Latest / The Booth Juice Creative Podcast / S2 Ep4 - Loni Fitzpatrick: A Harpist’s Journey

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S2 Ep4 - Loni Fitzpatrick: A Harpist’s Journey · The Booth Juice Creative Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: All the juice straight from the Maker booth.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Booth Juice.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome back to another episode of The Booth Juice.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_01: Today I am joined by a very special guest who is a bit of a musical whiz.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_01: She is an incredible harpist, a loop artist, and a saxophonist.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: She's played here at Maker many times between soundscape sessions and VIP events, and she even sung me down the aisle at my wedding last year.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: So please welcome my beautiful friend Lonnie Fitzpatrick.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for having me.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for coming on, Lon.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_01: For the OGs, um, you will have watched Lonnie on our Instagram series a couple of years ago.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_01: So it's so nice to have you back in the booth officially.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's a pleasure to be back.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, there's a bit going on in your world at the moment.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_01: So I would love to just start from the beginning if that's alright.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: Do you mind just painting a picture for our listeners, for those who don't know you?
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: About what you do and all the different pies you have your fingers in.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: Well, yes, so the crux of what I do in a nutshell is that I'm a harpist, singer, and loop artist.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: So a lot of my performances revolve around incorporating effects pedals, the loop station to create multiple layers, exploring the harp and all of the different kinds of sounds you can make because it doesn't just sound like those beautiful plucked strings all the time.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of cool things that you can do with it.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so that's that's sort of like what I predominantly focused on, but um it wasn't what I started with actually.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I would love to know about how I guess the harp is a very interesting instrument to choose, so I would love to know how you decided to get into it.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I well, I actually I wasn't the one that made the decision.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: I think the universe made the decision for me because uh I come from a piano and saxophone background, so my first instrument was piano, and I started that when I was about seven years old, um, just following the steps of my best friend back then.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: She started learning, so of course I wanted to follow her and I wanted to do what she was doing.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: So I started playing piano, um, but I really liked it, and I always had like a musical um streak in me.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so it kind of starting the piano like really was the thing that like kickstarted my musical journey.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then I picked up saxophone a couple of years later.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, well, you know, when you're in you're in primary school and you're like, okay, instrumental class, which instrument do you want?
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: And my mum was like, okay, just don't play violin.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, oh, okay, all right, well, I'll play the next annoying thing, which is a saxophone.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: But actually, it's not annoying when you can play it very well.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so yeah, so those two were like my primary instruments.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: I sang a lot, but harp came way, way, way later.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I started uh so I auditioned um for the Queensland Conservatorium um at the end of 2009 on piano um and voice.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: I it that's a whole other story, but I completely botched my audition.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: I was running exceptionally late to the uh audition.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Bless my mum, she was driving me down to Brisbane because I I'm from central Queensland originally.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: So driving down to Brisbane um in the city was just a shamble.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I was I was really late to my audition.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: I was so frazzled, I had no time to like calm myself.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: So it was just sort of you know a succession.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: It was a series of unfortunate events.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I didn't get in, I got my letter to say that I didn't get in on piano, but then about a month later, I got another letter asking if I would be interested in taking on a single study course with the harp, and I was like, random.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so it like harp was not something I ever grew up like being interested in.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: I'm pretty sure I only saw a harp in real life once when I was in school.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: I went to Rockhampton to, I think there was the Pill Beam Theatre, with um the music class, and we went on an excursion to watch the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, which kind of funnily enough, the harpist that I was seeing on stage way back then ended up being my my boss a couple of like yeah, yeah down the track.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I had no idea, yeah, I had no idea.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: Like obviously was it to know, but um, yeah, so I'd only seen a harp once in my life.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then the second time was when I walked into my first lesson and I like walked into the room and there was just this harp studio with harps, like harps, and I was just like, Oh my gosh, I'm gonna play that thing.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, is there much of a difference between playing piano and moving on to the harp?
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: Like, is or is um any sort of similarities?
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, there's quite a few similarities.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: I'm very grateful.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um I really appreciate that I started on piano because the transition from piano to harp um for me personally um was quite easy.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: Um I had to wrap my hand, I had to wrap my hand, well yeah, actually I had to wrap my hands around playing different with different instruments.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: I had to wrap my head around um the few differences.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: So obviously a piano is is is horizontal, you like you're sort of playing keys and you've got foot pedals which have a different serve a different purpose to the pedals that you have on a big concert grand harp.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think a lot of people realize when they see a harp that as much as the hands are moving, there's actually stuff going on down with the feet as well.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: There's seven different petals.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: So the actual playing itself, um, like the the plucking of the strings didn't take very long to get under my fingers.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um but it was wrapping my head around the petals and you know, pit changing the pitch and setting all my pedals to different key signatures, and it's a whole machine, um, and it's a very interesting instrument.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: It's a very hard instrument, but it's a super, super rewarding instrument.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_01: And I'd love because this kind of blew my mind a bit the value of a harp.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_01: Explain choosing this instrument is a big decision because it's a very expensive instrument to choose.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I mean, harps do vary, like based on if you're buying like a lever harp or if you're buying a concert grand, but then you've got student um pedal harps and professional pedal harps, and um yeah, it's an investment.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: Like the like if we're talking, if we're talking about sort of like a mid-range, like you're talking probably 50 upwards a thousand.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: I think like 50k.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, like my heart brand new.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, if I was to, if I was to have to buy a brand new heart, the exact same one that I have now, yeah, I'd be probably looking at around like 70,000.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so you wanna you wanna hope to goodness that yeah, you're you're putting the time and effort in to get real good on it.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_01: Oh sure, and looking after the one that you have, too.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well absolutely, yeah.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: Like I I hate nothing more than feeling like I'm a prima donna when I'm at gigs, but um I've learned over the years I I really have to educate the clients before I even do the gig because it's a lot of a lot of the time like they're not even thinking about those aspects of my part of their day.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so like a lot of weddings occur outside up here in Port Douglas, so I have had to curate like quite an extensive clause around the weather because unfortunately, like I don't have there's no harp shops in Cairns.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: If something was to happen to my harp, that's my like that's me out.