#170 Mia Palencia
The University of Tasmania one of the first places in Australia you could go to specifically learn about songwriting. Mia Palencia is doing a PHD on songwriters and their process and is the professor of songwriting at the University after traveling from Malaysia to study songwriting at the school.
Mia Palencia launched her luminous career in the Malaysian music scene at the age of 14 as the other half of well-loved Sabahan jazz duo Double Take. 19 years, 6 albums, and numerous concerts and tours later, Mia continues to live her dream of making music the centrepiece of her life’s work. Mia’s current work focuses on her passion for songwriting and working with aspiring songwriters. She continues to manifest this passion through her PhD research in Songwriting at the Conservatorium of Music, University of Tasmania. She is also set to release her 7th album in 2017 with her Australian jazz quartet, In Good Company.
Song featured in the podcast 'So Many Hands' by Mia Palencia - HERE
Check out Mia's latest project Lady Carnivale HERE
Connect with Mia:
Transcript
Rae Leigh: Welcome to a Songwriter Tryst with Mia Palencia thanks for joining.
Mia Palencia: Hello. Thanks for having me.
Rae Leigh: No, you're absolutely welcome. It's my pleasure. We like to start by getting you to share a little bit about yourself. Who are you and where do you come from?
Mia Palencia: So I am from Malaysia originally, but I have called Tasmania home for 12 years now. It was actually the summer of. Course that was offered at the university down here that drew me across the sea. Because I had, I had a music career in Malaysia, through my late teens and, to my, late twenties.
And then at that time I really. wanted to go back to music school, to study, and wasn't really interested in studying performance or, jazz or audio engineering. I really wanted to get into song writing. And so yeah, the university down, he was the only one offering it.
Rae Leigh: really. When was those
Mia Palencia: that was in 2010 is when I started. And they were the first university in australia to offer it as a degree pathway.
Rae Leigh: It's one of those things that, I've struggled with music courses in general, because I do feel like they're very boxed. do you find that they can be like, you have to do jazz or contemporary? It's like
Mia Palencia: Hmm, or classical?
Rae Leigh: Oh, Classico.
Mia Palencia: that's right. Yeah. And It's changing, I think, because they're, they're
starting to realize very late in the game that they they're going to have to evolve if they want to stay relevant to the, because I mean, we're making more music, like more than ever, I think, just not in schools and universities, sadly.
Rae Leigh: exactly. So tell me about, let's go back to the very beginning of music and songwriting and where that inspiration happened for you. W when did you realize you had the songwriting music bug?
Mia Palencia: That's a good question. When I first started, in the music industry, I was actually. Predominantly a singer. I started releasing albums, at the age of 16 with a jazz guitarist. And so we were singing predominantly covers at the time of standards, which, you know, we jazz musicians do. And so.
However, I always knew that I wanted to write songs. I didn't have access to instruments as a kid. And so I, sang a lot and was around musicians a lot, but I didn't have a guitar or a piano at home that I could start writing my songs on. I remember in the early stages, I would just say. In my bedroom and imagine the song and write the lyrics down, but not actually have any way of playing it.
Rae Leigh: Oh, wow. Yeah, that's hard.
Mia Palencia: it is. But, I later on in, I think it was
probably in my late teens when I bought my first guitar, that's when it really started flowing. And it was just like all the light bulbs went off and I knew that this was really what I loved to do.
Rae Leigh: Ah, that's really exciting. And I'm so glad that you've discovered that so early, like all the w we, your parents will family members excited and encouraging of that, that who you were and you deciding who you are.
Mia Palencia: That's another really good question, because, at the time I went to a music college after I'm finishing high school and I was studying, performance and it, again, as I said, I was very much known as a jazz singer. And so when I started playing these sort of sideways gigs, you know, these indie gigs to play my originals, there was a little bit of.
Resistance. And I was really surprised by that because I've always had such encouraging parents when it comes to music, but I think they weren't against it. I think they were just, they hadn't realized that there was this side of me that, you know, had been wanting to, to be revealed. Yeah.
no, but once I, once I was there, I didn't go back and that's not to say that I don't sing jazz any more, but Yeah.
definitely song writings, my bag.
