Podcast for Singers 
Overcoming Fear to
LIVE LARGE - Unapologetically!

Transcript 

Laine Loxlea-Danann 0:01
G'day Welcome to another episode of Fearless Singer. I'm Mel Lathouraso and more importantly, I've got the amazing Lanie This is Lanie Loxlea-Danann, and she is a multi passionate creative singer, producer, rather. Teacher, educator, and just an all round. Honestly, you're a marvel. I just, I love you. I love hearing about your journeys. What you're doing, you are really just the epitome of a creative and I'm so excited to have you on the show.

Oh, thanks, Mel. Yeah, and I think

yeah, I think there is something in the triple name, honestly. Yeah.

Yes, and numerology is good. Yeah,

it Do you know much about your numerology?

I do actually. Yeah. Tell us about it. Yeah, well, my birth name. I have a master number and my birth name. But then when I moved to this, my new name, it basically strengthens all the stuff in my original chart, which is fantastic. Because it's all creative and dynamic and doing stuff. And you know, so yeah, it just makes it even stronger. Oh, man,

you're the epitome of you're the epitome of a dreamer who actually takes action. You've got the best of both worlds. Yeah, everything you do, including where you live is a creative bubble. So Laney makes her own wines. She's a fabulous cook. Just your whole home is is beautiful. And you actually call it the retreat. So yeah,

this retreat. Yeah, Cleveland artists

retreat. The other thing that you've now ventured into is talent management. So you're a booking agent, and you help young artists and actors actor's and not on a young across the spectrum of age, but yeah. And it doesn't matter what training they have, but you help them get in front of the camera, and you've even turned your garage into a studio with their self taping.

Yes, absolutely. Yeah. And you.

You say come out to the Cleveland Show studio. Yeah, that's right. Yeah. Yeah. It's

wonderful.

Talk us through when when did you start getting more into talent? Talent Management? Yeah,

well, when I was when I was younger, when I first graduated from the Conservatorium, I fell into agency work booking musicians. And I loved it. So I I, straight out of uni, I just started booking, string quartets, and singers and, you know, weddings and all sorts of stuff. And I really loved it. And I only stopped it because I went overseas, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then years later, I was working for a company and they needed an agency set up, so I set it up for them. I really enjoyed this, because I actually really love supporting artists, developing their careers, because as you said, I'm a creative dreamer who has taken action. And I think what happens in our industry is that we have these wonderful, powerful creatives that need help to take action. And that's me. That's what I do really well. So that's what I have to offer. And I love. I mean, I could talk myself all the time if I wanted to. But the truth is, I'm so keen to work with other people and support them and and see their career develop. So yeah, I decided I'm going to do it again. Now that I have the opportunity to So

yep, brilliant. Yeah. Yeah, I see that in you. You're You're a collaborator. Yeah.

I love collaboration. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Love it,

though. You know, it becomes other people's projects also become part of yours. You know, your investors. Yeah. Yeah. And also to this is another exciting thing. So I, like I think I've always like I've always followed your career, you know, because we met years and years ago at the Conservatorium. So you're finishing off your masters and yes, and yeah, but I think the algorithm something happened, you know, when you don't really see much of someone in the feed, but then he started popping up and I was like, God, I love this book. I started falling on especially to Europe was oh, yeah, honestly, it was like an Eat, Pray Love.

It was. It become even more than that, that I'm now writing a wonderful play with my collaborator, tears Walsh from Scotland who I actually met on that trip. And we often laugh about how we are what he calls quantifiably entangled. And so we sort of met each other and sort of creatively went kaboom, and realised that we had something to offer. And so we're writing that whole thing into a play. Yeah, it wasn't Eat, Pray, Love experience, and it has changed me extremely. I've had numerous epiphanies because of it that have set me off on a wonderful to a dynamic, challenging, exciting, scary path but, but amazing, and I'm so glad I did it. I'm so glad I was brave enough to do

time that I did. Then can we just also mentioned the reason why you were there is because you're actually there for the debut of your musical that being performed in Germany.