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I can't just whiz down to Cairns to go pick up another harp.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: I could probably go and borrow another one from a friend, but you know, it's not it's not the same.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um but uh there many people are there many other harpists around, yeah.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: There's a couple, yeah.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: So there's I think there's three professional harpists up here in Far North Queensland, and we've got a beautiful community up here as well.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: So like quite a lot of leisure players.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: We're sort of spread out between, yeah, like here and down Cairns and up into the tablelands.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, we've got like a whole community, the Far North Queensland Harp connection.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: So that's nice.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's beautiful.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: I hadn't heard of a harpist until you, so yeah, yeah.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I I think there was a harpist in Port Douglas a couple of years ago.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then uh I got to town and she'd already left, and I was so bummed out because I only wanted to meet her.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, another harpist in Far North Queensland.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um so yeah, at the moment I'm not I'm the only one in Port Douglas and and this area.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but yeah, I'm very like very grateful for all the work that I get up here.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: So a lot of the performances that I do up here in Far North Queensland, obviously we have such beautiful outdoor surroundings, we've got so many stunning views.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: So a lot of my gigs are outdoor events, um, weddings, corporate events, all that sort of stuff.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and yeah, I just have to be super mindful.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: And and and I understand that when people are booking me, they've got no idea about like a lot of the aspects and elements of of what I do and and looking after my instrument.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: And so I always go in with a you know, it's better for me to educate the person and just let them understand that yeah, you know, it's it's a very it's a very beautiful, it's a very fragile, it's a very expensive instrument.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, unfortunately, yeah, it's it's an it's made internationally, so I don't have like a quick replacement option if anything is to go wrong.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um plus also my harp is so special to me.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: Like the harp that I play on is the harp that I started my professional career on.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um Jamie Goosebumps.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's taken me, you know, it's it's taken me like all up and down the east coast of Australia, like as far down as Melbourne, as far north as Cooktown now, um, you know, and internationally as well.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't take my harp specifically, but you know, just it's been with me my entire career.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: So it's more than just a piece of wood.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's like it is it's a part of me and my music journey, and I have so much gratitude for what playing this particular harp has allowed me to um like the doors that it's opened for me in in my career so far.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it it means a lot to me.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I take a lot of care of it because I don't want anything to happen to it.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, I don't want to be out of work, but at the same time, yeah, I just I'd I don't I would hate to lose this instrument.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's sentimental as well.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, for sure.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: And like if there if the time comes and I'm ready to pass it on, I would prefer to pass it on to someone or some some community or organization that I know is is going to preserve it and and look after it, and um, you know, hopefully pass it on to the next amazing harpist, and it can help them with their career.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_01: So that's so nice.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: So to piece your story together a little bit.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: So you grew up in central Queensland, you moved to Brisbane to study.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_01: And so how many years was that?
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I was in Brisbane for about five or six.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: I was in Brisbane for six years, actually.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I started my degree.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: So I started um learning the harp in 2010, halfway through.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: It was actually funny.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: My um my dad didn't want me to start a new instrument.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: He's just like, you barely practice piano.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: Why do you want to go and start a new instrument?
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: You're not even gonna practice that one.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: No faith whatsoever.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, he both my parents have been so incredibly supportive of me.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: So I, you know, and I know my dad had his had my best interests.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: He was just like, money, money, money, save, save, save, like set your life up.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: It's often like that when you're uh when you're a creative, you you know, yeah, your parents want the best for you, and I'm grateful that I've come from a creative family, and they they very much were like nurtured that, but my mum didn't come from a creative, so her parents were very much the same.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: Get something that will pay the bills, that will is secure, you know, yada yada yada.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I can see that point of view.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, when I got my letter saying, when I got my letter saying that I wasn't getting into the con, I cried a lot and I was like, I'm doomed, oh my gosh, like I'm gonna be stuck in my hometown forever.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: And like I loved growing up in my hometown, but it wasn't the place where I knew I was gonna stay.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, dad was just like, all right, well, you know, you just gotta work real hard, like try and find a full-time job, and you know, maybe just find a partner here and buy a property.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, Yeah.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: No, thank you.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, so uh, which is kind of hilarious because I've ended up with someone from my hometown anyway, so anyway.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, I know.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: So I I thought, yeah, I thought I wasn't gonna be pursuing a music career, but yeah, so I started learning harp in 2010.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: My mum very, very kindly helped me plan the move down to Brisbane to start.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um I didn't had a couple of lessons of had a couple of harp lessons um before my my audition for the Queensland Con, and and I kind of got in on a potential-based um thing.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah, like they, you know, I wasn't playing advanced music like three months into learning the harp, but they could see that I had the ability to progress.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, so I got in, I started my bachelor's degree in um 2011, and it was just basically head down, bum up, and and I progressed very quickly.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: Like I went from playing beginner music for the first three months to like 14 to 16 months later, I was excuse me, already playing intermediate to advanced level music.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_01: That's amazing.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, it was uh like I look back and I'm like, wow, I like I cannot, I can't believe how quickly I took to the instrument.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um into my first year, like into the end of my first year at uni, I um my my teacher uh encouraged me to apply for the advanced performance strand.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: So there were three different strands at the con.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: There was like your mid-range, which um yeah, there was your mid-range, there was your um your I suppose your education strand.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: So those who were maybe going down the route of an education career, so teaching um privately in schools, instrumental, all that sort of stuff.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: And then there was the advance, and the advance was like cutthroat, real tough.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, your recital times were like so much longer, your prerequisites, the things that you were supposed to do during your recital were like a bit more full-on, like you had to memorize so much more of your program and all that kind of stuff.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: And and I was like, you know, I was flying so high.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, I'm in my first year of uni, I've been playing the harp for like not even two years, and I'm already like going into the advanced performance strand.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: Like this is this is nuts.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and how old were you at this point?
