Dr David Whyatt is a fourth-year student in the Bachelor of Music Honours (Composition and Music Technology) course at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). He has composed music for live ensembles, film, and theatre. He also has over thirty years’ experience in scientific research in the fields of biology, genetics, epidemiology, statistics, and machine learning. In particular, he has developed computer algorithms to investigate very large datasets, in order to inform health service delivery, for example in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has published approximately thirty peer-reviewed articles. He is also a third dan in aikido.

Film compositions:

‘Evicted’ (2021): Director Robert Baird. WA Screen Academy

‘Stuffed’ (2022): Director Alex Power. WA Screen Academy

‘A Ride To Remember’ (2022): Director Jethro Gartrell. WA Screen Academy

‘Moorditj Footprints’ (2022): Directors Brent Rossow and Ivy Penny. Independent.

‘Chookas’ (2024): Director Nicholas Hooker. WA Screen Academy.

‘Stonefish’ (forthcoming): Director Serena Cockerill. Independent.

Theatrical compositions:

First Nations artist Helah Milroy’s Conversations With a Fish (2023) at the Blue Room Theatre. David was also the lead actor/dancer/singer/stripper in this work.

Recitals:

Chamber opera Sir Degaré (2023), based on the 14th century medieval romance of the same name.

Instruments played:

Guitar, piano, recorder, voice.

Styles composed:

Baroque, electronic, choral, classical, art, Latin, jazz, percussion, spatial.

Future goals:

My future goals cover a number of areas, as would suit a portfolio composer. However, the most important issue for me is to continuously improve as a musician.