International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate women’s achievement, raise awareness against bias and take action for equality. At RAC Arena we’re lucky enough to be surrounded by talented, high achieving women every day – highlighted on our Heineken Live Stage where local artists warm up the crowd prior to each event. We interviewed three of our fabulous female performers, Nat Ripepi, Bonny Twigg and Kiara Eve, to get their insight into navigating the music scene as a woman.
Bonny started out her musical journey at the age of four with piano lessons, and later continued on to contemporary and classical vocal lessons and percussion. Her passions led her to The West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA.) where she completed a Diploma of Music.
Inspired by the women in her life, her mum and grandma, she has taken her music passion around the world, performing in America, Canada and London, as well as around Australia. Bonny is a prime example of an inspirational woman, and one still on her journey. “As a woman in 2020, I am proud of what we are achieving and how women are working together to build something so strong and secure.”
Now in her fourth and final year of the Bachelor of Music stream, Bonny has some sound advice for young female musicians starting out. “Follow your passion, and allow music to take you places. It is an industry where you need to have a thick skin. It does come with rejection and, at times, self-doubt, but if it is something you truly love, then it is worth chasing! Music is a universal language, keep sharing it with people!”
Rock star Nat Ripepi is another one of our superstar live performers. Starting with guitar lessons from the age of 11, she began writing her own songs at the age of 16, before going on to study Sound Production and Design at WAAPA to learn how to record her own songs. With two albums and several Eps to her name, she has toured the world playing her songs.
Nat is a mirror of her inspirations: staying 100% true to who she is and always willing to be vulnerable and brave at the same time, like singer P!nk and Malala Yousafzai, who refused to stop fighting for what she believed in even after almost being killed for her beliefs. Her advice to young female musicians? “Just keep doing it and don’t let anybody tell you it can’t be done. I constantly had people telling me that doing music for a living was an impossible dream and that I should have a “backup plan” or get a “real job”. I even had one male musician tell me that there was no place for women in rock’n’roll and that they should leave it to the boys! That just spurred me on to prove them all wrong. Comparison is the killer of creativity. Don’t compare yourself or try to be like anyone else. Just be you! Bring your own gifts and stories to the world in your own unique way.”
Kiara Eve has a special place in RAC Arena’s heart, being both a performer and part of the RAC Arena full-time team. Starting group singing lessons when she was seven years old, and then moving onto vocal training at the age of ten, Kiara has some impressive points on her musical resume! Releasing her first EP “On The Surface” in 2019, which was co-written and produced by Kav Temperley (Eskimo Joe). Kiara has also had two of her songs selected as semi-finalists in international song writing competitions. She has supported Samantha Jade at the 2019 ‘Music at Murdoch’ event and broadcasted a live session on Mix 94.5’s ‘The Scene’.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights” was meaningful for Kiara Eve. “It means learning about the current situation for women, educating yourself around it and working towards change. Not just for our generation but for those to come. It’s creating a world where everyone is equal regardless of gender, a world where everyone has equal rights and are treated the same. It’s also about celebrating and empowering women now and always.
We’re proud to have these talented musicians performing at the RAC Arena, and look forward to seeing where their musical journey takes them.