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry, just for context.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think I was probably 19.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yep, cool.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: So I think I was 19, yeah.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, very optimistic 19-year-old.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_01: Very green.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, very green with big, beautiful rose tinted glasses on, and I was like, Yeah, I can do this.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: And second year came round, and I yeah, I was like prepping for my first recital, and like it was it was like it was really full on, you know.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: I was I was practicing like oh god, four to six hours a day, um, six to seven days a week.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: Like, yeah, I would I would be at the con most days I would be at uni the minute the doors open, and I would like do my practice before my lectures, I would go to my lectures, I would occasionally run off to the pub with my mates and then come back, and then I would yeah, and then I would sort of do a lot of late night practice.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: I I found I found early morning and late night was like the best time, and I think a lot of musicians will agree, like that sort of you yeah, late night practice, oh man, it was so nice.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_00: I I tried sleeping at the con.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um I tried sleeping at the con once because I was just like, I don't want to go home.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm just gonna have to turn around and like wake up and come back in anyway.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: So I tried and the security guard called me, he's like, Lonnie, what are you doing?
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, please, yeah, and like the harp, I don't know if anyone's seen a harp cover, but like it looks like a giant oven mitt, but it's insulated and it's very comfortable and it makes us an excellent bed.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: You're like, I've gotta swag, I'm set, I'm only small, let me smell.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, pretty much, yeah.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_00: So anyway, um, yeah, so second year rolled round and I I kind of crashed and burned pretty quickly, actually.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_00: I got really bad burnout.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, unfortunately, my teacher at the time didn't really kind of support that and didn't like um offer that sort of nurturing um mentorship.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that that kind of yeah, it makes a huge difference.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: Like, so to try and you know, cut a long story short, um, yeah, like my whole degree started off really positive and I actually left um my my degree feeling pretty depleted and and pretty discouraged about like what I was gonna do.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um I had yeah, I I left feeling really negative.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, it became pretty pretty toxic.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, which hindsight, you know, I look back and um which is kind of a shame.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: Not everyone has that experience, so I know plenty of people that have had amazing experiences, but I also know people who we trauma bond with and we catch up.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: Like, how are you going?
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: How's your how's your reconditioning going?
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's getting there.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, it was hard work, but it was, you know, I'm grateful for every good and bad opportunity.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm grateful for every good and bad experience I've had because you know, if if I hadn't have had my first teacher, who knows?
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_00: Like, if I like if I would have been able to gain the the technical playing skills um that that I got when I started learning the harp.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: And then yeah, you know, I I finished my degree.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: I think I stayed in Brisbane another year or so, and then I moved down to Sydney for two years.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: Got some lessons with another harpist down there, an amazing Australian harpist, Alice Giles.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: And then um, yeah, I kind of like session worked down there.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_00: I got like a couple of really cool gigs, like some like luxury jewelry, high-end brand launch party thing at Martin Place.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I did a um an Elvis Presley tribute concert with an orchestra at the at the convention center down there, and it was like that was probably like the first like big, big concert that I had done.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: I walked out on stage and I looked up, and there was like six, seven thousand people, and it was two nights, and like all both nights were sold out, and I like walked out on stage, and I was like, Yeah.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_01: And were you like part of an orchestra for that?
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_01: Or yeah, yeah.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: So it was a scratch orchestra, so like just it was um, it was a contract orchestra where the concertmaster or the director just books a lot of musicians, and um, yeah, very grateful for my network.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_01: They just they're they always in that group, or yeah, so you can handpick different people, yeah, yeah.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I was really, yeah, I can't even remember how I got that gig.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I think it might, yeah, I think it might have, I think it might have been um, yeah, string sauce or something back back in the day.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, it was just it was really cool.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: Like I had no idea what to expect.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, like you get a you get like a little card and you like walk in, you gotta go through a security check, and then you're like backstage and it's like with the green room and everyone's there, and like all the violinists are practicing, and then you walk out on stage and it's just boom, like big, beautiful, flashy lights, and just like thousands of people.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so that was really, really, really awesome.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was so.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_01: Did you feel like that era kind of re-sparked your love for at all?
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think like after becoming a bit burnt out.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_00: I think yeah, totally.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I think like there was sort of because when I was in Sydney, I wasn't actually full-time musician.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I was actually working as a dorm parent at a at a private at a private school in Potts Point.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_00: I was sort of like the boarding school, one of the boarding school um like guardians, parents, whatever you call them.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: Oh wow.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, and I was just sort of getting gigs here and there.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: It was actually really cool.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_00: So when I moved down to Sydney in 2016, and I got a contract to work with um with Orchestra Victoria.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I got this job at the boarding school, and then a couple of weeks or months later, I was like, Oh, I'm so sorry, I need to take three months off.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: I've got to go to Melbourne to work with this opera orchestra.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I I went down there and that was another huge, that was a huge production.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: So I went down to Melbourne, I did uh my contract with Orchestra Victoria.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um we did Wagner's Ring Cycle, which is a huge, like, like huge, big tick for like a career thing.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, it's it's an unbelievable.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: It's a 14-hour opera spread out over four different operas.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: And so yeah, like it's a thing, like around the world, they do these, they do these ring cycles, and that's why ring cycle is because they cycle through the opera, and I think they did it two or three times.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, for a few weeks we would just we just do Monday night would be opera one, Wednesday night would be opera two, Friday night would be opera three, following Monday would be opera four, and so just cycle.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: It was really cool, yeah.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_00: It was it was really, really awesome.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: It was very difficult music, um, and it was it was a great challenge, and I was with an amazing harp team.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_02: So there were six of us in the orchestra.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_00: This is like not a thing that you ever yet to do, so which is another thing for a harpist, yeah.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_00: It's an amazing thing to be able to do because we're usually the lone wolf in the orchestra.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: Occasionally we'll have a second we'll have a second harpist, but for this one, um Ring Cycle, Wagner actually wrote it for six harps.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_00: So was super cool, yeah.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um you go coordinating with six harps like uh rehearsals.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_00: Rehearsals with the harpists away from the orchestra.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, and we were led by the most amazing harpists.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_00: So um, yeah, we, you know, it was it was well, it was a it was a well oiled harp crew.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, which was great.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: So I finished that, I came back to Sydney, I did another year there.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um and I was in my mid twenties at that point, so you know, I wasn't business driven.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: I was I was very much I was very much The person that like I waited for the phone call, like I wasn't putting, I wasn't sort of like putting things out, I wasn't putting myself out there.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: I was networking, like I one thing I'll give myself.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna I'm very good at networking, which I I actually I get that from my dad.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, I'm a good yarna.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but yeah, so I moved back to Sydney.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: I was in my mid-20s, I was having so much fun, but I was just sort of like, yeah, I don't really know what to do.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: And and I got sick of Sydney.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: I loved it, but it was too busy.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_00: So I moved back to Brisbane.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_00: I was just doing contract work with Queensland Symphony Orchestra, um, but I I went to working just another ordinary job.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: I was a receptionist um in a big corporate company on Eagle Street, which was pretty cool, but yeah, and sort of just kind of putting in gigs here, there, and everywhere.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then I got pretty sick of the city and I like wanted to move back to Brisbane because I'm like, oh, I just want to go back to a bit slower living.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then I moved back and I was like, oh, this is still too fast for me.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_00: In the meantime, I'd actually done a quick holiday over to New Zealand with a girlfriend who um I actually was housemates with in Sydney.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_00: She's a violinist, and she was over there playing with an orchestra, and so I met her over there, and um, I came back and I just had such an amazing time, and I was like, right, that's it.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna move to New Zealand.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, I'm done with the city, I'm gonna go live on the South Island, I'm gonna spend my summers over there playing harp and beautiful wineries and you know, beautiful New Zealand venues, and then in this wintertime I'm gonna be a snowboard instructor.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_00: Amazing, yeah, that was the plan.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, cool, full steam ahead.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_00: So I was planning it, and then I met my partner.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_00: So that was 2018.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, yep, I'm gonna move over in 2019, and then yeah, I started.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I started uh I got with my partner.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_00: We were doing long distance, so he was living here in Port Douglas, right?