Rae Leigh: What were you writing about at that age? Like what do you feel your, you were going to, to express or wanting to express at that time?
Mia Palencia: Definitely really teenagey things,
Rae Leigh: The boy next door.
Mia Palencia: all of that stuff. And this is going to be possibly news to you. The PhD that I'm working on is talking to some writers in Australia about their songwriting. And that's a really common arc that I'm finding that I'm finding that, you know, we're all talking about in the beginning. We didn't have as many music skills necessarily, but the authenticity was just bursting out of us.
Cause we were all writing, hot on sleep stuff, stuff that we felt really strongly about at the time.
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Mia Palencia: Yeah. And then, you know, life happens and you start gaining more music skills, but also we not to say that we feel things less. So, but I think we're just not as dramatic as we are out when we're 16, you know?
Rae Leigh: Well, your first love is dramatic. Your first heartbreak. life wrenching,
Mia Palencia: Oh, so.
Rae Leigh: it's, and we feel it so strongly and yet it's an intense, but it's such a hard lesson to learn as well. No one wants to go back and relive that, but at the same time, it makes us who we are and yeah, but I'm, you're probably 167. Of these podcasts. And I would have to say that sometimes, cause I've got a science degree background and sometimes I feel like I am doing a
Mia Palencia: A PhD.
Rae Leigh: a PhD on songwriters, not just from Australia, but like all over the world. We're about 50% Australian, 50% everywhere else. And I find it is it's, especially boys.
It's like boys, 14 years old. They want to write a song about a girl. They liked that they probably haven't told, and girls are the same. They're writing a song about the boy that broke their heart.
Mia Palencia: Totally.
Rae Leigh: most common response that I get from songwriters. I'm like, huh, there you go to, it's a way to express yourself. And so you feel like you fit into that category?
Mia Palencia: Definitely and friendship too was a really strong theme at the time. You know, I think, friend groups were of our universe. Definitely those types of songs. Yeah.
Rae Leigh: I love that. Yeah. One of my first songs I recorded was, a friend my best friend's 18, no, 21st birthday. And my mate from church, he'd recorded it in his. And it was called grace, cause her name was grace, but the whole song is like a love song to her, but it's about our friendship and how I do anything for her. And like, it's a friendship song, but I listen to it now and I cringe because what you do when your songs
Mia Palencia: Absolutely.
Rae Leigh: But there's a beautiful, honest, rawness to it. That it is essentially a love song to a best friend, so you were writing about your very typical, teenage love, experience and emotions. What about that? Cause there's a whole nother experience that I think every creative, artistic. In the world has to deal with, and maybe it's harder in Australia. I don't know.
But doing art as a kid is one thing telling your family that you're going to try and make a living as an artist is a whole nother ball game. How was that experience for you? What was the journey like?
Mia Palencia: Well have some, a little bit, unique in this way, because as I mentioned, my parents
had always been really encouraging about it. And, a lot of the reason why I ended up releasing albums and performing so much at such a young age was because I was, receiving a lot of support from family.
I could not have done it without them. Really. My mum was my manager for all of those years.
Rae Leigh: Of those girls,
Mia Palencia: yeah.
Rae Leigh: Mum manager.
Mia Palencia: But I think too though, you know, we, we sort of ride the wave at the beginning. Not really thinking about how it's all. Pan out. And that's not to say that I'm done at the end of my career, but I think at some point I also realized that I had to do this forever and was trying to work out what that would mean.
Like how could I do music for myself forever. And not just for a short time that I might be, you know, releasing albums and touring for, for an audience.
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Mia Palencia: I think coming down to Tasmania to study music and then hopefully teach, which is what I've ended up doing was Al was like, it's like the second part of the story in that. I'm just so pleased that it's so much, I'm just one of the lucky ones that gets to do this. Like every day, all day.
Rae Leigh: Yeah, not everyone can do that.
