I was given a piano by a family friend who passed away. I actually very vividly remember it arriving in our house and me just sitting down and writing my first song as a 15 year old and it just poured out of me. You know, it was kind of you know all about heartbreak and that was when I realised that really if I keep doing this, I'm gonna be a really happy person.
Hello, and welcome to Beyond the Curtain. The podcast connecting the performing arts through human stories. I'm your host, Samantha Laurence, and on today's episode, we welcome Eliza Hall. Eliza is a contemporary musician based in regional Victoria. Her music has been described as stirring, captivating and heartfelt. Eliza's music has been used in ABC Kids TV episode, and then something changed. It's been on ABC, the heights and American TV shows awkward Teen Wolf and saving hope. Her music has been played on radio nationally and internationally, including on ABC Rn, BBC and trouble J. Eliza has toured nationally and internationally performing at the Natural History Museum in London and Central Park in New York. She has supported Australian artists including Mia Dyson, Katie Noonan and the cat Empire. She's released three APS and debut album the bones of us. Eliza is a proud disabled woman and a disability advocate within the contemporary music space. She's performed at ability first and spoken at the music conference changes. Recently she has curated accessible areas as part of isolate. She's currently working on her new EP jus out in late 2021. In this episode, we talk about Eliza successful music Korea, how she hid her disability from much of her life, and how she now advocates very strongly for the disabled community. He is Eliza.
Hi, Eliza, welcome to the podcast. Hi, thanks for having me. Thank you so much for being here. I think it's going to be a beautiful chat today. I think we're in for a treat. You're just so so beautifully talented and have an amazing story to share. So I'm excited. And thank you for being here. Thanks again. Let's start with the first question, which is what is an everyday human relatable aspect about you? I love to drink cups of tea and have a bath and relax. I love you know, dancing around my lounge room to music. And I love going for walks in the area that I live in Castlemaine. They sound like beautiful things to do actually.
As you were going through I'm like well, what am I doing? Oh, yeah, to sort of all like the most insane things that I do. Life's not always like that, I promise. Yeah. Love it. Love it. To start off. Could you please share today what your cultural upbringing and childhood was like? Yeah, so I grew up on a farm in Corona, just near Qur'an. And I grew up there until I was five years old, and we had to sell the farm because my dad had his back. So we moved to another regional town, which is what Dongha just part of the border bubble of Aubrey wodonga. And grew up there until I was 18 with my mum, my dad, and my youngest sister. And then as soon as I turned 18, I packed the car and put on Sheryl Crow every day is a winding road and just like screamed out of what onga like got on top of my lungs singing so excited and moved to Melbourne to study and dropped out of studying and to become a musician and ended up going back to study after realising that maybe I should also get a degree just just in guys.
Yeah,
so allows you to create the most beautiful music it's I love your music so much. It's so so beautiful to listen to. We will share some with the listeners as well so they can hear how amazing you were. Can you please give us a snapshot of your career to date and how you got into music?