Yeah, that's right. So my musical critical last chance years, was a cabaret musical. And a lovely Theatre in Germany called theatre under rock, took interested in and wanted to produce it as a theatre musical. And I was like, go for it, knock yourself out. So they did their first treatment in 2022. And I couldn't go because of COVID. But then they said, we want to do it again for International Women's Day for 2023. And I was like, I've got to go, I have to go. So you know, there were a couple of times where I sort of went, I don't know if I can go this, this is going to be how I'm going to get make this happen. But my mom said, you know, you have to go. Because if you don't, you're going to miss the energy that that thing creates. So and I'm so glad I did, because what it's done is now formed this beautiful relationship between me and my Clawson, the German director, who's going to come out to Australia next year and directed here in Australia. So I'm really excited. And we still have the Collaborate, the artistic collaboration, and support of theatre under and Dean Wilmington. They're the artistic director. So it's amazing,

amazing. Talk, talk us through the premise of the musical. Yeah. So the sort of based on your life, yes.

Yes, yes. So it's based on my life, moving through my 30s moving into perimenopause, and it's basically based on I'm a go getter. I'm a career woman, I want to make stuff. And I in that time of my life, I had a lot of people saying to me, Oh, my God, you've got to get serious when you're gonna find a husband, a house, or have a baby that had to do what's wrong with you, you've got to get this sorted. So I got so angry about that for about eight years, I just went on, you know, 1000 million different dating sites to try and find this perfect husband that I was supposed to have, and then have this perfect life. But the truth is, I didn't I didn't find any of that. Because it actually, for me, what's for me is what I'm just what I've what I'm doing. And so this is all and but also because I deal with not being able to have children. And having to deal with that. I only found that out when I was 30. And so I didn't think it was going to make a big difference. But it made a huge difference to trying to get that husband house baby package thing that people use is supposed to want. And so yeah, it was just embracing all those issues, issues coming up to perimenopause. And now I've gone through perimenopause, I've gone through menopause. I'm now in menopause. And I'm so happy.

Oh, it's so funny. Yeah. Oh, my goodness. I'm glad we're talking about this. Because, you know, I've just turned 40 Yep. And yeah, same thing with that pressure to buy into society's projection of you know, that the dream the woman dream having written Yeah, in the house, and especially as a creative as well, yes. Yeah. You know, I'm not I'm not cutting off any possibility of owning ever owning a house. But, you know, it's not like a massive priority, when, when you've got all these creative babies wanting to come out. And and I'm the same thing. I'm in love with my, my, my career, I love what I'm building, you know? And, yeah, so part of being in your 30s is coming to terms with that, that maybe the life that you're creating doesn't actually fit in with what's been set out for you. And also grieving it

at the same. And that's, that's a real thing. That's a real thing. And I realised that, that it's not only the grief that you face during perimenopause, because we do have this unconscious thing that the value of a woman is her working womb, you know what I mean? And it's very hard when your womb doesn't work, or you're not supposed to use your womb or whatever the hell you do have that grief about that. But then you also when you hit menopause, you do go through another form of grief, because you are now not any of that at all. You know, you don't have any of that. And so, yeah, it's getting to the other side, and really powerfully, helping yourself find that sense of achievement and go and joy that you've actually got through all of those. Yeah, and for me, it's never been never compromising. I know that sounds really full on but I just can't. I just I just can't. I'm not a settler. You know what I mean? I just can't. And I wouldn't do that to a man. I wouldn't just go yeah, I'll settle with you. That's not fair. You know, I'm

also not a settler in any area of my life. Same thing I Yeah. Yeah, I can't see myself ever going back into traditional employment. I work better as my own. You know, I set my own values and culture and yes, yeah. And I get when I want to get up as well. Me too. I don't know if I don't know if I could, like get up at 630. Again, to go to a job. And I know there will be people listening going, Oh, all right, Princess. Yeah,

me too. But I think I think I've done my paper Jews. I've done all of that. I've worked in many organisations, and I've learned a lot from all of them good and bad. And I think, no, now's the time for, for what I bring to the earth and for people to see what I bring to the earth through me as me, not through the guise of a company.

Oh, man, that's so powerful. And thank you for making that work. Yeah, well, I'm Yeah. No, but also, I mean, like, Thank you for making the musical. Oh, yeah. Nobody here next year.

Yes, yes. Yeah, yeah. So we've very sneaky thing. We've we've just cast out our leading lady. I'm very, very, very excited. And we're just going through the bunch of grants, and so on. Hopefully, it'll start out here in the regions. Because I'm out at Redlands. And I love my region, I want to add to the artistic value out here. So we're going to start out here hopefully go regional, up north a bit. And then head to Brisbane in 2025. I think and hopefully overseas in 2025 as well. That sounds

wonderful. Oh, yeah. Honestly, my heart does go. Yes, I know. Excited for Yeah,

thank you. Thank you just chipping away at it, doing the best I can.

