Alan Taylor - Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight

Peter Greco hears from Alan Taylor who joined Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight at about 16 and is still involved with it. Alan shares his experiences of being part of this time honoured event for over 30 years, and other recollections of his involvement with music.

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Episode Transcript

S1 (00:18):
On Vision Australia Radio. This is Vision Xtra with Peter Greco.

S2 (00:25):
Well, the time honoured Australia Carols by Candlelight coming up
across Christmas Eve as it always does. Alan Taylor has
been taking part for quite some time. Alan's on the line, Alan.
Thanks for your time. Welcome.

S3 (00:38):
You're welcome. Thank you for having me.

S2 (00:40):
How did you get involved with carols? How long ago
was that?

S3 (00:43):
Oh, that all started for me back in 1994. How
did it. I just joined the choir two days a
week at Blackburn High School on a Monday and a
Thursday afternoon. And it was around October that year that
Doug Haywood, who runs the Carols Choir, he sent me
a letter asking me what I like to be involved.

(01:05):
And I thought, well, it sounds too good an opportunity
to say no to. So I went for it.

S2 (01:10):
Fantastic. And pretty much every year since then.

S3 (01:13):
Every single year. Yeah.

S2 (01:15):
Tremendous. What is about you, your school then? You were
at school at the time, were you?

S3 (01:19):
Yes. I was studying in Burwood at the time, at
what was then called the Royal Victorian Institute for the blind.

S2 (01:26):
And, uh, I guess your voice might have been a
bit different then, Alan.

S3 (01:29):
It was. I was much I was about 16 back then.
Was when I started. Yeah.

S2 (01:35):
Were you always good at music?

S3 (01:36):
It's been in the blood all my life. I've been
a musician since I was a young boy.

S2 (01:40):
You were trained or taught at school?

S3 (01:43):
Yeah. I was taught to play the piano at school, actually, and.
And I just went from there and got into drums
later at the age of seven. But singing something I've
always done all my life.

S2 (01:55):
Sometimes maybe I'm speaking about myself. Alan, sometimes you're kind
of forced to do music you don't really want to,
but you're kind of forced to. And then, you know,
maybe your parents kind of encouraged you very firmly to
do so. What was it like for you?

S3 (02:08):
I wasn't forced at all, actually. I just I just
decided that was what I wanted to do, and I
just went for it.

S2 (02:15):
What about as far as the singing part of it goes?
How did that all come about? Was that just part
of an extension of what you were doing?

S3 (02:23):
Exactly? It was quite an extension of what I was
doing at the time. It just came natural to me.

S2 (02:27):
Now, I've been dealing a bit with your dad over
the last few days. Is he a good singer as well?

S3 (02:32):
Um, no.

S2 (02:33):
But must have skipped a generation, Alan.

S3 (02:35):
I think so, yes. My dad, my brothers and sisters,
none of them sang. None of them sang or played
an instrument. It was. I'm the only one that did so.

S2 (02:45):
Oh, well, at least there's one talented person in the family.

S3 (02:49):
That's it?

S2 (02:50):
Yeah. Well, tell us a bit about the choir, then. Uh,
so how did that sort of come about? Were you
just were turning up and and got an invitation.

S3 (02:58):
I just received an invite to to do it. And
as I said, I found it had too good an
opportunity to say no to, so I just took it.

S2 (03:08):
What's it like? Because, I mean, it's a huge event.
I mean, a big crowd there in person anyway. And
then of course, you got the, the television audience, which
maybe you try not to think about.

S3 (03:18):
Well, I know there are millions watching it around Australia
and around the world.

S2 (03:23):
And of course, these days with it being online and
all that sort of stuff, and then, uh, the sort
of opportunities to kind of, as you say, take the
signal even further. Who knows how many people see it?

S3 (03:33):
Yeah, exactly.

S2 (03:35):
So many people changed in the choir since you joined. Uh,
you know, you said 1994.

S3 (03:41):
1994, I started, yeah.

S2 (03:43):
So it's 30 years ago. 31 years ago.

S3 (03:45):
Oh, yeah. We've had we've had members come and go
every year.

S2 (03:48):
And you're the only constant.

S3 (03:50):
I'm the only. I'm the only constant one that's been
going well.

S2 (03:53):
What about as far as, uh, letting the words go?
I mean, I guess probably, you know, most of the
sort of stuff anyway. But is there a secret to
learning the words or how do you go about doing it?

S3 (04:02):
I do a lot of that. I do by ear, yes.
And I'm very well classed as sound and tone and
pitch perfect.

S2 (04:09):
I was going to ask you about that because, Alan,
this program's been going for a while, and I reckon
probably the most, uh, discussed point is whether people who are, uh,
particularly if they're born blind, whether they have got perfect pitch, uh,
I don't know if there's a definitive answer. Someone should
probably do a PhD on it, but, well, you reckon

(04:29):
you are.

