IN Symphony

Pulling together all the things he’s good at, David Garrett has released an album he hopes builds a bridge between rock and classical music.

David Garrett has the looks of a model, owns unparalleled skills on the violin and loves rock’n’roll. Hence, it seems perfectly sensible that the 31-year-old classical musician would combine all these things for an album which has sent him hurtling into the mainstream.

Just released is the sizzling Rock Symphonies, which features David on violin, fronting an orchestra and a rock band covering rock classics ranging from Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit and Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir to Aerosmith and Run DMC’s Walk This Way and November Rain from Guns N’ Roses. He’s also rocked up classics like Toccata, Peer Gynt, Asturias and The 5th.

“I did my research and listened to a lot of records to learn what songs would work with the right approach,” says David, who was recently in Australia. “I had a lot of fun with this but it was also something I needed to do.

“I didn’t care about the reaction so much as how far I could push myself. The more I pushed myself, the more excited I got about the possibilities. I love music, not just classical music so I thought it was important to keep the classical respect but get people from both rock and classical areas interested in something new.”

Born David Bongartz, the German-American adopted his mother’s maiden name and has been playing violin since he was four. By 14 he was the youngest soloist signed to the prestigious classical music label Deutsche Grammophon. Without telling his parents, he later left Germany for New York, where he was accepted at the world famous Juilliard School, studying under legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman. To pay the bills he worked as a model which landed him in the pages of Vogue and walking the catwalks for Armani.

Since then David has played with symphonies and with his band all over the world, usually accompanied by his faithful Stradivarius. Rock Symphonies is David’s eighth album and a DVD concert featuring his cross-over tracks has also been released. He has partnerships with Audi cars, MontBlanc, Cadbury and wears German jewellery and accessories by designer Thomas Sabo. His arrangement of Beethoven’s The 5th has been used in a series of chocolate commercials but he’s also broken the world speed record for performing the speedy Flight of the Bumblebee.

Australia’s Shrinking Properties – One More Thing to Think About

In the Perth real estate this industry, it’s our goal to help people find the property that best suits their needs – whether that’s an investment property, the dream family home or a first home.

Many of our clients are becoming increasingly aware that Australian properties are shrinking. This is nothing new, it has been happening for years with lots gradually becoming smaller so developers can fit more lots into subdivisions for Perth’s ever growing population.

What this means for home buyers, is that they will not be able to offer their family’s the same sort of home and living style that they had growing up. What this means for us as real estate professionals, is that we have another significant issue to discuss with clients.

Home buyers need to be realistic about the change in housing options; too many people become sentimental about particular properties which can cloud their judgement. There has been a shift in how we live and this is reflected in the demand for medium density accommodation close to the city and different style homes.

Some home owners are happy to forgo such things as a backyard and instead have a pool or an alfresco entertainment area. A spacious property is no longer a huge priority for those wanting less maintenance and more living space. For these people, the fact that lots are getting smaller is welcomed news.

The irony is that this has coincided with an ongoing growth in the size of the houses Australians are building. Bigger houses on ever shrinking lots.

John

Reading the market: quicker reaction time now required!

There is no question that we are living in times of uncertainty with economic trends turning corners with the blink of an eye. It seems that the days of the market cycle and change pace seen in past decades may now be replaced by much more volatility. We may now all need to adjust to a new market dynamic that provides much more frequent and dramatic shifts in direction and this will inevitably impact on everyone.

Taking a universal view, investments in all areas whether it is cash at bank, shares or property, the immediate future is likely to see lower returns on investment being accepted. People’s expectations are less and yields from investments are adjusting to a new world paradigm of lower and more volatile returns. This in turn, may influence a shift to more property investment due to the long term security and its tangible nature.

Property investors currently do not appear to be talking doom and gloom the way equity investors are. Why is that?

Property investment here is relatively safe compared to the volatilities of the share market and international economies. In the Australian property context yields have not vaporised overnight and during these unstable times, people are increasingly attracted to the long term capital return and base line security that property investment offers.

In terms of property trends, we are seeing a re-emergence of investor activity that is informed and considered in its decision making. They understand that it is not about bargain hunting but more importantly about securing the right asset in commercial and residential markets that would not normally be available, if not for the current times.

Affordability may be challenging however data would suggest that it is emerging in the Perth residential property market. Aligning this affordability aspect with a shift in sentiment will see a spike in buyer activity and possibly a sharper cycle adjustment than we have previously been accustomed. So property investors and agents need to be prepared to read the market quickly and adjust their approach.

