West Australian saxophonist, instrument maker and composer, Mark Cain’s career spans world music, jazz, experimental and free improvised genres, including music he has written for dance, theatre, short film and his numerous bands. As a multi-instrumentalist and instrument maker he co-founded in 1987 the ground-breaking concept group, AC/PVC, who designed and built (from plumbing pipe) all their on-stage instruments. He toured nationally and internationally (Indonesia, Taiwan, Brunei) with Nova Ensemble (1991 - 2006); performed across Australia with Musica Viva in Schools (Nova Ensemble, Ozmosis and most recently, Eastwinds) and has worked throughout Australia as a solo performer in schools with Nexus Arts (Victoria) playing instruments of his own invention from simple, recyclable materials. Over his career he has worked and performed in countless schools in both city and regional Australia. An English/Arts graduate, Cain's career began as a public radio journalist training Western Australia’s first indigenous radio broadcasters as part of Noongar Radio (Ab Radio) at Radio 6NR (Curtin University 1979–85).
Cain's signature is the instruments he makes from plumbing accessories and other recyclable industrial materials, dating back to his work in Tall Stories (with mentor, Linsey Pollak in 1985) and AC/PVC (1987 - 91). His trademark is his use of simple, commonly available materials resulting in imaginative and often whimsical instruments whose sounds confound their origins.
He has worked in many indigenous and regional communities among musicians and non-musicians alike, building instruments from ‘found’ or recycled materials and collaboratively devising performances that explore local themes. His 2012 Musica Viva/AIR Grant Artist-In-Residence was a collaboration (with a visual artist) constructing an interactive sound playground at Belmay Primary School in Western Australia. In 2014 and 2015 Cain was an Artist in Residence for Tura New Music based in indigenous communities on the Dampier Peninsula, Kimberley WA working alongside community members constructing musical sculptures for a playground sited at Lombadina school. In 2017-18 he was Musician in Residence at Safety Bay Primary, again collaborating with the school community to construct a large-scale sound playground based on a nautical theme inspired by student ideas and sketches. Working in both solo and groups settings, Cain has held many other artist residencies in communities around Australia.
Mark Cain is WA's longest serving musician in the national Musica Viva in Schools program as a member of Nova Ensemble (1991 - 2005), Ozmosis (2009 - 2014) and Eastwinds (2019 - 2024). He has also toured extensively as a solo artist with Nexus Arts (Victoria 1992 - 2021). From 2014 to 2018 he was a WASO Teaching Artist (OKME), whilst also working with The Song Room. He is a former World Music Cultures lecturer at the School of Music, University of Western Australia (2006 - 2008), whilst working intermittently as a music producer with ABC Radio National (The Planet).
His long-time interest in Balkan, Jewish klezmer and jazz-inflected world music led to groups such as: Bulgarity, Rita Menendez Trio, Crab Tango, Language, The Elastic Band and Caravan. In 2008 he shared the WAM World Music Award with his group, The Flying Carpathians. In 2009, Cain founded the quintet, Daramad, who won a Songlines/World Music (Network Medien) international competition, World Battle of the Bands (2013). Two of his compositions (and three Daramad pieces) are released on the international Rough Guide To World Music label - Rough Guide to Arabic Jazz, Rough Guide to the Best Arabic Music You've Never Heard and Rough Guide to Arabic Cafe.
For decades Cain has worked as a catalyst bringing together musicians from different parts of the world, including his 30-year long involvement with Kulcha in Fremantle, formerly the North Perth Ethnic Music Centre. He currently performs with the group he co-founded in 2014, Eastwinds, with musicians from Iran, Estonia, Japan, UK and Australia. In 2016 Eastwinds won the WAM Song of the Year competition (World Music) and performed at the National Folk Festival (Canberra), Fairbridge Festival (WA) in consecutive years and the Nanga Music Festival (WA). From 2018 - 2024 Eastwinds (originally as a quartet, then a trio) toured nationally with Musica Viva in Schools. In recent years Cain has also toured playing at festivals, including the National Folk Festival (Canberra) with Indian-born sarod player, Praashekh Borkar and currently plays with southern African guitarist, Ilan Zagoria. In numerous musical settings he has been a mainstay performer at the Fairbridge Music Festival (WA) for over 16 years.
Based in Fremantle WA, Cain plays an array of wind instruments, including saxophones, clarinets, flutes and ethnic woodwinds, as well as wind and percussion instruments of his own invention - many of which are featured on his largely solo multi-woodwind recordings, Reeds (2004) and his more recent, Cameos (2021).