S3 (04:30):
Yeah, I and I did a diploma of music for
two years at Greensborough TAFE 1998 and 99 was there
and and I in 2011 my dad told me about
the Whittlesea Township Choir, who I've been singing with on
a Monday afternoon.

S2 (04:47):
So obviously love.

S3 (04:48):
It. Absolutely. It's it's a wonderful feeling to sing with
other people.

S2 (04:52):
I mean, when you listen to a good choir and
yours is obviously a good choir, it is a real pleasure,
isn't it? Like, you know, it's a it's a very
easy on the ear.

S3 (05:02):
Yeah. It's it's spine chilling when you hear it.

S2 (05:04):
What was the studying, uh, at the, uh, for whatever, uh,
you know, or whatever, uh, outlet it was. What was that, like,
kind of, you know, take a bit more seriously, or
was it more like the theory of it? Was that
what it was?

S3 (05:17):
Yeah, I think it was a bit of both getting
to the theory and getting to play and sing with
other people. It was incredible.

S2 (05:27):
I have to talk a little bit about your vision impairment.
That you were born blind?

S3 (05:32):
Yeah, I was I've been totally blind all my life. Born?
Born in Canberra, actually. And my it turns out my
mum had sugar, diabetes. And that's how. That's how I
ended up going blind.

S2 (05:44):
Yeah. So I guess if people say, what's it like?
You say, I don't really know any different.

S3 (05:48):
Oh, exactly. Yes. Because I don't know any different.

S2 (05:51):
What about as far as learning Braille, guys? Did you
learn Braille?

S3 (05:54):
I did learn to read Braille at the school when I.
When I was there, yes. And still do? Yes.

S2 (06:00):
Does that come in handy for things like learning words
and that sort of stuff?

S3 (06:04):
Sometimes it does, but other times I do a lot
of it by ear.

S2 (06:08):
And is it just like repetition?

S3 (06:09):
A lot of it, yes. Yeah. And sometimes it's very
tricky if I'm sitting between two people and the person
on my right is speaking to me, um, because I'm
deaf in the right ear as well. And so I
have to turn my head in that direction.

S2 (06:23):
Is that, uh, since birth as well?

S3 (06:26):
It has been. Yes.

S2 (06:28):
So, uh, hearing aids or something like that doesn't make
it any help.

S3 (06:31):
No, no, it doesn't make a difference.

S2 (06:34):
Yeah. Well, how does that impact upon how you hear
things as far as your your voice in that goes?
I guess you just again, that's the only way you've known.

S3 (06:43):
That's the only way I've always known. Yeah.

S2 (06:45):
What about as far as, um, the other members of
the choir and, and the way you get on who
kind of, uh, arranges the seeking and all that sort
of stuff.

S3 (06:55):
Mostly when we do the show, they're relying on me
to know when to come in and when not to.

S2 (07:00):
So I guess you don't need a conductor, per se.

S3 (07:03):
No. Well, uncle, uncle Doug Hayward, he's. He's been wonderful, actually.
He's a wonderful conductor and an absolute character to work with.

S2 (07:11):
I actually had the pleasure of interviewing Doug. Might be
3 or 4 years ago. And, uh, he made the
he made he made the point that, you know, people say,
I can't sing. I've got a voice to sing. He said,
everyone can sing. It's just a matter of how good
or bad you are. But, you know, it doesn't mean
you shouldn't. Shouldn't try it.

S3 (07:28):
Exactly. Yes. Yeah. And I'm soon to be going on
a some of my fellow Eltham Concert Band members who
I play drums with there. They're going on a music
camp to Harrietville from the ninth to the 18th of
next month.

S2 (07:43):
Pardon my guts with Harrietville up.

S3 (07:45):
Mount Hotham way up.

S2 (07:47):
Okay, so.

S3 (07:48):
All that area.

S2 (07:49):
In Victoria?

S3 (07:50):
Yeah.

S2 (07:51):
And what happens at that camp? Or I guess you
tell us after you've been on it.

S3 (07:55):
It'll be a lot of music, that's for sure.

S2 (07:57):
Yeah. Well, what, uh. What happened as far as learning
the drums go, was that, you know, sort of like, uh,
the sort of thing that a cool kid wants to do.

S3 (08:04):
Well, it was because I always used to anything I
got my hands on. I'd be banging on it. Yeah,
I'd be playing bass with my hands and stuff. And
that's when my stepmom, Margaret decided, right. That's it. If
you're going to learn to if you're going to learn
to be the drummer, you're going to do it right.

S2 (08:21):
What about as far as the, um, the the type
of music that you listen to just for relaxation or
sort of in your own time? What sort of music
do you do there?

S3 (08:30):
Oh, I could I listen to I like all kinds
of music, really. I'm into, like, the 50s and 60s
rock and roll. Okay. Yeah. A bit of jazz, a
bit of country. I like a lot of music.

S2 (08:42):
Alan, what about the kind of newer stuff today? The
the rap and the well, the techno. I guess it's
not so new these days, but what about that?

