Finding Your Own Sound

AGSC & APRA AMCOS present

Electronics, Bespoke Instruments & Sonic Experimentation

An evening of ideas, demonstrations and hands-on discovery at SynthTemple.

Thursday 12 November 2026
5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
SynthTemple | 3/51 Barkers Road, Kew, Melbourne

How do the instruments we choose—and the ways we play them—shape a sound that feels our own?

Join Cornel Wilczek, Michael Lillis, Rod Cooper, Morgan McWaters and Tony Osmond for an evening exploring bespoke instruments, electronic music and sonic experimentation.

Presentations and live demonstrations will lead into hands-on exploration of SynthTemple's extraordinary instrument collection, alongside food, drinks and conversation with fellow music makers.

Presented by the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) and APRA AMCOS, Finding Your Own Sound brings composers, musicians and instrument makers together to explore how curiosity and experimentation can become part of a creative practice.

Through personal approaches to sound, instrument design and performance, the evening considers how an unfamiliar instrument—or a familiar tool used differently—can open new directions in composition.

The evening features five contributors, each offering a different perspective:

• Cornel Wilczek introduces the search for a distinctive musical voice, exploring the relationship between instruments, experimentation and compositional identity.
• Michael Lillis explores resonator-based instruments, acoustic experimentation and the creative possibilities of sympathetic resonance.
• Morgan McWaters (WORNG Electronics) brings an instrument designer's perspective to modular synthesis, stereo processing and electronic music-making.
• Rod Cooper demonstrates the possibilities of handmade and bespoke instruments, drawing on decades of experimental instrument design and performance.
• Tony Osmond (SynthTemple) presents a showcase of unusual electronic instruments and performance techniques, including creative guitar pedal routing, expressive wind controllers and the Hartmann Neuron synthesizer.

The presentations conclude with a short closing conversation before attendees are invited to explore SynthTemple's collection firsthand.

The evening is designed to encourage experimentation, exchange ideas and inspire composers and music producers to discover new approaches to their own work.

Thursday 12 November 2026
Location: SynthTemple, 3/51 Barkers Road, Kew

The formal presentations run from 6:00 pm until approximately 8:00 pm, followed by informal exploration of the venue.

Evening Schedule

• 5:30 – 6:00 pm Guest arrival, drinks and food
• 6:00 – 6:10 pm Cornel Wilczek — Welcome and introduction: Finding Your Own Sound
• 6:10 – 6:30 pm Michael Lillis — Resonators and acoustic experimentation
• 6:30 – 6:50 pm Morgan McWaters / WORNG Electronics — Modular synthesis and electronic instrument design
• 6:50 – 7:10 pm Break — Drinks, food and informal conversation
• 7:10 – 7:30 pm Rod Cooper — Bespoke instruments and experimental performance
• 7:30 – 7:50 pm Tony Osmond / SynthTemple — Unusual synthesizers, pedals and expressive controllers
• 7:50 – 8:00 pm Cornel Wilczek — Closing remarks and conversation
• 8:00 – 8:30 pm Hands-on exploration of SynthTemple's collection, drinks and conversation
• 8:30 pm Event concludes

Program timings are indicative and may be adjusted slightly.

Screen Composer & Music Producer | Event Host

Cornel Wilczek is an Australian screen composer and music producer whose work combines acoustic instrumentation, electronics and sonic experimentation.

His screen credits include Talk to Me, Bring Her Back, Apple Cider Vinegar and The Newsreader.

Cornel opens the evening with Finding Your Own Sound, introducing the relationship between musical identity, experimentation and the creative possibilities of instruments and process.

His presentation will establish the evening's central theme: how the tools we choose, modify and interact with can influence the development of a distinctive compositional voice.

Profile: https://famagency.com/talents/cornel-wilczek

Instrument Maker | Lillis Instruments

Michael Lillis is the maker behind Lillis Instruments and the Resonator, a handmade instrument that uses an audio signal to excite strings through sympathetic resonance.

The Resonator can function as a standalone instrument, a drone accompaniment or a tonal processor, creating rich acoustic textures and unexpected harmonic interactions.

Michael's presentation explores the relationship between acoustic behaviour, instrument design and experimentation, demonstrating how resonance can become an expressive compositional tool.

Profile: https://www.lillis.com.au/

Founder & Instrument Designer | WORNG Electronics

Morgan McWaters is the Melbourne-based founder of WORNG Electronics, a company specialising in Eurorack synthesizer modules with a particular interest in stereo sound and inventive signal processing.

His approach combines electronic instrument design, live sound and performance, with an emphasis on creating intuitive controls that encourage musical exploration.

Morgan will share his perspective on modular synthesis and the relationship between instrument design and creative practice, demonstrating how electronic systems can inspire new compositional possibilities.

Profile: https://www.worngelectronics.com/about

Experimental Instrument Builder, Performer & Musician

Rod Cooper is an Australian instrument builder, performer and musician who has spent more than four decades exploring the possibilities of handmade instruments and experimental sound.

Working across metal, wood, electronics and video, Rod creates distinctive instruments that challenge conventional approaches to sound production and performance.

He has performed extensively throughout Australia and internationally, including in England, New Zealand, the United States, Japan and Indonesia.

His work also extends to film soundtracks and Foley, including contributions to Rogue (2007) and The Rule of Jenny Pen (2024).

Rod's presentation will explore how unconventional materials, instrument construction and physical interaction can lead to unique musical outcomes.

Profile: https://rodcooper.bandcamp.com/

Co-owner | SynthTemple

Tony Osmond is the co-owner of SynthTemple with his wife, Fiona Griffiths, and a passionate synthesizer collector dedicated to making rare and unusual electronic instruments accessible to musicians.

Together with studio manager Steve Jones, Tony will present a 20-minute demonstration showcasing some of SynthTemple's more distinctive instruments and creative approaches.

The presentation will explore three areas:

Using guitar pedals in series and parallel configurations to create complex processing chains for composition and performance.

Exploring how wind controllers can bring expressive phrasing, articulation and physical interaction to synthesizer performance.

A demonstration of this unusual and innovative synthesizer, highlighting its distinctive approach to sound design and synthesis.

These demonstrations will illustrate how instrument choice, signal routing and performance methods can become integral parts of the compositional process.

Venue: https://www.synthtemple.com/

SynthTemple is a specialised music recording and production facility located in Kew, Melbourne.

Housed in a heritage-listed Art Deco former motor works and bus depot, the venue combines a substantial working collection of vintage and rare synthesizers with professional recording facilities, including two Dolby Atmos studios.

More than simply a collection of instruments, SynthTemple is designed as a creative environment where musicians can explore, experiment, compose and record.

For Finding Your Own Sound, the venue becomes an integral part of the event itself, providing both the setting for the presentations and an opportunity for attendees to experience its extraordinary instrument collection firsthand.

Website: https://www.synthtemple.com/

Presented by the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) in partnership with APRA AMCOS.

Event venue & nearby stays

SynthTemple, 51 Barkers Road, Kew, Australia

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