Recently I made a clip for the Listies. Craft Work. This was a big step up for me and Im really proud of how it turned out. And they liked it too which is a plus!
ChIPS
The subsequent Documentary we made with he members of ChIPS
Recently my good friend Luke Escombe from The vegetable Plot and I began a side project by the name of We Wrote That. the idea is simple, to take artists with a lived experience of Chronic illness and pair them with children who also have a shared experience. Put them in a room together and allow the children to create art through their own experience and voices. Both Luke and I have Chronic illness’ and being musicians ourselves and strong believers in the voice of and advocacy of children, it seems an obvious thing to do. We managed to get a grant from Accessible Arts Australia and were put in touch with the group at ChIPS (Chronic Illness Peer Support) via the Sydney Childrens hospital network. The ChIPS participants all in their late teens, blew us away with their honesty and insight and the result was Wake Up Call, a power pop song sending a message the ChIPS members had found hard to express prior. Enjoy.
Our Second work with the young adults of ChIPS
Flying Foxes
Teaming up yet again with Luke Escombe (aka Aspara Gus of The Vegetable Plot) I made a clip for the song ‘Flying Foxes’ whihc was a collaboration between Luke and the children of Kensingtone Public. Grades, k-2. this particular collaboration was funded through the arts in in education program ran by the Opera house…
‘Musician and bandleader of the Vegetable Plot Luke Escombe worked with drama teacher Emma Fredman from Kensington Public school to write, record and put together this gorgeous video of three classes of students across 2021. This stunningly made film by Benny Thatcher is a rich and humorous exploration of Sydney’s most famous nightly migration, fruit bats. This is one the finest examples of what happens when students drive their learning, following an exploration of content to make their own work of art. Listen to this and we dare you not to be bowled over!’
The Vegetable Plot
More from the amazing brain Luke Escombe aka Aspara Gus. Always a pleasure to be asked and even a bigger one to see the idea come into shape.
Stay Cool In the time of Yule
Clean Machine (eat your greens)
Toilet Paper Mountain
And yet another clip for The Vegetable Plot this time about the jet setting, friend getting, all round sophisticated Mr Potato
I was recently asked to create a video for the Vegetable Plots award winning song “Waiting For A Bus” Im pretty happy with it really. Amazing what you can do when you concentrate
Benny Time
Stepping Stones (Feat Aunty Tracey Linn Bosotock)
Little Grey Cloud (Feat, Claudia Robin Gunn and the East Coast Inspirational Singers)
The River The Mountain (Feat Itty Bitty Beats)
The first single off Benny’s fourth album ‘Benny and friends’ is a tune dedicated to recycling and the love for the things we have not the things we have not. Featuring the beautiful harmonies of New Yorks very own Eastcoast Inspirational Singers, it is as uplifting as it is poignant. Featuring Aspara Gus from the Vegetable Plot and Produced by Michael McGlynn (Tom Mato) the clip was created out of repurposed house hold items my a group of children including Benny’s very own Kids, Frankie and Jay. Credits Produced my Michael McGlynn Mixed by David Richards and Michael McGlynn Mastered by William Bowden. Backing vocals by The East Coast Inspirational Singers, Luke Escombe, Michael McGlynn, Frankie, Zara, Maya, Zoe and Alice Bass by Scotty Greenaway Guitar solo by Luke Escombe All other instruments by Michael McGlynn Written and performed by Benny We hope you like the (attempted) stop motion and look forward to seeing you all soon.
Like to Be Me is the creation of Multiverse’s Dr Red Ruby Scarlet and Benny. A song that celebrates diversity and more importantly, the need to respect and listen to our friends and their wishes.
‘Sebastian and the dancers’ a short story about a defining moment in one boys life.
Losing someone you love or someone close is hard no matter who you are. But not being able to articulate how you feel can be even harder. Death is an enormously tricky and complex subject for a child and often they lack the resources and knowledge on how to express themselves. Im not suggesting this video will fix anything but perhaps it might be useful for a child and help a little.
All the Best
Its Going to be a good good Day
5 . 4 . 3 . 2 . 1 Blast Off
Sausages. Lets dance and count. Done
‘My Best friends Party’ is a poem off my third album “Stories and Poems’ It explores the anxiety children may feel around new situations and crowds. A very real situation fro many children but equally as difficult to articulate.
‘To The Shop’ off my second Album – “Beyond the little Star’ an album for the 0-2’s.
Swim little turtle Off my first album “What a beautiful Day’ featuring the sounds of a Woman Choir.
‘Ride My Bike’ Like what you see? Head over to the kids page for some extra tricky activities… can you FIND my bike?
‘The Family Song’
10 months in the making and help from all four corners of the globe. This has been very much a super combined effort and thanks to all people involved.
From Redfern to London, New York to Freetown, sit back and enjoy the fruits of many peoples labour.
‘I Can Be Any Animal’ From Malcolm and the crew at Lucid Edge starring, Ted, Maddy, Lewis, Lotus, and Milla
‘If You’re Not Looking At Me’ Starring Natalia, Julian and Noam.
Van Sereno
I have teamed up with Van Sereno on several clips now, ranging from his beautiful homage to his daughter and her coming to grips with Seperated parents in ‘Daddy Day’, to his pure fun and nonsensical ‘Row row row you boat‘