I mean, I guess the first moment that I really started singing was because it was a real chance that I was in primary school as a five year old. And the teacher music teacher was working with a young person and she actually decided she didn't want to sing in his competition. And so she just yelled out to me and said Eliza, would you like to step in the real chance encounter? And I was quite an outgoing child. And so I put my hand up and said, Yeah, I'd love to be involved and I sang and actually won the gold medal. And so I realised Oh, this is actually really exciting. And maybe I'm okay at this. So I kept singing for many years in Stanford, and another chance encounter as a teenager, I was given a piano or by a family friend who passed away. I think the first day it arrived actually very, very vividly remember, it arriving in our house, and we just sitting down and writing my first song as a 15 year old, and just poured out of me, you know, it was kind of, you know, all about heartbreak. And that was when I realised that really, if I keep doing this, I'm gonna be a really happy person, because it enables me to untangle all my inner thoughts, and I am a person with big feelings, and big emotions. And so to wait for me to really unpack all of those big feelings and big thoughts that I have. Sorry, it's something I never will stop. In terms of my actual musical career, it's been lifelong, really, in terms of, as soon as I was 18, I moved to Melbourne and joined a rock band, and played lots of, you know, those gigs, like at the SP and the evelin. And then started doing more like emceeing which is like, I guess rapping, with drum, bass, DJs, electronic DJs. And so that would be like all night kind of gigs. You know that places like voluto and St Kilda, or the lounge and the city and revolver, all of those videos. And then, in 2012, I decided to start releasing music under my own name. And since then I've released three peas and one album. And I guess that the biggest achievement for me was saying, we're hearing my music being played in a American TV show, it's been a couple of those where it's just that feels very surreal to me, it's like, wow, like my music underneath drama TV show. That's a real dream come true. So that That, to me has been a real career highlight, also performing at the London Museum, which was really incredible with all the incredible dinosaurs and natural history museum. Just those incredible stairs and being on top of that, and singing in London, and also singing in Central Park in New York was another big career highlight. But you know, the industry, it's definitely one that there are like lols, and then highs. And there's times where you feel like, you know, it's too hard. But what really brings me back is just my love for singing and the love for songwriting. And that that will never fade,
what a gift to have found that at 15 years old, especially in that sort of teenage time of your life to unpack your feelings. Did you I suppose take class in songwriting or anything at that time, it was all just sort of innate and intuitive for you.
I never took songwriting classes, I did some singing lessons and piano lessons. But I actually found that I wasn't the greatest student, because I really wanted to go my own way. And I think that they, you know, will wanting middle loan classical pieces. And I was really wanting to write original songs that, you know, we're just, I just wanted to get my feelings out, really. And I think that's why I probably wasn't the greatest student. I really wish I hadn't done more songwriting at that time. But for me, it was all just about that. Does that intuitive feeling of like this feels good. And I mean, I still love that first song I wrote. So yeah, it feels good. Absolutely.
I'm intrigued to know when are your highlights being on an American TV show? How do you end up with music on a TV show here or in another country?
I worked with a producer Hayden Conan. You don't? Yeah, Hayden? Hayden, right. And so I met him because I just started to do a music blog called large noises with a couple of friends. And we filmed one of his very first singles as part of the blog, and I really just fell in love with his music. And then we wrote a song together called ghosts, and put that out, and then I said, you know, would you like to produce my next EP? And he did. And then through that EP, he had a publishing deal in the US himself through his management, and luckily, he just put my name forward. And so I was signed to their publishing agency called music alternatives. And the man that ran that in America really saw one of my songs echoes as a song that would really fit under TV, and he pitched it to Several times and luckily it was played in many TV shows in America. So yeah, it's been a real way for me to reach audiences overseas. That particular song being in those shows.
Absolutely has special it must feel so surreal watching it.
Oh, absolutely. Yeah. And like especially you know, in one of them was Teen Wolf. And the two main characters were in was like in a hospital scene, and they were realising that they were in love. And just like that real crescendo piece, when like, two people are looking at each other in the eyes, and then they just suddenly start kissing. And it's like my song playing. Just Yeah, it just took the hot the song to a whole different space. And I guess it made me appreciate it. Right that that particular song a lot more.
Yeah. So you're currently working on a new record, with a single coming out in November and an EP early next year? So this is very exciting. I know you're working with some amazing producers. JOHN castle, is it who's worked with Megan Washington and Paul Kelly.
Yeah, that's right. So I'm working with john castle in Melbourne. And yeah, he's produced so many incredible artists. And like one of the highlight records for me it was making Washington's debut. But I've always wanted to work with john. And I actually feel like COVID brought us together in a sense, because potentially, he's not maybe not getting the artists nationally to coming to him. So it just means that you know, he's a little bit less, less busy to get into. So it's really great to be able to work with with john. And also, I'll be collaborating with Georgia who goes under the name Odette. And she's an incredible singer, songwriter, and musician, and she's coming on board as a car producer role as well, which is really exciting.