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_00: Not from Port Douglas, but living here.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_00: He's actually from my hometown.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, that's wild in itself.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, that was just yeah, there's actually a couple of people from my hometown that live in Port Douglas, so it was kind of funny.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_00: Like they were all coming down to Brisbane and we all caught up and um yeah, he and I just hit it off.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_00: And so anyway, put put New Zealand, New Zealand was kind of still the plan.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I think it was probably the point where I started thinking a bit more business-y.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, okay, if I'm gonna move across like across the across the ditch, yeah, yeah.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um then what am I gonna do?
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_00: Like, you know, I can't rely, um, like I have to be, I probably have to start thinking about like what my music business might look like, but I had no idea where to start.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_00: And um anyway, so I was sort of just planning this going to New Zealand and and then he was like, Oh, actually, I'm not really ready to go.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: Like, do you do you want to just go over and I'll meet you there?
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, no.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, I really want to go to New Zealand, but I also just I don't want to be in the city anymore, so I'll come up to Port Douglas.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, yeah, cool, I'll like come to Port Douglas.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: I've been here once before, maybe 10 years before that.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_00: No, a couple of years before.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_00: 2014, I came up here for the first time, yeah, with some girlfriends, and we had a hoop.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_00: Funnily enough, the pair of them were like, Are you really sick living in Port Douglas?
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, Yeah, I'd be sick, but I'd get no work here.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um that's a lie.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_00: I was just saying, my my my how the tables turned.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um so yeah, I ended up I ended up here for the first year, but that was 2020.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_00: So I got here in January, and then COVID just slammed the brakes on literally everything.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, I I moved up here, and my first, like my first point of priority was network.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_00: Introduce yourself, meet people, shake hands, you know, let people know that you're a musician, see who around town would like heart played in their establishment, like restaurant, resort.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I didn't get very far into that.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_00: And then because COVID was like, there will be no shaking hands, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you can look, but you can't touch.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, so it really threw a spanner in the works.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um so did you just get like a regular job?
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_00: So I was just working at one of the coffee shops the first year here, and you know what?
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_00: I like that's another thing I'm really grateful for.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_00: Like, it was, you know, so many locals came to that coffee shop.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_00: So even though like I wasn't I wasn't gigging, you know, I was meeting so many people who who may potentially like be a point, like be a connector for me getting any kind of work.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and yeah, I I'm really grateful for that.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_00: So anyway, what was only supposed to be like one year in Port Douglas, what are we like six and a half years later?
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_00: A house, two dogs.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, amazing.
• 26:33
  unknown: Yeah.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but yeah, when things started to ease in Port, um, that's when I just went really ham.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_00: I actually used, I utilized that that kind of lockdown time.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_00: I just kind of tucked myself away in the harp room.
• 26:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I did really struggle, like I really struggled mentally, um, because like I'd completely uprooted my whole life.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_00: I had this, I had, you know, I was finally at this state where I'm like, I'm I'm gonna be business minded and you know, I'm gonna really like really work on this.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: And got up here and COVID was like, no.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, no, why?
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but yeah, so I I I did a lot of practice in that in that lockdown time, like when I wasn't, because I wasn't even getting that many hours at the coffee shop, like I was barely making it like week to week.
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and it was kind of a blessing in disguise because I had always loved the idea of harp and electronics and and exploring the harp.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I utilized that time during COVID the first year.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um, like I bought my first looper station.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and um, I was very like, oh, how do I work this thing?
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_00: Ooh, like what do I do with it?
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, can I figure it out?
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but yeah, so I started like mucking around with with the loop station, and and I I couldn't really coordinate it back then, and I was just kind of mucking around, like even just glissing, just creating really beautiful ambient settings um and just improvising a lot.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so that kind of kick-started the whole the whole loop station thing, the looping with the harp.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_00: I just got better and better at it, which then I was like, okay, cool, I've got the loop station down pat.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um, right, now what like now let's start exploring the harp.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_00: So I started mucking around with like percussive sounds, like you know, I wasn't working with drum, and I'm like, how do I I love rhythm, like I love pulse, I love EDM music, like I love dance music, and I was like, I I can use my loop station to create drum beats.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, like it had preset drum beats, they were so corny.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, so yeah, I was just mucking around with like you know, putting my hand in a fist um and just like sort of tapping the side of the soundboard to create a really cool bass sound, and then just with my open hand snapping the side of the other side of the soundboard, and that creates like a snare sound.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_00: And then um actually I started using like a brush um to create like a symbol, like a hi-hat sort of sound.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_00: So you've got like your snap, and then your ts.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_00: And then I just started figuring out how to create drum patterns and setting a loop station up with that, and then just playing pieces over the top of that.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then that just kind of eventuated to using more different kinds of extended techniques.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_00: So going beyond just the playing, like plucking the instrument, um, sticking blue tack on the the strings to create these really cool, like um blockage spiel sort of sounds, like a dunk.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, like you can kind of hear it in some of the some of the loops that I do um when I'm performing.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, it's just um I think a lot of people probably just instantly associate the harp with this, you know, very ethereal kind of la la la la, you know.