And I just want to also add here that I'm a fan of you. I'm fan of everything that you do. But I love your singing voice. You have got honestly one of the most glorious voices that just floats above a band. It's just gorgeous. And yeah, recently you came out on social media to say that you've been having some issues with the boys, I had no idea that you were struggling. So can you talk us through Yeah, what happened.

So in 2017, was the last time I performed that everything sort of felt normal. And then I started noticing I was having weird ear problems and I didn't know what was going on. And then I realised that the air problems were affecting my vocal production in the sense that I would be getting vocally tired and I've never got vocally tied in my whole entire life, because I've always had great technique and have always worked hard for that. And so I went through to the NT, it took the EMT three years to work out what was wrong with me. And finally, the diagnosis came through as a bilateral superior semicircular canal dehiscence, which means holes have formed in my skull bone above where the ear canals are, and the ear canals are popping through into the brain, which makes it that my perception of sound has become completely altered. So I hear internally, I hear my internal sounds louder and stronger than I do external sounds. So what that's done for me is completely given me a different perception of sound. And when when I went overseas, I hadn't sung live for anybody in three years, because I was so discombobulated with how it was working. But as I as I've come to terms with it, and I'm speaking to lovely Irene Bartlett about this, it hasn't affected by singing voice, my singing voice is exactly the same. What it is has affected is my perception of sound. So I'm working with lovely Dave Spicer to try and find my way back to the performing voice. And I think we're getting understanding what I can do as a recording artist. Because we can, we can control what's going into my ears. But performing live at the moment with a whole band is still something I haven't tried. And something I don't know what that's going to be like, because when there's me making sound, I can't hear anything else. So if I'm making sound, and there's another sound happening, I can't hear that sound. So as a musician, it's really challenging. So when I work with students, it's fine because I can organise the environment so that they're making sound and I'm not and blah, blah, blah, blah. But the live performance with a band is something I am yet to explore. I want to it's just going to take a little bit of time. Yeah, but I agree LEED This is an important condition to talk about. Because it's so rare, like, trust me to get one of the rarest conditions in the universe. Like one one person in I don't know, like, it's just one 1% of the population will get this sort of thing. It's so rare, but there will be other musicians being challenged by this. And I could understand musicians wanting to end their life because of it. You know,

especially Yeah, it's, you know, if it's your livelihood as well. Yeah. And so many things, you know, your spiritual food, you know, a lot of people music is, you know, yeah. Our form of faith. Yes, yes. Right. Yeah, absolutely, really important conversation lady, I teach a marvellous woman here in the studio, who has hearing conditions. And, yeah, you just, you have to always be thinking about creating an ideal state for her, but she gets very nervous about, she's got the most phenomenal voice, and could honestly go and have a career, but the idea of being on a stage not being able to control the environment really scares her. And that's so valid, because, you know, the stage can be super chaotic, you know, and it can be, especially in like a jam situation. So, you know, one of the first steps I get a lot of my students to do is to do the singers jam at that at the jazz club. But it's like, that's all well and good, if you can hear what's going on. But if you know, it's your first, you know, experience with a band, and there's no rehearsal, there's no way of organising the space. No, that's that's like throwing someone into a lion's den. You know? Yeah, I think it's important, it's an important conversation, because one, teachers need to be super aware of it. And, and I think also, too, is, you know, it's a conversation we must always be having in the industry, like, how can we make the stage more inclusive? Yes, MBIA about, you know, an artists coming in and organising it so that, you know, they're going to have a better experience, therefore, everyone's going to have a better experience. Yeah, so it is a real inclusivity.

Yeah, question. Yeah. Yes, I think the thing, I think what's important, too, is when someone is new to the stage, maybe not new to singing but new to the stage? It is. It's an environment like nothing else, like when else are you in, in an environment like that? What else equals the stage experience? I don't know. You know, it's such, if you've, I grew up with it. So for me, it's like my home, you know, I feel safer on the stage than I do in the foyer. But for other people who have never stepped into that environment, it's so such an extraordinary altered. Reality is altered in so many ways, on that, in that environment. For me, I always feel like I'm in a lovely bubble with the musicians that I'm with. But also, I always feel like the audience, regardless of whether I know them or not, they're my best friends. So it's about for me, it is about creating this warmth, and connection between the stage environment and the audience environment. And as an actor and a performer, I understand that as well. And, yeah, it is something that you need to very gradually help your students to sort of explore their way into. Yes, yeah.