Wow, can you give us a bit of a taste of what to expect on the record?
This record is the first one that I've written about being a person with disability. So I've been a person. Yeah, I've been a person with disability since I was five years old. Which, funnily enough was the moment I started singing was the moment I started falling over at school. Yeah, my parents didn't know why I was falling over, and you don't have to many doctor's appointments and many tests, I was finally diagnosed with a condition called Charcot Marie tooth, which is a neurological condition. And so yeah, I've had this disability all my life. But really, it's only been something that I've felt, I just haven't really accepted myself for a very long time. And in the last five years, I've really identified as a person with disability. Now, it's really, a lot of what I do is around disability and within the disability community, so it feels unbelievable, actually, that I didn't I didn't identify as a disabled person. But I think I had a lot of internalised ableism and disbelief that to be disabled was to be less when that's not true. I think it was a lot of things that I've been taught and the lack of representation on TV and in movies made me feel like it was a deficit, when actually it's just who I am. And I'm really proud of it. So yeah, I think this record is really about that, about that exploration of being disabled. And about just being comfortable in your own skin. And yeah, it's really about identity. And yeah, like none of the lyrics say the word disability but yeah, it's just about feeling like all my life, I ought to be something that should be fixed, when actually I should never been made to believe that it's actually I don't have to be fixed to the world needs to be fixed. So yeah, that's what the song was explore.
Wow, I'm even more excited to hear it now. I didn't realise it was going to be about that. And that's just so exciting to you. I think anything that's just about your authenticity and your identity and just being free to be who you are in the world is so relatable to everybody across the world. on this topic of your disability, could you share a little bit about I know from what you've told me, there was a period of your life most of your life where you did hide it, especially as you were pursuing your career in music?
Yeah, so as a musical artist, in every way I would try and hide it like I I have a vivid memory of being in Melbourne and meeting my publisher and they are four flights of stairs on the fourth level. And I was thinking like how am I going to hide this because I have a you know, different gate I walk differently and that's very noticeable, I can't get upstairs without pulling myself on a railing. I have really low muscle tone I fall over regularly. So I was like, how am I going to do this and so I, I tried to buzz and other levels, they let me in the door, and then I tried to hurry up the stairs. So no one could say me and be on that level, so that I can then quickly Sit down. And when I met this person, they wouldn't see me walk or wouldn't see me Get up the stairs. And I was like, by the time you get on that fourth level, you're exhausted because it's like, just last year just hiding. And it's just so tiring and exhausting. And I feel really, like, quite sorry, like not as in sorry for myself, but just sorry that I had to do like felt like I had to do that. And, but I can also understand why I felt like I had to do that. And it's because of the attitudes I faced as a child in high school or just that medicalization model of disability where you are talked about instead of to as a child, you Everything is about how do we fix this instead of how do we make the world more accessible for you. And so you just all your life, you just think it's something that is a negative. And what I thought about being a musician, I would always watch the areas and think I wouldn't even be able to get up on that stage to accept the area like there was, there's no way because there's all these stairs to get up and they don't even have any railing. So there's absolutely no way I could get up on that stage. And so just seeing that and thinking, well, that's impossible. And that's a real barrier, makes you think like that you should hide it and that you should. If you don't hide it, then you won't be given that opportunity to get your music out there. But yeah, even on stage, I would hope that there was curtains that I could pull so that people wouldn't say that I needed to be pulled or lifted up onto stage. Yeah, I would just make sure that the audience didn't know. Any mean, people within the music industry didn't know. And so for a very long time, lots of people didn't know, I mean, my booking agent, even though he met me many times, never knew. And it's kind of unbelievable when you think about it, but I was just really good at masking and really good at hiding disability, it's been such a relief now to suddenly realise that it's yet that I don't need to change and that I like I'm really proud of being disabled, and I love now walking into a room and either knowing that they already know or just not knowing that I don't really care what what they think if they do think it's negative. So that's it's been a real relief. And I think also just realising about the social model of disability and learning about that was a real eye opener. And the social model is that it's not the person that needs to change, it's the world that needs to change. So the environment needs to change attitudes need to change. You know, for instance, if I go to somebody's house, and this, you know, has happened, where a group of people are up six plots, or you know, even six stairs, really, I can't get up to meet them. And so I feel more disabled in that time because of the environment. Whereas if I go to a space, and you know, there's a lift to get up or it's on entry level, then I'm going to feel like that environment is accessible, I'm going to feel less disabled by the world. So it was really realising that that actually, it's the world that needs to change is not the person.