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_01: But when you see you perform, you explore so many different genres.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_01: Like you know, you can make a really popular song, you know, sound amazing on the harp.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_01: And the classic example at the moment is your Metallica song that has just gone completely viral.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's wild, yeah.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, can you tell us more about that?
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, well, I mean, I did like I did a wedding a couple of months ago, and um the bride um she asked for a couple of song requests, so like part of part of what I offer when I'm when I'm playing for weddings is the bride and groom um or the couple can use uh can can give me three song requests because not every couple is the same, you know, everyone is different, they have different tastes in music, and and I consider myself a really versatile musician, and I don't I don't necessarily just want to play um what I know how to play.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_00: I like the challenge of learning new songs, um, but anyway, so yeah, so the the bride emailed me and she's like, Ah, I'd love this song for my um Isle song, and I'd love this song for the signing, and then I'd love this song for the exit, and then down at the bottom she's like, Oh, and also if you don't mind, do you think you could maybe learn um Nothing Else Matters by Metallica?
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_00: And it was so funny actually, because I I got that email and I saw like I just saw the like entrance signing and exit songs, and I was like, cool, right, started learning those.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_00: And two days before, two days before the wedding, yeah, two days before the wedding, I'm like, I'm just gonna go back and check because like I I always second guess myself.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, I'm just gonna go back and just check the email, and I saw at the bottom, and I was like, oh my gosh, and I'm like, well, she's put that in there for a reason.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_00: It obviously means something to someone.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_00: So the two days before, I yeah, so as soon as I saw that email, I like jumped on the harp and I'm like, right, okay, got got the song up on my my phone, and I listened to it a couple of times, and then I sort of sat with the chords, and like I'm it's kind of weird how I work.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm very lazy with like trying to look up scores online, so I would much rather utilize my time like endlessly listening to a song on repeat and figuring out the notes, which I think probably takes more time, but that's just the way that I work.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_00: Two days before, yeah, we'll go.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, um, yeah, so I started I started learning it and I was like, damn, this is really good on the harp, really nice on the harp.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_00: It's got a beautiful guitar part that that all that transfers really nicely onto the harp.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, so the two days before the wedding, I was just like playing that over and over and over again, and I was like, oh, I feel like this might be really well received.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_00: So I was like, I'm gonna record it.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so the wedding comes around, and um, I just stuck it into my my hour set um after the ceremony, and um yeah, it was funny.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I'd if you've seen the video, like there was there was a bunch of guys standing there, and because I'd already been playing stuff that was sort of alluring to the fact that, like, oh, maybe she's not just classical, like maybe she does a couple of different genres of music, and then yeah, you hear one guy go, like, play red hot chili peppers, and I was like, Oh my friend, you have no idea.
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, and it was yeah, it was really cool.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_00: So, anyway, yeah, so I did that, it was super well received.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_00: Like the couple loved it.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I unfortunately I recorded that, um, but I grabbed my phone at the end and I just had this little notification saying, phone memory full.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, so um story of my life.
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_00: I know it cut, I was devastated because I'm like, that was sick.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um it yeah, it was devastated.
• 33:33
  SPEAKER_00: It cut it off at that point.
• 33:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, anyway, I'm like, yeah, whatever, I'm gonna post it anyway.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_00: Like, so I put it up what a week less than a week ago.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I woke up the next morning and I'd already had over half a million views, and I'd had about like 3,000 follow new followers.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_01: That's crazy.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I think like we're like five or six days in.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_00: I just checked this morning, we're up to nine million views.
• 33:58
  SPEAKER_01: Nine million! Yeah.
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my god, when I texted yesterday, it was at seven.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, that that's on in that's on Instagram, and then like I chucked it on Facebook as well, and it didn't go off at all.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_00: I think I had about like 50 likes for the first three days, and then all of a sudden, Sunday, Sunday it popped.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_00: So I woke up on Sunday and I was just like, yeah, doing my casual morning scroll while I have my coffee, and yeah, like Instagram was still going, and then Facebook, I was like, oh wow, like we've had like 12,000 views or something, and then um, yeah, that morning I had just over 900 followers, and by that evening I had six and a half thousand, and I cracked two million views the next day on Facebook.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that is so cool.
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_00: I know, and I was just like, and it was so funny because I had so many mates being like, you have to post the whole thing, you've got to start putting all these people ballots out.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, in my head, I'm like, I'm not a metal harper.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_00: Like, yeah, yeah, and like people like, you've got to get this stuff out by this time, and I'm like looking at my calendar, I'm like about to head down to Cairns because I've got back-to-back gigs, and I'm like, but I have but I have to go and perform.
• 35:07
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I don't have time to record the whole nothing else matters.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm gonna do that when I'm ready.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I've gotta go perform and do the jobs that I've been paid to do, you know.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_00: Got priorities.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_00: I know, real life before online, yeah.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, for sure.
• 35:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but it's been yeah, it's been really interesting.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I think I'm up to 12, yeah.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_00: Like I cracked, I cracked like 10,000 followers.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my god.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's amazing.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's insane, like in less than a week.
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_01: Dude, you deserve it because you're so such a hard worker and you should be getting seen.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_01: You know, some of these like silly things go viral for no reason, but yeah, you're going viral for a really cool reason because you work hard and you have worked hard for so many years.
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_01: So bravo to you because you should get the recognition.
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's yeah, it's definitely nice.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I mean, I've never had like I've never had the desire to be an influencer or or anything.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_00: I've I certainly want like I would certainly love like my audience to be expanded.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I'd love for people to see what I do beyond kind of like here, like the physical, my physical region, um, and like in Australia, it popped off in America.
• 36:10
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I've had so many wedding inquiries for America, which is really global.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah, so that was that was really nice.
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_00: But it's just yeah, I don't know, it's just it's it's nice to know that it's it's mostly ri well received, like some of like the amount of comments on there and like seeing the community, like seeing all these people like commenting threads like, oh you know, I I played this for my I played this for my now wife, like I surprised her as this was her IELT song, and and then someone was like, Yeah, my parents played this at their wedding, or like this was my first dance, and I was like, Wow, I can't believe how many people had it played at their wedding.