Mia Palencia: Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. I guess to answer your question, I, I was really supported throughout my, yeah.
Rae Leigh: that's beautiful. And so you've gone through that when you're writing a song or any new your experience, it's probably evolved, I'm guessing as well,
Mia Palencia: Hmm.
Rae Leigh: but is there something that you always think about or always like to make sure is in your song when you're writing, whether it's by yourself or collaborating, like a, a theory or an emotion, or is it you're always thinking about the audience or you're always, no, it has to be for you first.
Mia Palencia: Well, you're full of interesting questions. Thank you. I actually am trying not to think too hard.
Rae Leigh: That's good.
Mia Palencia: To begin with just because, I found that, you know, my songs can be clunky and Frankensteiny, if I am thinking too hard, but you're right. As a craft, Person I'm absolutely always considering, is this are the, are these combination of words?
The best they can be and I do, they speak to me. And are they from an honest place? I think honesty is, probably my main focus.
Rae Leigh: I love that you get that moment when you have something so vulnerable and honest, it's like, Aw, that's so vulnerable and honest. It's scary, but it's also awesome.
Mia Palencia: Absolutely. And, and, you know, like our listeners
can sniff that a mile away that we're whether we are being honest or not. And I think that's what they gravitate to really, when they're listening to our songs and connecting with what we're saying or the notes that we're singing.
Rae Leigh: unless you're an incredible actor as well. Yeah.
How did the journey go from, recording and then studying, and now you're doing your teaching as well and doing your PhD, what such only been like for you? Cause that's a very different journey.
I've spoken to a few professors of songwriting now, which is awesome, but it's a, different journey. What made you decide that was your.
Mia Palencia: I think, you know, because we summarizing is actually a new area of teaching. It was something that I really enjoyed mentoring people, through the process, but wasn't so sure about, how do I put this? I guess there isn't like a holy grail somewhere. That's just going to show us how to teach some writing.
In fact, it's a really contentious subject. A lot of songwriters don't even think you can teach songwriting. And so that was intriguing for me, but I think, really why I wanted to do it to study it, to begin with was because I had come to a point in my songwriting where I felt like I had exhausted all of my.
Ideas and needed to up-skill so that I could write inverted commerce, better songs to match what I was hearing in my head.
Cause we have like, we fall into our habits and then, and that's not to say that I don't enjoy still writing a song with just
three chords. Like what a great, what a gratifying
Rae Leigh: yeah.
Mia Palencia: is.
Rae Leigh: Keep it simple.
Mia Palencia: Yeah.
exactly. But on the flip side, like where could I go with
it? What could I What more could I do with it? And so that's why I came to study it. And I, I really, really learned so much in my time, , at the con, it was really exciting to discover that.
yes, we can learn more and we can absolutely, I think enrich our creative practice.
Coming to spend some time with other songwriters. So I really want it to be part of that, process, as I continued in my career, and in the meantime, you know, I was still writing and recording and then it sort of took a shift and I started being asked to write for projects, which was another whole different ball game.
Rae Leigh: Um,
Mia Palencia: So that has been another aspect of my musical career. I write music for, well, funnily enough, musical theater, a lot of it. But also, Yeah. but also like film and
TV and those types of projects. Yeah. So it's really fulfilling to be able to write songs for so many different reasons.
Rae Leigh: And you get to be sort of creative, but not having to be the artist. I think. And that's a different thing because in Australia, a lot of people, I talk to, writing songs that they're going to go out and perform and entertain. But then on the flip side, there are songwriters that, like you said, just get to actually write for other projects. And it means that you're not constricted by genre or what your audience are interested in. You can kind of just write to different things and it kind of keeps you quite creatively open, which is.
Mia Palencia: Oh, totally. It's actually really liberating. It sort of just gives you the license to do whatever you want, and not be defined by, you know, the artistic. I suppose we all have an, a concept of who we are as artists and what we sound like. And as you said, you know, when we were writing songs to perform with our name on it, it's totally different to writing it, knowing that anybody can take it and do what they.
