It takes a bold woman to choose the path less travelled.

Mavis was born to be a songbird. Her parents named her after one, a bird with a distinctive song worthy of poetry. With her wings clipped by circumstance, Mavis spent six years of her life grounded and her dream of soaring flight almost forgotten. After a time of making do, Mavis unexpectedly discovers that she has a choice: accept a life that is ‘ordinary’ or strive to rise above her circumstance, realise her potential, and be amongst the one percent that shine.

It is a long way to the top in the music industry and more than a name needs to be changed in order to succeed. It is a gruelling challenge with exhausting demands and subtle traps for the uninitiated. Can Mavis make it? Will she be able to navigate her path between singing the music that she was born to score and being moulded by music industry expectations? Can she build a better life for herself and her son? Can she have it all?

Set between 1996-1998 in Australia, ‘Life Song’ explores the tug-of-wars that come with being a woman, mother, daughter, performer, and the ways individuals and the community shape our realities. It is set against the backdrop of the vibrant Australian live-music scene and a coastal town south of Sydney. ‘Life Song’ offers genuine insight into the human condition. The reader shares the hard yards of life as well as the rush, exhilaration, and tumult of being on stage.

BUY SONGS FROM THIS BOOK

Sunshine Days

Available in iTunes and other online stores.

Life Song (A Vision Splendid)

Available in iTunes and other online stores.


Click the image to see the music video

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GLOSSARY SNIPPET

arvo is Australian slang for afternoon.

Bloke means a man.

Bouffy means big and fluffy; it usually refers to a hairstyle.

Bump in and out refers to the process of moving a band’s equipment in and off stage and in and out of the performance venue.

Crank up in the context used in the storymeansincrease the volume to very loud.

CWA is an abbreviation or The Country Women’s Association. It is a non-profit, non-party political and non-sectarian organisation for country and city women. Members work for the welfare of all women and children through representation to all levels of government, undertaking fundraising events, providing networking opportunities and teaching life skills.