• 36:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and you can see why, like it's a really beautiful song.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_00: If I'm really honest, like I didn't grow up listening to Metallica, I don't know, that's probably like a terrible thing for me to admit, but I'm gonna like I didn't really grow up listening to Metallica, so it's um I gotta say, like the community, like the community, the metal community, yeah, is really they're really beautiful.
• 37:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, like a lot of them are really beautiful people.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's so nice.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's so awesome because I know that you've got a few really exciting projects coming up as well, and to have, you know, this is probably just you know keeping the momentum going as well.
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_01: Well yeah, tell us what else do you have going on this year?
• 37:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I've got um, so I've got a really exciting support act coming up in October at Tanks.
• 37:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I I actually thought that's a whole cute little story.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_00: I have um grown up listening to this artist, and like he's one of my favourite Australian artists, like just one of the most spectacular voices, like honestly, just makes you cry.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_00: Well, at least makes me cry every time I listen to his music.
• 37:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, just really stunning songwriting.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, um, he came to Cairns a couple of years ago, and I went and watched him.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_00: And unfortunately, like the attendee was like the attendance was really low.
• 38:01
  SPEAKER_00: There was a premiere of a film going on in the concert hall next door, so so many people were there, and as a result, not many people came to his gig, which was fine for me because I was like, I just feel like I'm being serenaded.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_00: This is my show, like this is a show for me.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_00: And I wept the whole time, like I cried, like I was just a blubbering mess the whole concert.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, met him afterwards, you know, introduced myself, told him that I was a harpist, and like, oh, you know, I'm just the kind of person I'm like, just say the thing because you'll never know, like, don't don't be hesitant, like, don't be afraid to say it because you never know, like if if it might eventuate to something.
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, I was like, Oh, it might be a bit dorky, but whatever, do it anyway.
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, Yeah, I'm a harpist in Fan North Queensland here.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, if ever you have the chance, like if ever you come back up, I'd I'd really love to work with you.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and he was so nice, he was like, Yeah, that sounds really amazing.
• 38:53
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, fast forward a couple of years later, like three something years later, four years later.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_00: And I got reached out to by the programmer and um of tanks, and they were like, Hey, are you available in on this date in October next year?
• 39:06
  SPEAKER_00: So this was late last year.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, uh, we've got an artist, nothing confirmed yet, but just want to know your availability.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, yep, available, cool, can't wait to hear who it is.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_00: So a few weeks go by, totally like I had it in my diary, but totally forgot that like you know what was happening.
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I got an email and um back from the program, and they're like, Okay, cool, it's confirmed.
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_00: Do you want to know who it is?
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, Yeah, I want to know who it is.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_00: Like, who am I who am I supporting?
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_00: They're like, Leo.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, what?
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_00: Were you expecting it at all?
• 39:35
  SPEAKER_00: No, not at no, not at all.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I like I supported Moontrix, a Canadian folk EDM dub duo from Canada last year.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_00: So like going, because my music, my original music is very, I don't even, I don't even really know.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_00: Like I call it ADM, it's like acoustic dance music.
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, because because I have the loop station and I use all those like kind of those dance style beats, um, like that boom, yeah.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, my music is more upbeat, it's it's very rhythmical, it's it's kind of fun.
• 40:05
  SPEAKER_00: Like I did see a couple of people sway and boogie at the sub when I supported Moon Trix last year, which was really cool.
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_00: But um, it's kind of yeah, I it from my perspective, I I feel it would be very hard to match me with so like going from Moon Tricks to Lior, like I obviously like was utterly like I cried, like I just like I again I sobbed, I wept.
• 40:27
  SPEAKER_00: I was just like, Are you kidding me?
• 40:29
  SPEAKER_00: Like this is so crazy.
• 40:30
  SPEAKER_00: I like like Liore is like my I suppose like my my high school artist crutch, um, you know, uh and and so to be to be told that I'm supporting him, like I just think back to like if 14-year-old me knew that like my you know early 30-year-old something me was gonna be was gonna be playing with Leo, like I don't think I would have, I don't think I would have believed it.
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_00: I would have just been like, that's yeah, right, whatever.
• 40:59
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 41:00
  SPEAKER_00: In Port Douglas, like you're gonna be living in Port Douglas and you've got to support Leo in cans.
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_00: 14-year-old me would have been like, no, that sounds too bizarre.
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, so um, yeah, so I am very excited to be doing that.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I am currently uh I'm starting my journey to working on my EP.
• 41:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 41:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so yeah, so I've got that coming.
• 41:25
  SPEAKER_01: So when when sorry, when is your performance with Lior?
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so Lior is on October the 16th.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, and I think it's a Friday now.
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_00: Tickets to that?
• 41:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 41:33
  SPEAKER_00: So if they go to the Tanks website or even if they just type in Liore at Tanks Art Centre on Google, um, it comes up.
• 41:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um I'll put it in the show notes anyway.
• 41:42
  SPEAKER_01: So if anyone wants to buy a ticket, come along, it's gonna be really wholesome.
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone's just gonna be a blubbering mess.
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 41:47
  SPEAKER_00: Me too.
• 41:49
  SPEAKER_00: I promise I'll try and play some music in a month's like.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_00: No, no, no.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_00: I've got to I've got to get all tears out before that I perform.
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, so that, yeah, so I've got that coming up in October.
• 41:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then I've got like a couple of projects.
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_00: Like I've got String Theory, which you've had had me and Stuan um here at Maker quite a few times, which has been really lovely.
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_00: So we're doing a collaboration with um with yoga instructors as part of like a yoga and live music attanks.
• 42:14
  SPEAKER_00: Awesome.
• 42:14
  SPEAKER_00: So that's coming up um in September on the 26th.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_01: Just quickly for those who don't know what string theory is, can you just give him a quick rundown of sure?
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so String Theory is a side project of mine and Stu Harkourt.
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_00: So Stu Harcourt is a singer, guitarist, and did redo player.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_00: He's also located here in Port Douglas.
• 42:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um he's unhe's incredible.