With with,
Rae Leigh: I think it's fun and it's yeah. And people will do whatever they want with music. If
you haven't learned. And people listening will let it eventually they'll do with it, whatever you want. Once, once you've written it and released it, it's out there for people to
Mia Palencia: Hmm.
Rae Leigh: use as building blocks for their own stuff. When you are collaborating with someone, is there something that you, to make sure you take into a co-write or have advice for people when they're collaborating with other.
Mia Palencia: So I've done a little bit of cola work, but more these days, I'm mostly the primary writer, but working in teams of people, you know, producers and arrangers, et cetera. But in terms of collateral,
Rae Leigh: lining.
Mia Palencia: Yes, to an extent, I actually, It's more like I write it and I send it away and say, what about this, this, this, this, and they come back with some, with production, encased around the songs. Yeah. But in terms of, collaborate to some writing, I've done a little bit here and there and I have to admit it is actually not an easy thing. I think perhaps, maybe I'd like to think that I have. Maybe I haven't come across the right people to collaborate with because it's almost like a management of personalities. This is isn't
Rae Leigh: It is, it's about finding that right mix. And it's, I actually I'm, I've explained it to people in these podcasts before that they listened. They'll know what I'm talking about, but it's kind of like, being intimate with someone that you might have a great experience. And then you, you know, you haven't, you could potentially have a song baby that grows up and does amazing things.
But you want to go back and you want to keep doing it. And like there becomes a beautiful relationship. And then other times you might have that same sort of experience and never want to do it again. You could still have a song baby that comes out of that though. And it can still go into the world and do incredible things, even if the experience wasn't fantastic.
And so it's like, it's one of those things that like, it is an intimate thing. But when you find someone that you ride with, well, it does feel good, but I don't know about you, but I've definitely been to a lot of therapists over my lifetime. And sometimes it's like, you can't just rock up to any GP and they give you a script, you know, with a therapist, you've got to find someone that is a good personality fit for what you're going through and maybe specialize in what you're going through.
And, I think the same thing with songwriting, you've got to find that puzzle, You know, someone that is your, completes you as a songwriter, as a songwriter in itself, what do you find is the more natural, easier thing for you? Is it melody ideas, lyrics
Mia Palencia: Well I'm and here's another thing that's going to surface. I think I always strive for porosity. So I am thinking of all three of those things, you? know, Is it the right code fit for the right word for the right melody and. I think I work a,
lot easier. In terms of writing for other people, if you handed me some lyrics. I can write it in, you know, it really quickly. So I think, probably if it came to collaborating again, I, I can imagine that I probably would work, better handling the melody and, and and the, and the harmony. Yeah.
Rae Leigh: and you're with lyrics. You find that they flow really quickly. Once you've got the idea.
Mia Palencia: Yeah. totally. But I guess, I think it's actually the lyrics that are a little bit hard for me to negotiate with somebody else. So it's probably better, like if, you know, you walk in with a set of lyrics and I'll just start playing some music with you.
Rae Leigh: it's hard. It is. It's so hard. I love, pat Patterson's role. Have you heard he has that rule of No. no rules when you're co-writing with someone.
Mia Palencia: No. Well, I know of him, absolutely, but I don't know this one, please tell me.
Rae Leigh: He talks about in his books and he, we had him on episode 40 of the podcast and he talks about it as well there, and it's about going, no nos. So instead of saying, no, that's no good or like shutting people down, it's like, people need to feel safe and have the freedom to say whatever they want for their, their song or their idea.
And if it doesn't sit right, either don't say something or say, let's try and keep going, you know, keep going. Cause something else better might come out of it. Just so that people feel safe because if you feel safe and comfortable with the person you're writing with, I think that's the concept is that you can actually then say a stupid idea might actually, maybe won't be in the song, but it might inspire the great line that follows that I think is his theory. Which I agree with
Mia Palencia: Yeah,
Rae Leigh: and So in your extensive career, and obviously now studying it so much, what would you say your best advice is or something that really stands out for you when you're writing a song, that you, you would pass onto us to.
