UPDATED FROM THE FOLK RAG no 17    -      FEBRUARY 1998  

          Marina's a true Queenslander, born in Mount Isa in the early 60s; both of her parent were involved in amateur theatre and her mother sang and played piano brilliantly although not publicly. Her family lived for short stints in Cairns, Port Moresby and Brisbane before moving to Townsville to settle for some years. During her time in Papua New Guinea, Marina remembers hearing a lot of taped popular music of the day. Performers like Donovan, Dusty Springfield, Kathy Kirby, Creedence Clearwater Revival, even some Louis Armstrong; it was the time of Woodstock and Dylan Songs. Marina says, "I am sure they don't remember me but their influence on me was huge." She recalls, singing at the Cairns North State school fete at the early age of six. She formally learned piano a couple of years later, she still remembers learning major and minor scales, major were the happy ones and minor were the sad ones.

     At age 11 she was a member of the Ironside State school choir here in Brisbane. Both her music teacher and later her teenage boyfriend who played guitar has a big influence on her. She moved to Townsville at age 13 and finished her schooling there. During her teens she would scour the radio constantly for good songs and tape them. She stumbled upon "Sunday Folk" presented by David Mulhallen on the ABC and that was her "folk birth" and has not looked back.

     She was encouraged by her flat-mate to join her in song at a concert at James Cook University refectory. She started attending the Townsville Folk Club and became involved with her first group 'Temporary Sisters'. Along with others she formed an acoustic Music Club at the Uni but it never really got off the ground. That's where she met Chris Fisher who later performed at the Folk Club in 'Two Dimensional Bufo Band' along with the likes of 'Threepenny Bit', 'Dreamtime' (later 'Kangaroo Moon') and 'Mangrove Jack'. This time was a "highlight of my music social life" as Marina puts it. During her time at uni she gained lots of experience performing at peace rallies, May Day concerts, Student Union concerts and the like, but postgraduate studies beckoned and she moved to Atherton for 12 months. She was  unimpressed with the Atherton Folk Club, after her first visit, as she puts it "no smoking, no alcohol, no people, no space, no fun." By the time she returned to Townsville the 'Two Dimensional Bufo Band' had decomposed and the folk club was overrun with strangers, but she met this cute guy with horrendous dress sense who played the lagerphone in the bushband 'Sultans of Swag' and sang a funny parody of La Bamba. Could this be the first mention of Martin Pearson? YES. Marina and Martin  attended the 89/90 Maleny Folk Festival together they both reckoned that some of the singing sessions in the Gym in the main pavilion were pure magic, they were hooked and have been going back ever since. The following year she attended 'The National' at Kuranda, Maleny (where she met John Thompson) and Mena Creek Folk Festival. In '92 when John moved to Townsville they renewed a friendship and from 1993 onwards Martin, John and Marina irregularly sang in a trio called `The Power of Three'. She was also a member of a five piece rock/folk band (all women) `Cunjevoi' .Many Brisbanites went up to Townsville for the '93 Pangola Rainforest Festival' and the Pangola Rainforest Chorale was formed, 12 of them singing 'Watercress -O' in the camping grounds, in what seemed to be 12 part harmony. They had so much fun that they sang on stage that night and also at the Solstice, Maleny and the National. The Brisbane gang made such a great impression on Marina and Martin that they decided that they had to move to Brisbane and play lots of music!

During '95/'96 she was a member of 'Harambe' (10 piece Afro-cuban percussion group) playing at Stradbroke Island Festival & Fire Event '95 and '96 and a Percussion workshop/concert with Keith Casey, '95 Solstice and Woodford Festivals. She still missed singing at a Folk Club so she and Maree Robertson decided to start the Pod early '97. In her own words, "Seeing the huge amount of talent that has come through the POD has been pure joy."

Currently Marina performs with 'Baldrick and the Cunning Plans' a five piece celtic band who busk for practice, and promotion. Her plans for the future are to continue to collect music and to sing and play it and to always be in places where music is being created.

FROM THE FOLK RAG  no 17      -      FEBRUARY 1998

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