• 42:33
  SPEAKER_00: Like he's a Van Halen shredder, but then also like does all this beautiful ambient stuff with me.
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_00: I I think he's probably there when he's playing all this more like strip back stuff, just tapping his foot being like, when can I tread?
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_00: When can I tread?
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but yeah, so the concept is is more soundscape style.
• 42:50
  SPEAKER_00: So we've incorporated um harp textures with with the drone of a didgeridoo, and and he feeds his guitar through beautiful um reverb and delay pedals.
• 42:59
  SPEAKER_00: So it's not necessarily like a sound healing.
• 43:02
  SPEAKER_00: I I I do not call myself a sound healer because I feel it implies that you're supposed to leave our things feeling somewhat healed, and yeah, and that's like I I'm not in control of that.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_00: I think like how what I offer um and how it's received are two completely different things, and um we just simply share our music and we love to create these sound worlds, like a lot of a lot of the stuff we do with string theory for me personally, like when I'm playing the harp, I'm like I have all these like images of just landscapes, different kinds of lands landscapes.
• 43:34
  SPEAKER_00: Like, you know, we in we released an album last year called In the Moment, um, and there's one track on there called Desert Flow, which is personally my favorite because when we were when we were recording that track, um we like I was just picturing myself like with a harp and with Stu with Didjre in like the center of Australia on like a cool, like you know, light draft evening, like the sun's gone down.
• 43:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um But there's still just that like that horizon glow and the stars are out, and it's like there's it's desolate, there's just you know, it's just flat, there's a couple of like dead trees around, but just that mass spans of space, like you know, the sky is as big as it could possibly be, and and that's really the imagery that I was thinking or that my brain was coming up with when we were when we were doing that track, and and it still is like yeah, it's just we like to kind of capture the essence of the landscape through through music um and that exploration.
• 44:32
  SPEAKER_01: From uh the audience point of view and being in your audience a few times, that is truly how it feels, you know.
• 44:38
  SPEAKER_01: Like what and everyone, I think everyone has a different experience.
• 44:42
  SPEAKER_01: Like for me, like one of them, I truly fell asleep.
• 44:45
  SPEAKER_01: Like I was so relaxed, I fell asleep at the back of the room.
• 44:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, another one I was so engrossed in just watching you play.
• 44:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and then so it depends on your day and your mood and all that sort of stuff, and how you yeah, how you want to interpret it.
• 44:56
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, there's no expectation for what you're supposed to do when you come to them, you know.
• 45:00
  SPEAKER_00: Like I said, like I've had a couple of people say they just fell asleep, and I'm like, you obviously needed it.
• 45:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm glad I could help that exactly.
• 45:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, for sure.
• 45:09
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, we've had people just sit and just like eyeball the whole time because yeah, you know, the whole setting with all the fairy lights and the beautiful like candles and stuff, and it's and yeah, the harp, the did redo.
• 45:21
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's both a visually and and audio um experience.
• 45:26
  SPEAKER_01: So you've got your solo business where you do a lot of weddings and events, then you've got string theory.
• 45:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 45:32
  SPEAKER_01: And then you've also got a laundra as well.
• 45:35
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a busy lady.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 45:37
  SPEAKER_00: So can you tell us what a laundra is?
• 45:39
  SPEAKER_00: So a laundra uh originally started as a duo.
• 45:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I had I had a lovely friend who was a customer at at um the coffee shop at Origin where I was working and working.
• 45:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and she came to me one day and she's just like, My boyfriend's moving up to town and he's a musician.
• 45:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um turns out he was a double bassist.
• 45:58
  SPEAKER_00: So the first time I met him, I like, I'm like, hey, I'm Lonnie, and we're gonna play together.
• 46:03
  SPEAKER_00: He's like, hi, okay.
• 46:07
  SPEAKER_00: So we started off as a harp and bass duo.
• 46:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I thought it was a really cool concept to be able to offer for weddings.
• 46:15
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's the it's beautiful, like having like all the beautiful rhythmic elements and the melodic elements of the harp, and then having the groove of the bass.
• 46:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um so yeah, so we started off as a harp and uh harp and bass duo, and then um I when I was like working at Origin, I um we had a new colleague come on, and it was actually a couple of months before I found out.
• 46:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but so I was like, Yeah, I'm a musician, and then Jun just decided not to tell me that he was this amazing jazz guitarist um for a little while.
• 46:48
  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, I found out he was a jazz guitarist, and I was like, Jun, I'm sorry, but like you're good, you're joining the band and like we're we're gonna be a trio now.
• 46:56
  SPEAKER_01: So whether you like it or not.
• 46:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 46:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so we jammed one day and my mind was blown.
• 47:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like, Jun and Brody are both incredible musicians.
• 47:05
  SPEAKER_00: Like, it's just it's so epic to like, you know, we we've all relocated to this beautiful place in in far north Queensland where yeah, like you know, our our kind of level of playing is well, not even our level, there is a lot of amazing musicians, but I suppose like our niche, our niche market is just not a thing, and it hasn't been a thing.
• 47:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so it's awesome that Brody moved to town, and then even more awesome when June moved to town and then finally told me that he's a jazz guitarist.
• 47:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 47:32
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, so we started working as a trio.
• 47:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I was really like I really wanted to push that because I love playing with other musicians.
• 47:40
  SPEAKER_00: I love creating, I love creating with other people.
• 47:43
  SPEAKER_00: I love sharing that energy, that kind of vortex of synchronicity and and and sort of an understanding of like what we're doing and how we're playing and what we're trying to create.
• 47:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's it's nice playing by yourself, but it gets lonely.
• 47:56
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 47:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so to be able to play with other musicians and vibe, like you know, I'm like looking through the strings when I can, absolutely, um, is really nice.
• 48:04
  SPEAKER_00: And also just like to see them shred.
• 48:07
  SPEAKER_00: Like I'm just playing and I'm like, I can't believe I'm playing with amazing musicians like this again.
• 48:12
  SPEAKER_00: It's so nice.
• 48:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 48:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I really wanted to, and like our style is like it's kind of a combination of like soul, funk, jazz, bossa nova, all that sort of stuff.
• 48:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's like very sunset cocktail style ybing um music, and and you know, the instrumentation, harp, guitar, and bass is kind of it's a little bit eclectic.
