With the rising awareness of housing stress and homelessness, it is always good to know that there are organisations offering opportunities and a helping hand.
Street to Stage was originally designed to for those that have lived experience of homelessness and it’s an event that continues to deliver inspiring stories and celebrate musical talent. Not only does it give people an opportunity to shine, but it also encourages them to meet new people, learn new skills and gain confidence performing live on stage.
The event, held during Homelessness Week, also serves as a fundraiser for the Health with Dignity project, which provides free General Practitioner visits for people in extreme need.
This year’s event was held on the stage of Youth Arc, and saw eleven unique performances take to the stage, from spoken poetry to original songwriting and piano music. Some of the musicians spoke a little about their journey before they performed and had a clear message of hope and of overcoming adversity.
Monique Brumby was MC on the night and did a wonderful job introducing all of the performers and making them feel comfortable and warmly welcomed. During the judge’s deliberation, the talented and ethereal Tash Zappala held everyone spellbound with her ethereal music.
At the end of the event, the judges made their way to the stage to thank the performers for all of their wonderful work and to encourage them to keep making music. The winner of this year’s Street to Stage was then announced and Josh Miles, with his original lyrics and confident guitar, stepped onto the stage to a rousing round of applause. As the winner, Josh receives a recording session at MONA's Frying Pan Studios, sponsored by the City of Hobart.
We caught up with Josh afterwards…
Congratulations, on your win! How excited are you?
‘Very, very excited. I played in Street to Stage last year, and this event really changed my direction in music and has made such a positive difference for me. So, today I’m very excited and can’t wait to start recording in the studio.’
Are you going to write some new songs?
‘I’ve got a fair and extensive catalogue of older tunes and I’ll be well and truly grounding myself in those and polishing them up for recording, so it’s pretty exciting.’
Street to stage is about people with lived experience of homelessness, can you tell us something about your background?
‘I’ve had an interesting life and now I’m starting to really live my life for the first time. I’ve had quite a bit of trauma and issues from that trauma. I’ve then had to re-established myself - where I fit and who I am. This change has just happened in the last 12 months and I’m very, very excited about the next stage of my life.’
How much does music mean to you?
Music is everything for me, it always has been. I’m a self-taught guitarist, so it was in my blood early. I think at nine I picked a guitar up and knew it was for me and I’ve had one in my hand ever since. It’s my life, it’s definitely everything.
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