Do you think? Do you have like a bit of a timeline envisioned for yourself when it comes to get him back on?

Yeah, absolutely. So basically, the plan is, is I'm exploring the recording environment, because the first thing I want to do is try and record this last chunk of originals that I have that haven't been recorded, and it's just Dave and I doing our thing. And that's going to be setting me up to sing again and record again. And then my plan from there is with critical last 20 years, I'll be performing as the as the instrumentalist in this version, so I actually meet the accompanist. So that's going to be a really great way for me to sort of be in the performative environment, having to listen to as a musician, but not actually having to make sound, which will get me back into that environment again. And yeah, it is a bit scary. I sort of don't quite know what to expect. But I have to do it, you know, I really have to do it. And then gradually, I think as a performative environment, like the jazz thing is jam night. It's, it's taking in an environment where I can take one instrument, a piano, have a sing, see how I go deal with a microphone deal with any fall back? I don't know. Dave is going to help me work that out. And Then gradually, uh, see if we can add instruments. I guess that's Yeah,

yeah, that's yeah. Amazing. I look forward to following along, because I love that you share this by the way, thank you so important.

It is I, I just realised how, oh, how cut off I felt when I got the diagnosis. I just, I was like, Oh my God. And it's funny because some people said to me, Oh, well, at least you've had a great career. And I was like, Yeah, I'm not finished yet. At least I had no still going through. Yeah. So it's just, if I can sort out a way to deal with it, then there'll be more discussion about it. Which means other musicians that end up with this terrible condition that will make you want to slit your wrists will go oh my god, I know how to she's written this paper about or whatever the heck. This is what I should have my doctorate on. But no.

There's Yes. Yeah. Janice, you know, the conference. That's right.

I'm getting there. about it. Yeah, I

think it's yeah, people need to know that they're not alone. No, and also need to see someone who's been able to manage

Yeah, yeah, I found a way through That's right. Yeah, yeah,

so honestly, luckily, locks I scored you Locksley.

That's a good people call me Loxley as my as my nickname. So yeah, I do it, I think

energetically pick that up. But you're so funny, inspiring. And talk to talk us through now, the booking agency because this is really exciting to make, because I have full plans. When I get my shit together. Yes, my promo photos and sorted. And that sounds tight. But yeah, I love that you've, you've created this boutique agency, because anyone that's been in this scene knows that you're with the the agencies here in Brisbane, it's like they're fully booked, it's all quite saturated. And, you, you, if you haven't graduated with your fine arts degree in acting or been denied or, or VCE, or whatever, you've just feel like you're not going to be taken seriously. Some of our most incredible actors here in Australia, I'm thinking about, like Rachel Griffith, you know, have all given themselves their own acting school experience. So I love that you've come out and said, I'm willing to have a conversation with anybody you can move truck driver, you know who's decided that? Yeah,

yeah. So yeah. Well, I mean, just off off that, that the truth is, is that I, I collect talent that I find inspiring, and it's the same as that lovely, my lovely new friend tears from Scotland, when I walked into the candle shop in Victoria Street, and I saw this huge spokesmen, just with this crazy, amazing personality. I was like, Oh, my God, he's he's got to be an actor. And when I spoke to him and said, Hey, are you an actor? He was like, No, how is someone like me going to ever become an actor? And I was like, Well, I happen to, you know, look at the talent. That it is if you have it, you have it, do you not? I mean, he's never gone to acting school. But the first audition he did. He got through to the fourth round of callbacks.

If you're managing him, yes, in Australia, your manager but he's in Scotland. Yeah, that's right. Yes. gigs over there. Yes. You're amazing.

So yeah, but that's the whole point is he has it he never went to acting school. He like, like Gandalf, the guy who played Gandalf. He never went to acting school he learned on the job. Yeah, because he's got it in his bones. And if you do if you

have it then in Michela Yeah Can school Oh my god. No, he

went no, he's totally on on the stage. Get on there, play whatever role give it a go learn. Learn more. Yeah, he's intuitive actor and learned on the job. So for me, actors who is great and definitely if you've got to actually sort of write because I went to acting that's, you know, that's not not a problem, go to acting. But it doesn't mean that if you haven't gone to an acting school, it doesn't mean that you can't be an actor.