Yes. Such a strong message, such an important message. And it really yeah, isn't shared enough. And so we're so lucky, there's people like you around to do all this amazing work now to advocate for the disabled community, which we'll go into in a minute. But could you please share I remember you saying that it was the birth of your first child that was sort of the catalyst of this change of, I suppose living authentically.
Yeah. So six years ago, I had my first child and I just realised at that moment, like, how am I going to keep concealing and hiding if you know what kind of model is that for her, and I realised that it was really time that I be myself and be authentic and be true to who I am so that she could see her mother, being proud of who she is so that whatever happens in her life, she could be proud of who she is and her identity. So yeah, it was really that that awakening of I want to be the true me for her. Really, just model that and I'm proudly disabled she ever since she could talk, she knows the word disabled and disability. It's something that we really, in every book, we try and talk about it and even lack of representation we talk about why isn't there a disabled character in this book, and you know, they should be and so yeah, she's very, like, proud of having a disabled mum. And that then really kind of opened up so many doors, the moment that I was proud, I realised that I could speak up and I could try and change things that had been really hard for me growing up. That's really what stemmed the idea of creating the we've got this podcast that was with the ABC, and it was about parenting with disability. And that's now going to be turned into a book and anthology with disabled parents all around Australia, tell you their stories, which is really exciting because as a pregnant, disabled person, I just there was absolutely nothing out there around what it meant to be a disabled parent. I couldn't find any book, online. lot of videos, but they're all about how hard it is or how challenging it is, but not about how possibilities as well. That was really what I noticed, or it was, you know, that kind of inspirational, like, look at her like it's old, you know, look at him. I just wanted a true accurate representation, and there was nothing out there. So that's what really stemmed the idea. We've got this,
and I love the name so much. And the story behind the name. I've watched the video snippet from ABC where you did interview a few parents with disabilities and one amazing couple they're both blind, and had two kids and man, they just had it they were just smashing Parenthood. And yeah, it was him that said, well, that's the message we've got this week. We've got it.
I for a long time. Like I didn't even Yeah, I just could not think of a name that was right. I was it was all it was almost just gonna be called, you know, parenting with disability. But in the end, but then yeah, that that he was one of my last interviews. Mr. inborn bennison who are two blind parents, and they have two sided children? And yeah, I think one of the last questions he was like, yeah, we've like we've got this, you know, and it's so true. It made me just think Oh, of course we do it with we have got this and they are successfully parenting, those children are excelling at school. And they've had to push up against so much discrimination and so many boundaries, or not boundaries, barriers, rather. So I feel like, yeah, it just made me realise that, how possible it is to pair it with, you know, we're dealing with those barriers that they face.
Absolutely. So inspiring. So is this sort of a passion of yours along with your music now to advocate for the disabled community? How are you sort of balancing these in your life? And what sort of charging you forward?