Mia Palencia: As I said, I've been talking to a lot of, professionals somewhere at is actually I've had the great fortune of interviewing some really awesome Australian songwriters for this project. And I think one of the things that has been emerging for, from the research is that there, for many of us, we experienced songwriting in many different ways and, you, know, even one person will write song a different song, a different way, a hundred different ways.
But I guess what I'm trying to articulate is that, there's just wonderful. Part of summarizing, which I think people don't want to unpick because it is mysterious. And the mystery of it is one is, is the draw card. When you're sort of sitting down to write a song and you're not thinking at all, and then suddenly you look up and it's been an hour and a half and yeah. Chipping away at this really, really good song. W one of the things I've picked up on talking to people is that that sort of semi-conscious place is a really precious space. And I I've often found talking to people that if they, feeling like they're thinking too much in that space, the song ends up feeling.
Relatively clunky as well. So maybe the takeaway from it, maybe I'm still working on the project, is, you know, is for us to.
be able to recognize when we're feeling really inspired and creative and honoring that and giving ourselves time to sit down and play without thinking for a little while. And those are the, the really, usually, really fertile periods for some writing for really good writing.
Rae Leigh: Oh, yeah. I love those moments. And you put them in. They usually in my. They come when I have the least amount of time. So like when I was, I studied biomedical science at the Trib university in Melbourne, and it would get to an exam time th the one time of year that I really need to spend a lot more time studying. I would write like 10 songs.
Mia Palencia: All of that stress.
Rae Leigh: It was well, songwriting and music really relaxed me. It was my coping mechanism throughout my entire life to cope with stress. And so all of a sudden, anytime I was under huge measures of stress, I'm like, I was just going to pick up the guitar and to play the piano just for a little bit. And then like, like you said, an hour and a half later,
Mia Palencia: Yeah, absolutely.
Rae Leigh: done anything, but, yeah, it is. It's, it's such a relaxing thing. think it's it's I find I've got three little kids now. I find that the hardest thing is when I'm in the middle or I feel really inspired and something's coming out and I was like, mom, I want a drink.
Mia Palencia: Oh, totally. So much. So many of my voice memos of my song fragments have involved like, little children noises in the background.
Rae Leigh: Yeah, me too. It's like, mom, what are you doing? He's like, just ignore him until I finished the recording yet.
Mia Palencia: Actually I've actually mentioned to my students that the only time I get to write songs these days is in the shower. And so one of them actually bought me a waterproof notepad that I have in
Rae Leigh: I love that.
Mia Palencia: So I can really quickly write down my idea before it slips away.
Rae Leigh: That's so cool. I want a waterproof notepad.
Mia Palencia: It's amazing. It's really life-changing. And plus you can put it really high up so the kids can
Rae Leigh: Can I get it? If they're in the show with you, how old are your children?
Mia Palencia: One and seven.
Rae Leigh: Oh, that's beautiful. I've got a seven year old daughter as well. She just turned seven last week.
Mia Palencia: Oh, wonderful.
Rae Leigh: nine-year-old boy and a five-year-old little boy as well. It's a beautiful time. And honestly they inspire me so much, but it is hard to get, to get a moment to do it. But at the same time, Gosh children, if you ever, if you're feeling writer's block, have a child, because they definitely will inspire you and give you plenty to sing about that's for sure.
Mia Palencia: That's true. That's absolutely true.
Rae Leigh: If you could go back in time, this is one of the fun questions I like to kind of get you thinking about. What you might do differently or what you wish you had have known sooner, but if you could go back in time and talk to yourself as sort of maybe that teenage age, or maybe just as you were doing early stages of your music create
and give yourself one piece of advice, what would you say to
yourself?
Mia Palencia: Um,
enjoy it while it
lasts.
Rae Leigh: Oh,
Mia Palencia: I know it sounds terrible. I think it's because I feel
looking back now that I was a professional performing musician in this golden age time where people came to gigs still. And that's not to say that it's not happening anymore, but it's certainly not at a level that it was in the two thousands.
