The Long Play: Instruments of Arrival

Aired on Tuesday 17th February 2026, 6:00PM

The Fill In

Before many Australians owned records, they heard music at the movies. This episode of The Long Play explores how film and television soundtracks introduced unfamiliar instruments into Australian ears — and how those sounds helped shape the country’s musical identity. From the zither of The Third Manand the cimbalom of The Ipcress File and The Grand Budapest Hotel, to the panpipes of Picnic at Hanging Rock and the eerie musical saw of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, cinema carried the sounds of Europe, America, and beyond into suburban lounge rooms. For migrant families, these instruments were reminders of home. For local musicians, they were revelations — new textures, new moods, and new ways to imagine what music could be.

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