Yeah, look, the balance is really tricky. It's Yeah, that's trying to give everything the same space. And the same time. I'm just really passionate about both of those worlds. And I guess that's really what made me realise that well, I can kind of do that together. I mean, I can write it at record and I can still talk about disability within that record. So in a way, it's kind of that combination that really excites me. But yeah, look, it is a big juggle and next year, we'll be busy with having my new record come out and then having the book come out that we've got this book and then I'm also working on a children's book that will come out later in the year so yeah, it's all it's all very exciting. And I just hope that the you know, especially the book, I really hope that it reaches and the other music reaches the people it needs to reaches the people that might, you know, have a disability and not know whether parenting is a possibility. So that's really who the books for and even the record, I hope it's you know, it reaches young people with disability and helps them realise that it's it's really, like a really great thing to be proud of who you are.
Yes, sir. I just need to say that again. It's a great thing to be proud of who you are. Absolutely a message for everybody anywhere at any stage in your life. I love it so much. So you've recently been working on a special theatre work with the South Sudanese community in Castlemaine. Can you please share a bit about this project?
Yeah, so I work for a company called arena theatre. So that's another one of my hats that I wear. So my role within arena theatre There is an artistic associate and access and inclusion coordinator. And so it was just by chance that I'd started there and the South Sudanese community in Bendigo, were looking for a singer to basically just start a singing group with them, they wouldn't be seen that kind of space that get, you know, to sing together. And singing is a huge part of their lives. And they hadn't done it for a very long time since they've been in Bendigo. And so I put my hand up and said, I'd love to be involved. And it really just started as a group where we'd come together on a Friday and sing, I taught them some songs in English, and they would sing in dinkar, as well. And it was just an enjoyable thing, we'd share food and have a laugh, and it was great, but it became pretty apparent quite quickly that they wanted to write songs as well. So we started quickly writing songs. And then it was also like, they have such incredible stories, and they wanted to share their stories with the Bendigo community and even Australia, you know, in Australia as well widely. So they said, well, could we create a shard and arena theatre is a theatre company that makes theatre works for young people. And so I said to the executive director, and also the artistic director that I think this could be theatre work. And it was it was a theatre work in its, it was at the Castlemaine state festival were a part of the opening night and I stood in the back and did some percussion elements. And they did a mixture of dancing and singing and storytelling, it was supposed to be a snippet of the larger work, which it was, and then, due to COVID, the larger work has now changed, it was going to be showcased at the lumber theatre to begin with in Bendigo. But because of COVID, and the constant cancellations that are happening, we've now decided to change it, and it's now going to be a installation. So it's going to be a film, and then it'll be installed at the Alhambra Theatre in the like there's quite a large courtyard. So it'll be projected onto a wall, and then there'll be some live performance elements attached to that as well. But that really was just to be a bit, you know, risk adverse. And so no matter what that projection can live on that will differ if we even if we are in a lockdown, or whether we've got restrictions that can still live there. So it was just doing something that we know is what was more possible for the time that we're dealing with. And we are filming at the end of September, which is really exciting. There's a great team that are involved with it. We have incredible musician, jack koala, who is South Sudanese. And she has been involved right from the beginning with what we started to develop the show, and she's doing more of the music and the songwriting. And then I'll walk conga who has done more of the storytelling elements with the group. And for me, it was really important to have these leaders really in the artistic community involved because they are South Sudanese. And for me, being you know, not being South Sudanese, I really felt like it was important that I make sure we get leaders within the community to really make the show happen and that I just become more of facilitator instead of a director. Because everything I advocate within the disability space is nothing about us without us. And it really felt like a contradiction to that and be working with the South Sudanese community and then lead that I just feel like it's taking up space. So I wanted to make sure that I gave opportunity to set up Sydney's community to lead it and to gain employment through that. Yeah, so it's been a really tricky thing that I've had to navigate and like hugely tricky, like very emotional at times. But I think ultimately what I've realised is that the future for me the future is when non disabled people and disabled people create work together and I feel like this within the work that we're doing it for me to walk away was not going to work actually and I was constantly checked in with the subsidies community like constantly do continue to check in and you know, should I should I say, yeah, Should I continue with this? Do Is it okay that I'm here. Would you like to leave the room for for today? Well, that all of those things, I'm just constantly having to navigate and I think they have always just been really upfront and honest with me and have yet have said we wouldn't actually no, we don't want you to leave. And we want you to be part of this. But I've also been really, I think, really, it's been a great thing to have the South Sudanese leaders from Melbourne, come and mentor the Bendigo community as well. So I think it's been a big journey, but I'm proud of the way it's worked out.