I remember, interviewing, is about this. And we were talking about that as well. You know, that there was a time where you knew you just have gigs back to back and that every, like people were actively being there to soak up the music with you. And.
Times have changed times have changed and it's different now.
People are performing more online than ever before. And the, I feel while I still enjoy putting up a song every now and again on Instagram, it's nothing like that connection with the audience intimately in a room together, you
know?
Rae Leigh: Absolutely. I agree. I miss that. I think we've got, have you heard the theory about the roaring twenties?
Mia Palencia: No. Tell me.
Rae Leigh: No. So you know how I mean, it was 1919. We had, , Yeah, the Spanish flu, you know, th that, that pandemic hit, hit the world and everyone had to sort of deal with that pandemic. And then after that, we had the roaring twenties of, jazz music and clubs and everyone going out and all that sort of stuff.
So the theory is that we're hitting our version of the roaring twenties and that the next decade is going to be. I think that same thing. And for me, it's that, that craving, like I did not realize how much I missed live music after lockdown, you have to just go to a live gig and experience it, you know?
Mia Palencia: Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Oh, well, I, I will pray that the roaring twenties theory
stands up. Um,
Rae Leigh: I really hope so.
Mia Palencia: Yeah, I think it's, you know, we are all craving that. And may maybe, maybe it's just because all of us now are getting to an age where our kids are old enough to stay home with a babysitter and we'll start coming out and attending those gates again.
Rae Leigh: Yes, Yeah, that'll be, that'll be the day. Alright. This is one of my favorite questions that I like to end the podcast on. If you could collaborate with anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be
Mia Palencia: John Mayer hands down.
Rae Leigh: Oh, really?
Mia Palencia: Yes, I would actually, I was
Rae Leigh: He's probably mine. I have after monitors. Yeah. Yeah. I love him.
Mia Palencia: double-edged sword maybe because I've actually, I would, I don't know if I want to beat it because I don't, I'm not that that might be a little bit too much, but no, I would love to work with John. I would love to John.
Rae Leigh: I'd love to work with them. I just don't want to meet him.
Mia Palencia: Yeah,
Rae Leigh: Okay. Love to have a chat with him.
Mia Palencia: yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I guess maybe because I'm, well, I am a great fan of his, um, I think he's struck gold in terms of, balancing the musicianship with such great stories in his songs and yeah, I'd love to
unpick that a little bit.
Rae Leigh: Yeah, absolutely. No. Good choice. I like your choice is very good choice. I would pick that one too. I actually have like one of my goals of like top people I would like to talk to on this podcast would be john Mayer. So
Mia Palencia: Oh,
Rae Leigh: he's on my list. I'm coming for you.
Mia Palencia: Yeah. Um, continuum is like that desert island album for me.
Rae Leigh: yeah. Cool. Yeah, just so many, like I used to like cleaning the house. That's always the go-to and it's, that's a weird thing, right? You have particular music that you listen to when you're doing particular things. Like if you're with a lover, you put them, Barry, what are you going for a run? You might put on some sneaky sound system when I'm cleaning the house. I listened to Joan.
Mia Palencia: that's hilarious.
Rae Leigh: It's a weird thing that I've never admitted to. I don't know why I'm sharing that with. I hope he doesn't listen to it, then hate me for it. It's like, I'm not cleaning music anyway. So the podcast is now yours. I like to give everyone a chance to share whatever you'd like to share, with, with the audience that are listening. Do you have anything you'd like to share with everyone before we.
Mia Palencia: Wow. That's crazy because it feels like this is the moment where I should be plugging a new recording and they are on the way. But they're just not quite ready to go live yet.
But yeah.
Rae Leigh: We'll put a link to your website and everything,
and you know, so people can go check you out and follow you
Mia Palencia: yeah. Awesome. Awesome. Thank you. I guess if there are any songwriters out there who feel like they'd like to, find out a little bit more about the song writing process. Like please keep an eye out for when, yeah. When the research finally comes out, I know it's, like I said, it's been interesting chatting to Australian songwriters and working out, how we feel about it, how we feel about talking about some writing.