2024 Member, Eastwinds (6-piece) Reunion Concert, Fremantle Park Centre
2024 Member, Eastwinds (6-piece) Reunion Concert 2, Duke of George Bistro
2024 Member, Eastwinds (6-piece) Reunion Concert 3, Lyrics Underground
2924 Member, Eastwinds, Sydney west metro, Bathurst, Lithgo tour
2024 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS WA SW - Esperance and metro tour
2024 Member, Eastwinds, Western NSW - Orange, Forbes, Coonabarabran etc
2023 Solo instrument making workshops - National Folk Festival, Canberra
2023 Member. Eastwinds, MVIS NSW metro East tour
2023 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS ACT tour
2023 Performance and instrument-making workshops with LIMA (Launceston, Tasmania)
2023 Awesome Arts Musician in Residence - Punmu & Kunawarritji (RAWA Lands)
2023 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS QLD Darling Downs and SW NSW tour
2023 Member, Zagoria Quartet, Duke of George
2022 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS Victorian metro, Gippsland, Grampians and Hume tour
2922 Musician, Awesome Arts Gascoyne Junction PS residency
2022 Member, Eastwinds Musica Viva Pannawonica (WA) short residency
2022 Member, Zagoria Quartet, Nanga Festival (WA)
2022 Member, Zagoria Quartet, Ellington Jazz Club
2022 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS Central and far North QLD regional tour
2022 Member, Awakenings Ensemble, concert at Duke of George
2022 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS NSW North West and metro North tour
2022 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS NSW metro South-west/metro North tour
2022 Presenter, World Music Cafe Workshop
2022 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS Government House concert
2022 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS Pannawonica residency (WA)
2021 Released his solo cd, Cameos (Parenthèses Records)
2021 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS tour NSW Metro
2921 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS tour South Australia
2021 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS tour NSW north region
2021 Member, Awakenings Ensemble, Hemispheres Series Concert PSAS
2021 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS Government House concert
2021 Member. Eastwinds, MVIS Kalgoorlie/Meredin tour
2921 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS Yanchep schools residencies (Yanchep Lagoon PS, Yanchep Beach PS)
2021 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS schools residency, Dudley Park P.S.