S3 (08:51):
Some of it I can't really understand, but particularly when
the rappers, when they do the fast raps, I haven't
got a clue what they're saying. I also entertained a
bunch of German, German and Swiss tourists in um in
South Australia. Wilpena pound in the form of binges. Okay.
We were at the hotel there and I was we
were in the pool there and well, I was drumming

(09:15):
on the water and singing and all that.

S2 (09:18):
Fantastic. Well, you're almost like a one person entertainment machine.

S3 (09:23):
The complete package.

S2 (09:24):
The complete package. Yeah. Well said. What about as far
as the future goes? I mean, I'm thinking, you know,
there's obviously things like Australian Idol and The Voice and
those sort of television shows. Is it ever occurred to
you that you might wanna have a crack at one
of those?

S3 (09:38):
I've never really thought about that, actually. Never thought of
going on The Voice or Idol or any of those shows. Yeah. But, um,
there's also, as far as my drumming back in 2001, uh,
Drum Tech were running the Australia's best up and coming
drummer competition, and I entered that year in 2001 and

(10:00):
I came in second place.

S2 (10:02):
Fantastic. So obviously, uh, it's not just you that thinks
you're a good drummer. Other people do as well.

S3 (10:07):
Other people think I'm pretty good. Yeah.

S2 (10:10):
What about forming a band as distinct from being in
a choir? Does that appeal at all?

S3 (10:14):
I love playing in bands.

S2 (10:16):
Yeah.

S3 (10:17):
Absolutely. Love it.

S2 (10:19):
Drums.

S3 (10:19):
Drums mainly. Yes. And the the occasional keyboard gigs I've.
I've had with bands as well.

S2 (10:26):
What sort of music have those bands played?

S3 (10:28):
For a while there I was in a band called
The Cadillacs, and they played all your classic 50s and
60s rock and roll music that we, most of us
grew up with people like Elvis and Chuck Berry. Yeah,
the the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, all the good old
stuff that we know and love.

S2 (10:45):
It's a pretty cool name for a band, isn't it,
from that era, isn't it? Cadillac. I mean, that was
sort of all the go, wasn't it?

S3 (10:51):
Oh, yeah. Yeah. I started out in that band as
the drummer and, um, Scott Wallace, who was also managing
the band. He was the keyboard player at the time
when I, when I joined on drums. And then he
quit the band as keyboard player and, and still kept
managing the band. And so I switched to they got

(11:12):
a new drummer and I switched to keyboards.

S2 (11:14):
Fantastic.

S3 (11:16):
And because I'm the only blind member of that band,
the other band members had described me as being Australia's
answer to Ray Charles.

S2 (11:25):
Well, I'll tell you what. It could be worse.

S3 (11:29):
Well, at first I didn't really know how to take
the how to take that. But, um, now these days,
I when I hear Australia's answer to Ray Charles, I
take it as a compliment, so.

S2 (11:40):
Well, I think it certainly would be meant as that.
Have you ever been? Did you ever go to the
Braille music camps at Mittagong?

S3 (11:46):
Yes I did. I went there from 96 through to 2007.

S2 (11:53):
I feel like they're pretty good fun.

S3 (11:54):
It was. It was amazing.

S2 (11:56):
As you say, kind of music as you'd expect, is
the kind of centre plate.

S3 (12:00):
Yeah, well, a lot of other blind mates of mine,
most of whom I knew from school, people like, uh,
Christian Koch, Jean Carland, uh, Geordie. Hal.

S2 (12:10):
Oh, Geordie. Hell, what a legend.

S3 (12:12):
Oh, yeah.

S2 (12:13):
Great. Great. Great person. Uh, Alan.

S3 (12:16):
With them over many, many years.

S2 (12:18):
Alan, do you get nervous before performing?

S3 (12:20):
Well, the the first year when I. When I walked
into the bowl on Christmas Eve, I did get a
little nervous now. And now I'm fine.

S2 (12:29):
And you do a rehearsal, too, the night before Christmas Eve,
don't you as well.

S3 (12:33):
Yeah. We we now these days we've been doing two.
We've been doing two rehearsal nights at the Sydney Myer
Bowl these days the 22nd and the 23rd of December.

S2 (12:44):
Well, Alan, it's great to talk to you. Thank you
for making time. Uh, it's really much appreciated. I'm sure
it'll be another great night. It always is. And I
know Vic Australia benefit from it. And, you know, for
someone like you to be in the choir, kind of
flying the flag for people blind or low vision. Well done.
Long may you continue. And again, thank you for spending
the time with us.

S3 (13:03):
Thank you very much, Peter. It's been a pleasure.

S2 (13:06):
It's Alan Taylor there from 1994, a member of the
choir that performs at Australia's Carols by Candlelight, also performing
with other choirs and bands. So a very talented musician.

S1 (13:21):
Thank you for listening to Vision Extra with Peter Greco.
You can find this interview on Apple, Google, Spotify or
your favorite podcast platform. This show was produced in the
Adelaide studios of Vision Australia Radio.