How have you. found it? I mentioned people have been, forthcoming because they're on the podcast, but. I've definitely found some resistance in terms of getting into the nitty
gritty of how they do things.
Rae Leigh: Some people do. Absolutely. I think some may, I think, I feel like sometimes when I talk to people it's not so much because they don't want to share, but maybe they've just never actually thought about some of those deeper questions about why they actually do what they do. Like I've. At least eight years of intensive therapy for my own personal messed up reasons.
But that also helped me understand myself and why music was so integral to my life and why I wrote songs. And, you know, and I, I actually, especially younger people I've talked to. Maybe they've just never actually asked or, or delved that deep into the darkness of, you know, we all have those dark places in our lives that we want to ignore most of the time everyone has that darkness inside of us.
And it is easier and, and sometimes a matter of survival to just ignore those that darkness. But when you can get into a safe space and you can actually look up. And question it. I find that that's where the real magic and beauty and the diamonds are found there, you know, that diamonds are found deep in that darkness. Unfortunately, but, but yeah, it's an interesting one. Because sometimes the other most common thing I get from people is, I don't know why I'm telling you this, but
Mia Palencia: Nice.
Well,
Rae Leigh: I love it when I hear that
Mia Palencia: yeah, you're asking all the right questions. Yeah. I'm just really passionate about songwriting, but more than that. So writing, teaching, and mentoring for, you know, a generation. At the moment Australians, cause this is where I live, who are not necessarily getting, the opportunity to, uh, learn how to write songs, at school. And that's something that. I'm trying to, you know, change.
Rae Leigh: I love that. Yes. So I'm writing course in high school. Yes,
Mia Palencia: Yeah. So we rolled out a song writing course
for a year, elevens and twelves this year, and I'm connected with the university of Tasmania. And so there, this was sort of the Guinea pig year and it's responsible. Amazing. And next year, you know, like the students are just waiting to, to, they want, they want to do this.
They want to tell their stories, you know? And so I'm, if there are any songwriting educators out there who want to touch base and share their, their thoughts with me, I would love to hear from them. Absolutely.
Rae Leigh: Ah, that's just so exciting. And I don't know if you ask me, I think emotional intelligence is the core of being able to write a good story. And, that's something that we're not taught in high school.
Mia Palencia: Absolutely.
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Mia Palencia: And I like that you say that because, you know, perhaps, perhaps there's an misunderstanding that you study music at school because you're going to end up going to study flute at a Conservatorium. And while that's certainly the case for, you know, perhaps 150 flautists in the country, Ultimately, we're just wanting to give young people skills to express themselves whether they end up recording albums or not is not really the bottom line. It's just access to music And being able to do it for themselves.
Rae Leigh: I love that. And that is so important. And that's what I think a few people I've talked to who are quite young, that, you know, they were going through a hard time and they didn't have anyone to talk to you or they didn't know how to talk about it. And that's a really common thing when you're young, you don't always have the vocabulary to understand or talk about what you're feeling.
And they've just been handed a guitar, or it will say, go sit at the piano. Let it out on that. And I love that theory and I do that to my nine year old or seven year old. Now, how old is he now? Oh, he's nine. And it is, it's such music and an art and painting and drawing and all things. Craft is just such a beautiful way to express who we are as human beings. And that is, that is the core of what it really is. I love that. Cool. Thank you so much. I'm really glad we got to have this conversation.
Mia Palencia: Oh, no. Thanks for having me.
Rae Leigh: yeah, thank you so much for, sharing so much of your wisdom and I really look forward to hearing some of your findings and
Mia Palencia: Oh, thank you. Thank you. and it sounds like I'm going to have to troll through all of the people you've had and it might end up in the research.
Rae Leigh: All right,
Mia Palencia: Pet Pederson, especially of it, or go and look that up.
Rae Leigh: yeah. Thank you very much.
Mia Palencia: No. Thank you. Take care of.