2021 Member, Eastwinds, MVIS schools residency, Falcon P.S.
2021 Member, Zagoria Trio, Perth Zoo Concert
2121 Member, Zagoria Quartet, Duke of George
2021 Member, Swara Synthesis concert with Avra Bannerjee
2021 Duo with Ilan Zagoria - Melville Midwinter Concert, Point Walter
2020 Member, Praashekh Quartet, Fairbridge Festival WA
2020 Member, Praashekh Quartet, Albany Harbourside Festival & Wolery concert (WA)
2020 Member, Eastwinds, Musica Viva in Schools - live Zoom concerts: QLD regional schools
2020 Member, Eastwinds , Musica Viva in Schools - live Zoom concerts: NSW regional schools
2020 Member, Eastwinds , Musica Viva in Schools - live Zoom concerts: Esperance schools
2020 Member, Eastwinds, Musica Viva in Schools Metro concerts (WA)
2020 Member Eastwinds: PSAS Hemispheres - Yasukazu Kano collaboration concert
2020 Convenor, Hemispheres (world music series): Derek Gripper (South Africa)f
2019 Member, Tapestri Tour - Albany/Denmark (Baluji Shrivastav, Lucky Oceans et. al)
2019 Member, Tapestri Tour- Ellington Jazz Club (Baluji Shrivastav, Praashekh, Lucky Oceans)
2019 Member, Praashekh Quartet, National Folk Festival, Canberra
2019 Convenor, Hemispheres (world music series): Manran, Jigjam, BandItaliana_
2019 Member, Eastwinds - Ellington Jazz Club
2019 Member, Eastwinds MVIS touring: Victoria, mid-west WA, SW WA and metro schools
2019 WASO Teaching artist, Onslow (WA) recurrent residency
2019 Member, Eastwinds MVIS Kalgoorlie region tour
2018 Artist-In-Residence, Griffyn Ensemble (Canberra): Innovative instruments project
2018 Member, Junkadelic, HonkOz Festival, Woolongong, Vic
2018 WASO Teaching Artist, Onslow P.S.
2018 Eastwinds Musica Viva in Schools show development
2018 Member, Eastwinds, HonkOz WA festival
2018 Member, Zagoria Quartet, Harbourside Festival (Albany WA)
2018 Denmark Festival of the Voice: Praashekh Quartet
2018 Member, Praashekh Quartet: Fairbridge Festival WA
2018 Member, Eastwinds, Mandurah Performing Arts Centre
2018 Musician-In-Residence, Safety Bay P.S. completion of sound playground community project
2017 Musician-in-Residence, Safety Bay Primary - construction of sound playground project
2017 Nomination, WAM World Music Award: Praashekh Quartet
2017 Member, Eastwinds, Festival of the Voice, Denmark WA
2017 Member, Praashekh Quartet, Harboursound Festival, Albany WA; & Wolery, Denmark WA
2017 Member, Eastwinds, Hemispheres - Music of the World series, PS Art Space
2017 Member, Praashekh Quartet, Fairbridge Festival WA
2017 Praashekh Quartet, cd release, Swara Blend
2017 Perth International Arts Festival: Eastwinds, Winthrop Hall Gardens
2017 Sound Scripts Periodical Vol 5: Dr Robin Ryan - Forging a Singular Musical Path
The Compositional Explorations of Mark Cain (WA New Music Archive)
2017 Convenor, Hemispheres - Music of the World Music Series, PS Art Space
2017 Member, Eastwinds - opening TASA Conference (Australian Sociological Assoc.) UWA
2016 Perfect Beat periodical: Dr Robin Ryan In Conversation with Mark Cain
"Kernels of Discovery - Original Musical Instruments and Acoustic Sound
Designs (Perfect Beat (online) ISSN 1836-0343)
2016 Member, Eastwinds, National Folk Festival Canberra – performances/workshops
2016 Member, Eastwinds, Nanga Music Festival
2016 Member, Eastwinds, Fairbridge Festival (WA)
2016 Member, Persian Music Collective, Fairbridge Festival (WA)
2016 Member, Eastwinds at the Ellington Jazz Club
2016 WAM Song of the Year winners (World Music): Eastwinds
2016 WASO Teaching Artist (with Paul Tanner) Onslow WA
Bands (1985 - 2024)
Eastwinds
Zagoria Quartet
Praashekh Quartet
Awakenings Ensemble (directed by Michael Pignéguy)
Daramad
The flying Carpathians (with Andy Copeman)
Club Qahira (with Mike Zolker, Ross Ottaviano)
Nova Ensemble (directed by David Pye)
Ozmosis & Ozmosis Street Band
Miracle Band X (led byJamie David)
AC/PVC (with Peter Keelan)
Windcheaters (with Lee Buddle)
Orchestra of the Global Nomads (directed by David Pye)
Bulgarity (with Ross Bolleter)
The Elastic Band (with Paul Tanner, Leanne Glover, Rex Horan, Glenn Rogers)
Wanderlust Trio (with Phil Kakulas , Sally Trewin)
Caravan (with Andy Copeman)
Language (with Diocleziano Bosco)
Slices of Albert (with Tos Mahoney & Ross Bolleter)
Rita Menendez Group (with Rita Menendez, Tim Chambers, Phil Kakulas)
Tall Stories (with Linsey Pollak, Kerry Fletcher, Susie Sickert, Jane Mullet) - Kimberley/Pilbara Tour 1985)
The Ran Dan Club (Derby circus/music residency, 1991)
Toucan Tango (with Steve and Ros Barnes)
Eduardo Cossio trio/quartet
Playback Theatre (with Deborah Pearson)
My very first recording was with WA Indigenous singer/songwriters, Vi Chitty & Merv Graham in 1979 (Homegrown)
Festival Appearances
International
Taiwan 1994 [Austrade] with Nova Ensemble
JakArt Festival 2001 [Jakarta] with Nova Ensemble
Singapore 1998 & 2003 [Nova Endsemble - Musica Viva in Schools touring]
Australia
Across the Top Tour [Musica Viva] [WA, NT & QLD]
Perth International Arts Festival [WA] - Nova Ensemble, Eastwinds
'Beat It' Synergy Percussion Series [Sydney] - Nova Ensemble
National Folk Festiva (ACT and Victoria) - Steve and Ros Barnes, Ken Ferguson, Eastwinds, Praashekh Quartet
Fringe Benefit Festival [Sydney] - Slices of Albert (with Ross Bolleter, Tos Mahoney)
Maleny/Woodforde Festival [Queensland] - Steve and Ros Barnes
Bougainvillea [Darwin] - AC/PVC
Launceston [Tasmania] - solo
Port Fairy [Victoria] - Steve and Ros Barnes
Brunswick [Victoria] - solo
REV - Real/Elecrtronic/Virtual Festival [Brisbane] - Brief History of Wind
Adelaide Come Out Youth Festival [SA] - solo
Evos New Music Festival [WA] - Wanderlust Trio, Nova Ensemble
Nanga Festival - Flying Carpathians, Eastwinds, Zagoria Quartet
The Totally Huge New Music Festival [WA] - Nova Ensemble
Awesome Festival [WA] - Nova Ensemble
Toodyay Festival [WA] - Bulgarity
Fairbridge Festivals [WA] - Flying Carpathians, Caravan, Ozmosis, Daramad, Eastwinds, Persian All Stars., Praashekh Quartet, solo, Zagoria Quartet
York Jazz Festival
Nannup Music Festival - with Lee Buddle
Festival of the Wind [Esperance] - Brief History of Wind
Augusta River Festival - Brief History of Wind
Harbourside Festival [Albany] - Eastwind, Zagoria Quartet
Denmark Festival of the Voice - Daramad (with Tara Tiba), Eastwinds