Yeah, Congratulations, you've handled it amazingly. Well, I think, you know, you and I have talked about this before, and it is quite a beautiful parallel between not wanting to take up those positions of someone that is disabled in that position, if that's the role or someone that is of colour in that position or role, but that there is this need for the two to work together. So disabled and non disabled, talented, non coloured, you do need everybody to really elevate a project to where it could go. And that that should be the future, you know, this sort of work for quality's not going to get there, if we still have a division. Within project.
Yeah, look at some really tricky thing. I constantly think, well, if I'm taking employment away from somebody that's from a minority group that, you know, especially like, if I think about it in the theatre world where you are casting and say, there's a wheelchair user character within the theatre work, and then you're casting a non disabled person in that role. What happens to that person that's a wheelchair user? And what kind of role will that person get if they're not cast in that role? And so I think, yeah, I think it's that that's where I go, well, it's so tricky. Like, it's like not taking up too much space. It's not, you know, speaking for other people, or when you're not in the position to do so. But I also believe in that, that the future is a space where there's less segregation, and actually, coming together to work together for me just feels like more and more of an inclusive world. But it is tricky, because ultimately, you don't want to take up space, and you don't want to take employment from people. So I think it's making sure you do it in the right way. Really?
Yeah, absolutely. So Eliza, you've had a beautifully successful career, your music is just absolutely stunning. For anybody listening, that could be a budding musician, what is the best piece of advice you would give that?
I would tell them to beat themselves. You know, it's really that clear? Like, for me, it's, that's how clear it is, like, when you're listening to somebody's music, you really just want to hear them, don't you want to hear their story. And people can really sense if you're not being true to yourself, I think it's something we all we just know when someone's not being authentic and real. And there's nothing more powerful when someone's themselves. So it's really a beautiful space. So I think that would just be my advice is just be yourself and believe in in your own story.
Absolutely. Thank you so much for sharing that. I think it's so beautiful, and advice that you can take throughout your life in any aspect of your life. That's true. So to finish off today, if we could walk down the street and see young Eliza today, what would you want to say to her?
Goodness? Yeah, I would just say that it's okay to be you. And that you are okay. And that you have a lot to give. And because I think for you know, for as a teenager, and I was just constantly in fear of who I was, and hiding myself and so I would just say that, you know, it's it's okay to be you really, and and be proud of who you are. And that if you are proud of who you are, that you can help other people be proud of who they are. Yes. Oh,
thank you so much. I feel like I'm leaving this interview. So uplifted, beaming, absolutely beaming with this beautiful message that you've shared very strongly throughout the interview. And I thank you for that. And I thank you so much for your vulnerability and authenticity, and generosity and sharing all of this. So thank you so much.
Thank you so much. It was really beautiful to talk to
you. I'll see you later. And we're looking forward to hearing the record.
Yeah, me, too. I can't wait. Bye, guys. See you later.
I hope you enjoyed today's episode with Eliza. We love to hear your thoughts and we'd love to see how you listen to the podcast. So take a photo and share it on your Instagram story with the hashtag beyond the code in a us. We love seeing what you get up to. You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube at beyond the kid and a US If you're an apple user and you feel like being kind today we would love it if you rated and reviewed us on Apple podcasts. Before we head off, I'd like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the Australian land that we live in create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our indigenous sisters, brothers and their elders. We extend our love and friendship. See you next week.