• 48:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um I've been using for the longest time like my loot pedal to create the to create the drum beats and stuff, and and just have a light drum beat going underneath, so like nothing, nothing too like intense, um, which is why it works so well as like a cocktail style um ensemble or act.
• 48:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um anyway, I was like really trying to like branch this out into restaurants and resorts around town.
• 48:55
  SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, I was getting knockback after knockback after knockback.
• 48:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I just again I was at Origin one day and I was talking to one of our regular customers, and she's like, I'm house sitting at the moment, um, and I think this house would be amazing for you to do a house concert.
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_00: What do you reckon?
• 49:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so um she got permission from the owners, and we put on this beautiful little intimate house concert.
• 49:16
  SPEAKER_00: I think like that was the start of 2025.
• 49:19
  SPEAKER_00: We only had maybe 30 people there, um, and we loved the idea.
• 49:24
  SPEAKER_00: It was like a non-alcoholic event.
• 49:25
  SPEAKER_00: We had Penny, the kefir queen, was there offering kefir and kombucha, it was such a wholesome afternoon evening.
• 49:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, then yeah, we were like, oh, this is really cool.
• 49:34
  SPEAKER_00: Like, and people loved our music, but unfortunately, we still weren't getting any public performances, and so you know, both June and I working at like one of the busiest coffee shops in town, yeah, and people finding out we're musicians are like, when can we see you play next?
• 49:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, Oh, when I organise the next house concert.
• 49:48
  SPEAKER_00: So, anyway, we started doing house concerts.
• 49:50
  SPEAKER_00: We've actually got one coming up this Saturday, uh the 29th.
• 49:53
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, fantastic! Yeah, yeah.
• 49:54
  SPEAKER_00: So is it sold out?
• 49:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's not sold out, no, we've still got a few tickets left, and this one's gonna be awesome.
• 50:00
  SPEAKER_00: Weather provided, weather permitting, it's gonna be an outdoor one.
• 50:03
  SPEAKER_00: So our last couple have all been indoor, real cozy, like you know, living room style.
• 50:07
  SPEAKER_00: But this time we're kind of going for more like a backyard soiree, festoon lights, and bring a camp chair, picnic rug, whatever.
• 50:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, hopefully it's a killer sunset.
• 50:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, so yeah, so we'll put that in the show notes too if anyone wants to check that out.
• 50:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 50:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, fantastic.
• 50:25
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, so exciting! Yeah, thank you so much for chatting to me today, Lonnie.
• 50:29
  SPEAKER_01: Honestly, I you and I could chat forever because I feel like you just have so many stories to tell, and I just love hearing all about the music world.
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I do have to wrap up though, because unfortunately I do have to go and open the shop.
• 50:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I would love to end on two things.
• 50:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 50:45
  SPEAKER_01: Number one, a piece of advice that you can leave us.
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_01: Whether that be to do with the music industry or life in general.
• 50:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 50:53
  SPEAKER_01: And then number two, what has brought you the most joy this week?
• 50:57
  SPEAKER_00: Ooh, okay, so the first thing, advice is probably not music related, but um just a general piece of advice, which um comes from my epic failure of like not having my piano career, but subsequently having my heart career is um for every time a door is closed, there's another one open.
• 51:13
  SPEAKER_00: You just have to you have to be willing to look for it and walk through it.
• 51:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and that for me was the door shutting on my piano career um and that harp door being open somewhere, and and thankfully I took it because I don't know if I could have had that piano career like I've had with my harp career.
• 51:30
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, I think like it's really made me appreciate failure.
• 51:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 51:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um because it's yeah, it's not it's not a case of you're not worth it or you're not going to succeed.
• 51:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's it wasn't meant for you.
• 51:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 51:44
  SPEAKER_00: Like maybe my piano career was not meant for me.
• 51:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 51:47
  SPEAKER_00: And so I love that.
• 51:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's so good.
• 51:50
  SPEAKER_00: What is the best thing?
• 51:52
  SPEAKER_00: What's the best thing that's happening?
• 51:53
  SPEAKER_00: I've been I would like I would actually say go like I wouldn't say going viral, but um, I would probably say like um the thing that's brought me most joy has actually been reading the really, really nice comments, both like for my music and what I've shared, but also like that the community, like people from all around the world like bonding over bonding over something, and and like um me putting that up there being the reason that I've been able to see that.
• 52:20
  SPEAKER_00: So being sort of yeah, that's that's actually been really, really nice.
• 52:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, oh my gosh, there's so many good people out there.
• 52:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, well, thank you for that, and congratulations again.
• 52:32
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for those who would like to follow you or book you or whatever, where can they find you?
• 52:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yep, so I'm on Instagram, loniefitzpatrick.harp.
• 52:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that's l-o-n i fitzpatrick, yep.harp.
• 52:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, Facebook, I think it's Lonnie Fitzpatrick Singing Harpists, and then I've got a YouTube channel as well, um, which I'm I'll try to put stuff up on.
• 52:51
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then my website, www.lonniefitzpatrick.com, is where you can actually go through and and if you want to book me and submit a um an inquiry form.
• 53:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 53:00
  SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
• 53:00
  SPEAKER_01: And once again, I will add that to the show now.
• 53:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 53:03
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks so much for having me, Ray.
• 53:05
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Lonnie.
• 53:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, have a wonderful day.
• 53:08
  SPEAKER_01: To you listeners, have a wonderful day and a wonderful week, and we'll be back in your ears next week.
• 53:13
  SPEAKER_01: All right, bye.
• 53:14
  SPEAKER_01: Bye.
• 53:15
  SPEAKER_01: Well, that's all the juice from the booth today.
• 53:17
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks so much for listening.
• 53:19
  SPEAKER_01: If you've enjoyed this episode, we'd love for you to share it with a friend.
• 53:22
  SPEAKER_01: And if you'd like to help keep this podcast going, the best thing you can do is hit subscribe or follow the Booth Juice podcast on Instagram.
• 53:30
  SPEAKER_01: We'll catch you back in the booth next week.
• 53:32
  SPEAKER_01: Bye.
• 53:34
  SPEAKER_01: Season two is proudly supported by the Regional Arts Development Fund.