The weekly selling and letting activity of Realmark covering various residential and commercial market types provide us with a unique advantage to anecdotally sense a shift in the market well ahead of it appearing in statistical reports months later. In today’s world, changes may occur in days and not quarters. Sellers and buyers for owner occupation or investment would be wise to build a direct relationship with a real estate agency that has this level of market connection so that they can maximise the benefit to them.

Whether trading in property short term, investing long term or simply wishing to achieve the best sale or rent price outcome, an effective agent can guide you to extract best results from a market that is constantly and quickly evolving.

John Percudani
Realmark Director

IN Character

by Ara Jansen



Actor and musician John Waters has had a busy year doing all the things he loves the most on stage and screen



John Waters never had a plan to rule the stage or the screen. Somehow, things just fell into place and at 62, the actor and musician has become one of Australia’s much-loved veterans.
He’s back on the road next month touring with Looking Through a Glass Onion, his stage salute to the life and music of John Lennon.
“It’s a very enjoyable show and it’s very intimate with the audience because I talk right to them,” says John.




“I never tire of live performance because it is so alive and different each time. It’s an opportunity to be bigger than life on stage, because otherwise I’m not a hugely theatrical person. I’m a family person with five-year-old twins, an eight-year-old and grandchildren. They continually fascinate me.”
It has been a year of high-visibility for the guy who among other things spent almost two decades on Playschool. John not only released his debut solo album, Cloudland,




but returned to our television screens in the second season of the Logie-winning series Offspring. He plays Nina Proudman’s dad Darcy, a real estate agent who falls into bed with a lot of different women.
“He’s got a good heart and he’s well-meaning,” John says fondly. “He succumbs to women but he’s a good-natured man who loves his family even if he can’t hold a marriage together.




The Proudmans are an out-there family and they have a lot of sex while trying to deal with the issues of their professional lives. Darcy has a positive twist on everything; he doesn’t see problems, just solutions which makes him a nice character to play.”
John says his role in Offspring has also taken him to a different audience from his previous three year long role in All Saints.



“I think the stories are things everyone can relate to. It catches a 30-something female audience as a chic flick, but there’s plenty for men to watch too.
“It’s also great to be able to enjoy this new lease on life every time something goes to air on television. It seems to be the place most people notice you, compared to the stage.”



As a result it seems that a whole new audience is enjoying Looking Through A Glass Onion, which has started to draw much younger crowds, not just aging Beatles fans. They’re now bringing their kids and grandkids too.
“I’m happy to be enjoying a renaissance, if that’s what people’s perception is. In the meantime I’ve remained true to the fact that I’m going to do what I do regardless. Plus I still get to play the guy that gets the girls.”



Looking Through a Glass Onion is at Queens Park Theatre, Geraldton on October 5, Bunbury Entertainment Centre on October 6, Mandurah Performing Arts Centre on October 7 and on October 8 at the Astor Theatre in Mt Lawley.

IN Flavour- Anna Gare

By Ara Jansen

IN Flavour


Her life-long love affair with food has finally seen Anna Gare release a cook book and the results are delicious.

When she titled her first cook book Homemade, Anna Gare meant it in every sense of the word.

The recipes come from her kitchen and those people who taught her to cook. She tried and tested them on her family and friends in the kitchen of her Fremantle home and if she wasn’t plucking ingredients from her garden, she was sourcing them as locally as possible. Good friends helped her style and photograph the food and local company Fremantle Press have published the book.

“It’s very me,” confesses Anna. “The food is very simple. I like cooking quick and clever food. I feel completely satisfied and cleverer if I cook something in five minutes rather than taking an hour or two. It gives me real satisfaction to create something quickly. Less time in the kitchen and more time at the table and more time on the dance floor, I say!”

Released this month, Homemade is the realisation of a long-time dream from the one time Jam Tart singer and caterer turned television cooking judge. The book features recipes created for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, impromptu feasts and snacks.

They range from a mouth-watering deluxe lamb burger with blue cheese and rocket to veal saltimbocca and passionfruit tart. Rather than being divided into sections, the recipes are mixed in together, like an olive and leek tatin next to dukkah, encouraging constant browsing to see what tempts your tastebuds. Anna has kept the methods as simple as possible – each line starts with a verb clearly explaining what action you need to take next.

The cook says one of the things she loves the most about food is its ability to get people talking. She’s had some of her favourite moments with her children as they’ve chopped and cooked together.

“I have the best conversations with my kids over the kitchen bench. Someone is peeling potatoes and it’s a really nice time working alongside each other. Rather than going to the movies together, this is a really beautiful bonding opportunity.”

As well as being on bookshelves, Anna will also be back on television screens soon as she returns for season two of Junior MasterChef Australia.

Homemade is released through Fremantle Press ($49.95 hardback).