Well, it's the same I have another fantastic human in the field listening membership, who's already a gigging singer. But yeah, she's always had a career in corporate communications, management, but just decided, I think like she always did singing. She's in a really fabulous band that are just taking off but yeah, she just decided one day, I'm gonna learn all these 20s 30 songs, and then she found her band and now they just get everywhere. So, yeah, she didn't go to music school, but she gave herself a musical education. Yes, yes,

absolutely. Absolutely. And for me, I'm interested in mentoring and developing talent. Because that's what I find fascinating. And I'm passionate about. So I love working with people developing their profile and developing their, their, you know, their tools and, and their skill. I really love it, I just love it. And that's why I started the actor space that I'm going to be starting soon where actors can come and collaborate with me and work on their stuff. But it's not going to break the bank, because it's a pay what you can sort of price for them to develop their career, you know what I mean? So that's, for me is really important. And I think it's important that our industry is given as much internal support as possible, because we don't get a heck of a lot of external support. So I really am so aware of how much we need to sort of work together. Yeah, just going up to stand up the idea realised how much the wineries up there or work together, because there's this thought that I don't know if I'm allowed to say this, but many of the wineries sort of, say most wineries make one good wine. So what you want to do is promote everybody, that so everybody sells their one good wine. And I think we're the same in our art industry, we need to support each other as much as we can. Because there is no industry without us, because of our our passion is what keeps us going forward. You know, I'm gonna get this musical off the ground, not because I have the money to do it, but I have the passion to make it work. And yeah, so I think so important to me, for you.

You tell me if I'm wrong, but it's more than passionate. I feel like you have a mission. Oh, I do. me wrong. Passion is important. But yeah, I think it takes you so far. But when you have a very strong why? Yes, you're very much about service.

Yes, yeah. And creativity is essential. I think this concept that creativity is some added extra that, you know, it's an accompaniment to life or something. No, it's not. It's absolutely essential without it. What What, why do people go and have a job, they go and have a job so they can have a good time? Off the bunny with all the entertainment. They're wanting, you know what I mean? Creativity is absolutely essential. It's not this. I've never I've never understood why we think creativity is this added extra that's not that important. And it's just silly and fun. And it's essential. All beauty all meaning all everything, our houses, our homes, our furnishings, the way we dress, everything is art, everything is creativity. It's all creative. So it's a for me, it's essential. And yeah, and I think everybody, everybody, really, and this is what for me with students I really want to encourage students to there is no, you don't come to a lesson because the only reason is you want to become a professional singer. You come and experience singing, to have somewhere to have that validated because it's an essential part of your core being, you know, whether it's whether it's playing the piano or being an actor or whatever. It's not all it's a bit of fun. And if you're not going to be professional, it doesn't it's not worth it. No, no, it's absolutely essential to have that space where you can express yourself with validation in that way, because you leave so enriched. And I don't know about you email, but the students that say to me, they look forward to their lesson ever, all week, because it's that space where they are, their creativity is validated. And they are enriched as a person. You know,

I think my whole model is really based on just letting people be weird. No, it's anything like Oh, and you know what, I'm going to be really weird together. You want to cry. I'm gonna cry. Do Yeah, yes. Yeah, me too. Yeah. It's just nice to be human and emote and be told that you're okay. Like you. And you're more than okay, like, this is awesome. Euros. Yeah. Yeah. What you want to do is awesome. And yeah, like just having someone there does to support your dreams?

Yes, yeah. And share that moment with you and validate it. It's so important. And I get to do a workshop lesson down at PS where I work at performance studios, and I, tandem with Dave, and the singers, they come and they just perform their songs to get some feedback on the performance. And gosh, I love working with them because they're, they're all sort of community singers that are sort of taking a chance on themselves and coming to workshop to build up their performance fitness. So now they're now taking that those songs and taking their work and starting to perform for the aged care facilities and it's beautiful. But they're just amazing, you know, moving through and using that platform down at performance studios to help them move forward into a way of performing and sharing their, their gift with the community. I think it's amazing. Yeah. So

that's what feel a singer is about as well. It's like a little little incubator, but then I scheduled six performances throughout the year. So can you keep the secret? last big Hurrah for the year is that it's still a secret? Yeah. It's a bit bigger venue. But yeah, it is. It's just about same thing. It's like a little launching pad. I've got so many students that wanted to put on their own, you know, one woman show. Got another one that's going to do a drag king show. Yeah. Soccer battle and single battle those really Sasso songs back in the 70s. Yeah, we'll get out of my mind and take on that. So I just Yeah, I love. I love that. We're like the wineries generally. All these create creative, safe spaces all around Brisbane for people and it's so important.

