well-populated scenes?
Create a scene where you are. Use the internet and support the other creative people in your community. You’ll be surprised how many like minded people you can find when looking!
What projects are coming up for Heaps Decent?
We’re going to try and raise awareness and funds for the organisation this year. There have been a lot of major changes with Arts & Government funding over the past few years, so it’s a good time to start working on finding funding in other ways. We’re continuing our weekly workshops at Redfern Community Centre and Key College, plus plenty of Regional trips, Juvi visits all over NSW and ACT and remote community workshops.
Diplo: Discovering, Collaboration and Creating
Q&A with Nina Las Vegas
Date: Sunday 12th March
Time: 6:00pm for a 6:30pm start
Cost: $25 pre-sale, $30 on the door. Profit (after costs) to go to Heaps Decent.
Address: Giant Dwarf, 199 Cleveland St, Redfern NSW 2016