Hi, I’m Don Bate, director of the Benjafield Collective.

Benjafield Collective emerged out of my music studio in a mountainside suburb of Hobart, Tasmania — an island at the edge of the world.

12 years ago I came to Tasmania. I soon came to realise that on this island in the great south, south land — where time meets space to create a unique sense of place — anything can happen.

With this time and space I began to diversify my musical activities. While my main gig was being a member of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, I regained my roots as a blues, jazz, and funk performer. I sang and wrote; I played trombone, guitar and piano. From klesma to choir leading, I explored many avenues of music making. With a need to focus my eclectic ways into some sort of identity, I decided a recording studio would fit the bill.

On my journey I discovered pockets of talent dotted about the place. Musicians were quietly going about their extraordinary business with little cooperation or collaboration.

It occurred to me one day that to capture the creativity on this island - both mine and theirs - we could work for each other, with no time or money issues, in the studio.

And so the Benjafield Collective was born.

Now musicians and artists from all walks of life come together in the studio to create exciting, eclectic collaborations.

Together we play, we take risks, we learn, we create - and we record it all, wrap it up and hand it over to you.

To enjoy Benjafield Collective you will need to throw away expectations, forget labels and pigeon holes. Each new project is different from the last so stay in touch.

Stand here on the edge with us. Discover along with us where the possibilities will take us.