Yes. Yeah, I

commend you for all the work that you're doing. So look, if people want to follow you, they can find you on Instagram. Yes, I'll put your handle obviously in the show notes. Yeah. Laney looks

obviously down and yeah, so Well, Locksley creative is my business handle. And Laney locks you down? And is my private? Oh, okay. So lock, locks, locks, the creative is the one to go. So ello XLE? A,

we're all the fabulous content is Yeah. And honestly, you're so generous with your content. That is you have to tell you that. Um, so one, you know, you, you're sharing your own creative journey and story. So you're helping with really incredible tips and feedback for other artists. And yeah, that they're probably one that have to pay someone to get that kind of information. Yeah,

that's all true. Yeah, it is. Because if I want to help the actors, because if if they're good actors, then they'll get work, which if they're with me means I'll get work. Yeah, of course, I want to help them. I want them. And to experience between being where I am and what I see. I can see how actors just don't get to see what I'm seeing. So if I can share that with them, it gives them more knowledge to improve them. Sorry, did

interjecting that's another thing. You've said in one of your your reels. You've said there is so much work. Yeah, there's this like kind of notion that, you know, there's like tumbleweeds in the know that there's nothing happening. But no,

do you know most of the briefs that come in, I have to slight, you know, delete or not delete, but put to one side because I don't have someone on the books that will suit the gig. And at the moment, I have like 20 briefs in my inbox that I haven't got people for, which is just for me, it's really hard to see that much work going and not have one person I can put forward. And usually it's because one, the actors don't realise exactly how much they need their profile to be a certain way to actually get the hits. And that's why I like to work with them. Because if I can tell them exactly what they need to do, then they're going to get that hit. And it's it's it proves itself. One of my actors hadn't really freshen things up for a year or so. And I said, he said, I'm not getting any self tapes. And I said, Well, it's probably because your profile has become a bit stagnant. Let's refresh everything which he did straightaway, fixed up everything. The next morning, there was a self request for him. I could send him for something and he got it straight away. And it's so important that information is essential. And that's the information I have so I want to share it with my industry, because it's going to make things better.

I am oh gosh, I forgotten I watched the low youth last night and I forgotten the name of of a I think he must have been a producer or a director that they were honouring who is passed away gosh, I feel terrible not remembering his name. But he was very big and passionate about can we just keep telling the Australian story we need to get more Australian stories up on on the television and on the streaming services out to the world because and and I really oh I really resonated with that because I love the Australian story. Like I love it. I love how diversity is and I love Yeah, I love seeing all you know the different narratives between all the different cultures and their experience living in this land and yeah, what are your thoughts on that? They know me,

me too. I think that's one of one of the main reasons I wanted to bring the musical back here to Australia and have it retreatment do a retreatment again to suit the Australian audience. Because it this is really important to talk about the Australian female story, especially as we head into perimenopause and that concept of not having the valuable womb anymore. It's really important concept, especially because there are 51% of women don't get married. And nearly 20% of women don't have children. So it's a really important story for us to validate that having making a choice like I have made or maybe like you have choices are made, where our careers are. It's an it's a non negotiable, it's, this is what I'm doing. So either get on board or don't. That that had, I think it's a really important story to continually tell. And yesterday I went to see a play at Astra called Top girls, and it was an it was a play from the 70s. But the truth was, it still had incredibly valuable content to talk about. I just want to I don't want to say women's issues, because there's something a bit I don't know about that. But it was saying, Why is it an issue, that women make a choice to have a career and not have children, we don't have to have it all. Some of us don't want to have it all. Some of us just want to go, this is my career. And this is. So yeah, those stories are important to me, because they're different to overseas. This is what I found working with the lovely German theatrical people is they kept on saying, Oh, you are so different. Everything, everything is so different over there. And that's the story. This is so powerful. And I was like really, really? Okay. So yes, I think it's essential that we tell our stories. Yeah, I

think we're very different. I think we're different to Americans. We're different to English. Yeah. We are unique. And yeah. And, you know, as much as you we are very ft, you know, as, as a culture as well, as, you know, we've got some pretty shady politics and, you know, obviously very, you know, systemically racist and sexist in a lot of ways and you know, but they, you know, it's like every culture, we've got the, we've got the shit side, the toxic side, but we all have this, you know, genuine spark and, you know, humour and yes,

yeah,

there's a different way of looking at things.

