Dream a Little Dream

Mia Palencia co-ordinates the Songwriter programme at the Conservatorium of Music. She is passionate about songwriting education, creative process as well as collaborative music that celebrates the old and new.

Before embarking on her academic journey, Mia spent the first 10 years of her career as a recording musician, releasing 6 albums in both the jazz and singer-songwriter genres and performing extensively throughout South-East Asia. In 2010, Mia was offered a full scholarship to study at the Conservatorium of Music. She has since been awarded a University Medal in recognition of her work and is currently completing her PhD.

Mia is a highly-sought after composer for musical theatre, film and television. In 2014, she was commissioned by the Kuala Lumpur City Council to compose her first musical, MUD: Our Story of KL. The show ran for an unprecedented 3 years, making it Malaysia’s longest running musical. Her second musical, Ola Bola The Musical (2017), has enjoyed three successful runs and won 8 awards at the Boh Cameronian Arts Awards, including Best Original Score. In 2017, Mia was also invited to compose and produce “So Many Hands”, which became the official theme song of the 2017 South East Asian Games. In 2018, Mia embarked on a five-city tour of Malaysia with Tasmania’s Derwent Valley Concert Band (DVCB) to premiere a new suite of works. The Pengertian Suite is a modern-day immigrant story, drawing from Mia’s family heritage, as well as her journey to Australia.

KARAI is a Singer-Songwriter Guitarist based in nipaluna/Hobart, lutruwita/Tasmania. Beginning his professional career in 2007 at the age of 18, KARAI has carefully crafted his vocal range, agility, guitar playing and high energy stage theatrics which lead him to tour Australia and internationally with the likes of Sampa the Great, Ngaiire, Matt Corby, Okenyo and Chet Faker.

Inspired by Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Nick Hakim, Jeff Buckley & Prince - KARAI’s folk-soul songs have strong social commentary whilst allowing the listener to develop their own connection.

Jen is a singer-songwriter and arts educator who is passionate about creating music, song writing and creative movement experiences with children through early childhood and beyond. Jen is currently running singing and song writing workshops at Eden Hills Kindergarten, Inkpot Arts, Carclew, and arts festival programs where children explore their own stories and self-identities through song making. Jen is also a music specialist in Early Childhood education at Flinders University, providing music workshops that explore literacy and numeracy within music and singing with children. She has recently completed her ANCOS Level 1 in Orff Schulwerk music teaching.

Jen regularly performs and releases her own music and regularly collaborates with other artists on cross-genre projects. Most recently her work with contemporary Australian poets commissioned by the Festival of Voice – Denmark WA, resulting in her album ‘Hum of the mettle’ released in August 2023. Jen’s previous album ‘Let Loose The Beating Birds’ won the ARBA Roots album of the year in 2021.

Jen is co-organiser of Stone Pony, a bi-monthly live music venue supporting original music in Willunga’s historic show hall.

Cocktail Hour was established in July 2020 and has gone on to become a Registered Quartet with both Sweet Adelines International (SAI) and Barbershop Harmony Australia (BHA). Our members are Bianca (tenor), Ainslie (lead), Zana (bass) and Jenni (baritone). The quartet has competed at a national level with both organisations. In the 2021 BHA National Video Contest, Cocktail Hour placed second in the Invitational Quartet division, scoring Tasmania's highest ever score in a BHA competition. In May 2022 they were the third placed quartet in the SAI Region 34 (Australia) video competition, and then went on to win the first place women's quartet award in BHA's national contest in Hobart. They have performed numerous times at local events here in Hobart, including at the Festival of Voices in 2021 and 2022, as guest artists in Hobart Harmony's show "Back in Business" in 2021, for the Hobart Jazz Club as part of the Hot August Jazz Festival in 2021, and as guest artists at the Tasmanian Nursing Awards.