Heaps Decent - Spring Party

Heaps Decent is what happens when committed folks who love music set out to change the world. It started back in 2007, when Sydney promoter & DJ Andrew Levins and Nina Agzarian (better known as triple j’s Nina Las Vegas) began putting on workshops for disadvantaged young people, under their own steam. “We do a lot of workshops, and that means going out to jails, community centres and schools out in the suburbs [to reach] indigenous youth, or kids with behaviour problems and learning difficulties” explains Levins.

“They’re usually music based workshops – DJ, song writing, beat making, recording – the aim is to raise the self esteem of the young people involved in the workshops. We get them to do that by writing lyrics about themselves or a situation they’re involved in and sharing that with everybody.”  The results have been impressive, the workshops often providing the catalyst for lasting change in the lives of those who need it most. “It’s all about keeping them interested and expressing themselves in ways other than getting in trouble” says Levins. “It’s about giving back to a community that you’re a part of – or that needs you to be a part of it.”

To this end, Heaps Decent acts as an intermediary, developing songs written through workshops, often with the aid of high profile touring artists like M.I.A, Diplo (‘Smash A Kangaroo’) or A-Trak (‘Anywhere But Here’). Helped along by some famous friends, the finished tracks are shared with the broader music community and the media (check out the Parklife 2010 DJ Mixtape for two choice samples), before feedback was delivered to the kids who were originally involved. “[That way] they can see that being creative, you feel good about yourself, you get your voice heard by other people – that’s what Heaps Decent is all about,” says Levins.

In order to reach those young people who need the most assistance, Levins and other Heaps Decent facilitators regularly travel to far-flung corners of the state like Broken Hill, Wagga Wagga and most recently, the red-dirt surrounded hamlet of Wilcannia. “It’s an amazingly beautiful town, with big sense of community” Levins enthuses. “That’s where I really want to go back – I want to find appropriate people in remote areas, give them training [and] equipment and set up this Heaps Decent hub, so that they can encourage young people to keep making music with them, and pass on the knowledge that we’ve given them.”

Making Heaps Decent as self-sustaining as possible is the plan as far as Levins is concerned, the goal for 2011 being to open more permanent regional facilities as well as a Heaps Decent studio space somewhere around Redfern – providing former students with a place to come and continue to make music, and facilitators with a greater ability to self-finance the project. Things have gained considerable momentum over the last year, the philanthropic enthusiasm of guest facilitators such as Diplo, Jack Beats, Sinden and A-Trak leading Fuzzy to step up as the organisation’s official benefactor, providing staff, equipment and helping raise funds through Parklife and Field Day.

But all things cost money – sound equipment and long-distance travel, especially. Which is why Heaps Decent is throwing a huge fundraiser on Saturday night. Featuring live sets from artists from the Heaps Decent workshops and members of the family, as well as a wealth of DJs including Ro Sham Bo, Beni, Kato and Dizz1, it looks set to be a pretty mad bash – and there’s a raffle happening too. “We rarely have an opportunity where people can come and support us like this,” says Levins with characteristic enthusiasm. “It’s going to a really awesome fundraiser, it’s cheap and I really hope that tons of people come and show their support.”

The Heaps Decent Spring Bash is this Friday the 3rd at Oxford Arts Factory, with attractions including (but not limited to: Kween G & Belizian Bombshell, Stunna Set, Miracle, Young Nooky, Tweak, DJs: Bag Raiders, Beni, Kato, Sham Bo, Nina Las Vegas, Dizz1, Wax motif, Disco Punx and more.  Be there or be somewhere else!


First published in The Brag, Iss. 377, August 30th 2010