Yes. And it's the humour. I think that's the thing is when I cuz I, when I travel, what I realised is, people really love the Australian sort of perspective and humour. And in Germany, they keep saying to me, Oh, I love how you are just so you're so relaxed, and you're so you'd say to everybody that you love them. And I was like, Yeah, I don't get and then like, No, we don't we don't say anything like that. And so then when I went to Scotland and all the Scottish are sort of like, oh my God, you're starting to cry. Because they're humans similar to ours. So

a lot of similarity. Oh my gosh, these people Oh, yeah. Before. Hospital I loved when I was in London that the Cockneys, I don't know if you can call them Cockneys, but those you know, the East London is Yes. Your bread. Like I just got it so well with them.

Yeah, I think I think Australia and that sort of demographic really match. Yeah. So I'm a fan of Australian stories. Absolutely.

Yeah. So look, I think if people want to work work with you, yeah. They could be singers. They could be you know, maybe they were actors in a past life, or maybe something that they've always dreamt about? Yeah, but it has never had the, you know, so they can get in touch with you.

Please. Absolutely. Yes. I'm, I'm always taking on new people. And I'm happy to do everything from career development through to mentoring. Music, of course, I teach a hit with music from singing, play piano, singing, play guitar, singing and writing music. And of course I produce. So I love to mentor and I love to work with people and I love to teach my my craft. I love it. So yes.

And yeah, they if they want to come for a mentoring session or even, you know, have that conversation with you. They can even come out to the Cleveland Yeah.

Because it's lovely out here.

Yeah, my my brother has recently had a really terrible accident on a motorbike. Oh, and, and it's interesting, because my mom's always said, you know, when we come we have those tough moments in life when we experienced tragedy. She always said, you know, you can always turn to you can turn to the bottle, you can turn to education. That was her. She saw that. Yeah. My brother turned into koala activism. Oh, wow on this like, you know, he's always been super intelligent, really lovely knows everything about me. He has a elephant memory 20 years ago, you'll remember you and everything that you've spoken about. Wow. But yeah, went down that tradie path and was in construction for a long time and yeah, had this accident and now has just he loves koalas and you're probably thinking, why are you saying this? Is because I'm sure he would love to come out. Because there's so many koalas.

Well, I actually live on the edge of the koala reserve, literally. Yeah. When it's cooler mating season, the bull koalas literally come down from the trees and come down a little driveway and you can hear them going. Oh, I'd like midnight. So he went out. Yeah. Where I'm looking now is the

think that the author's family will come out? Yeah, come out at some. Yes. Yeah.

Yeah. So it's lovely here. And it's great place to be creative. And it's beautiful. And I've made sure that it's artistic and musical and inspiring out here. Yeah.

Beautiful. Thank you so much for chatting with me. Thanks for chatting to I feel a singer listeners. Yes. Oh my God, there's so many takeaways, I'm going to be transcribing and listening. Yeah, there's so much there. And you're just a joy to, to witness as well in your creative journey and development. And

yes, it's interesting. It's, it's scary. You know, we do this and most of the time, we're sort of scared but also really excited. You know, it's that combination of fear and absolute excitement. But yeah, we just we just keep going. We just keep going. Don't we?

Honestly need to get it tattooed on my arm. Yeah, going.

It's gonna it's gonna rock up every day and just give it the best shot. You can give

it your best shot. There's a lot of, you know, surrender as well. There's a lot of us. Yeah, you have control. That's exactly right. But you can't live let yourself get carried away in the in the riff, you

know, you've got to just let it all pass through you and keep moving forward. Because magic always happens. It's just you know, there are there are definite days that it feels like a winter where everything's a bit dormant and stagnant and there's nothing you can do about that. You've just got to show up to normal and, you know, welcome all the guests that that pop up along the way. Make the most of them.

Oh bless you. Thank you so much. Thanks smell

Transcribed by https://otter.ai