From VU to Cabaret: a Q&A with a songstress from the west

VU Bachelor of Music graduate and singer-songwriter Maddie Jackway has a special relationship with the Art and Industry Festival. As part of the 2020 festival, she was one of the VU music students who researched and wrote new music inspired by the stories and industries in Melbourne’s western suburbs to perform.

Dubbed the Song Series Program, it was run with industry figures such as Rusty Berther and Mark Seymour at the helm as mentors.

This year, the Song Series Program will return, but be performed in a slightly different format: a two-night, atmospheric event called 'Cabaret Amongst The Carriages', taking place in the Newport Railway Museum and again featuring VU music students and their original work.

We spoke with Maddie to ask her all about what we can expect from this year’s event – and hear how studying at VU has imbued her career with the feelings of family and possibility.

You’ve been involved in the Art and Industry Festival before. What were past experiences like?

I was involved in the 2020 program as a mentee songwriter. I really enjoyed the experience of being mentored by professional musicians and songwriters and learning about how they create. Our mentors created an inclusive environment and allowed us to ask lots of questions. It was great to see the mentors at work; as role models for how to carry yourself professionally in the field.

During the program, I met Greg Blunt at Blunt’s Boatbuilders and composed a song inspired by my visit there and the art of boatbuilding. This also led to my writing a song for a short film called ‘Homeward Bound’ which was about living in the western suburbs.

What have you been preparing for this year’s event?

This year, I return to the Art and Industry Project as a songwriting mentor, which has been a huge honour. While writing my own piece for this year’s event, I have been helping the student songwriters craft their songs and prepare for performance.

What’s great about the Song Series Program is that it enables students to get out of the studios and into the west to see local workplaces and industries, and to meet people like Tony Mead, who inspired my song for this year’s program.

What can we expect from 'Cabaret Amongst The Carriages', and what are you most excited about?

The little kid in me is very excited to be playing at the Railway Museum (I loved trains as a kid). I’m also really excited to see the fashion side of the event and how other creatives have been inspired by the local industries.

I’ll be performing a song I wrote inspired by local signwriter, Tony Mead. I will also be involved with songs written by the other songwriters which have all been inspired by the local industries – foundry work, glass manufacturing, trains, and boatbuilding.

I was fortunate to perform at the Newport Substation in July as part of the Newport Folk Festival Presents event. You can feel the history within the walls of buildings like that and I think it adds an extra magical touch to the event. I really enjoyed performing in a venue that holds historical significance.

How has this project allowed you to speak about your relationship to Melbourne’s west?

Although I am now based in Geelong, I lived in the Footscray/Maidstone area during my time studying at VU and have a fond connection to the western suburbs as they hold many great memories and experiences from that period in my life. 

The Song Series Program has allowed me to learn about the history and industry of the west which has strengthened my relationship and sense of belonging to the area. When I perform in the west, I find it easier to identify with audiences and hopefully they can relate to my work just as easily.

As music is a universal language, it can be used alongside other art mediums to connect different cultures and communities together by helping us to understand one another.

What did you gain from studying a Bachelor of Music at VU?

In addition to the music knowledge that I implement and teach daily, I gained confidence in my skillset and my attitude towards being a songwriter and an artist. My lecturers and fellow students encouraged me to consider myself a musician and not shy away from this title. Without their support, I wouldn’t have felt confident enough to release my debut EP in 2020. I’ve developed lifelong friendships and working relationships with the people I studied with, and we still support one another to this day. 

As I network with musicians outside of VU, I often find myself recommending my fellow graduates to fill in for gigs and do session work for projects. I’ve also supported or opened for musicians I studied with for their own gigs and have been involved in their music projects. It’s great to be part of a ‘family’ that want to help each other succeed.

The gig opportunities offered out of the VU Music Agency have been amazing – gigging for the Western Bulldogs was a highlight. 

What’s next for you, Maddie?

My EP, ‘What Is This Freedom’, is available now to listen to on all streaming platforms. And, I’m very excited to be the VU Music Artist in Residence for 2023. This means creating and presenting a body of work out of Kindred Studios and mentoring VU music students. I’m looking forward to returning to my old stomping ground and releasing music!

'Cabaret Amongst The Carriages' runs over November 11-12 as part of the Art and Industry Festival.

Find out more about the event, or explore VU music courses.