Arlee’s Blog

Arlee has just completed work experience at Fresh FM. Have a read of Arlee’s blog!

Hello, My name is Arlee and I am a freestyle dancer and a music maker. I play a Japanese instrument called a Shamisen and I also play games on my PS4 console.

Weekends

On the weekends, I usually get busy with stacking up catalogues and delivering them around the streets. But of course, I usually get lazy and start playing on my PS4 in my spare time. If not for PS4 and deliveries, I would probably go to more events that happen around Gladstone and I would actually practice my Shamisen more. I love playing with Japanese instruments and learning Sakura (Japanese Folk Music) in my spare time. Sometimes I may even do some liquid dancing whenever that music pops up on my playlist.

My Music

I’m more used to making “Electro” music or “Happy Hardcore”. It took a long time for me to develop my skills and knowledge in creating music. I’ve taken video tutorials on how to operate DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and learned the basics of how it works. Over time, I became comfortable with it so I started to really make music. My first published music is called ‘”Nostalgive Love”, which was a little inspired from “Where Are U Now” by Jack U. Another one of my tracks is called “Depress Away”, which is an eerie sounding “Electro” track.  

Dance

I learned to dance in 2013 when I joined the Gladstone State High School radio station. There was one student who was good at dancing in terms of pop-locking and isolation movements. Seeing him do that so well actually made me more motivated and I kept working on my moves. I stumbled upon wave movements, liquid forms and liquid hand. I developed my moves and researched tutorials and tricks. In fact, I found a person named David Elsewhere who was featured in the “Alice In Wonderland” film where the Mad Hatter started dancing. This video is on YouTube and it really inspired me. Many are shocked and surprised to see me dance like this where a few others find it cringe-worthy. 

High School

When I was a student at Gladstone State High School, I was involved in their radio station during most lunch breaks. Since Grade 8, I’ve  wanted to work at a radio station. I asked my sister who had finished school on how to enter the radio. It was of course, finding the teacher who was in charge of the radio. So I searched and founded him and asked if I could join in.  The station worked on live mic and CDs so it was a bit different from 91.9 Fresh FM. There was a table on what songs should be played from the top 20 songs from either ITunes or the Aria Charts. When I first spoke on the mic, many students outside heard it and complimented me. Even the radio manager loved hearing my voice. I became more and more responsible for different tasks in managing the radio station. It was the best thing in my life that I have ever achieved. In Grade 9, I trained new students on the radio. I achieved some awards in the radio, which made me want to work in radio more but unfortunately, I didn’t get to do as much radio as I would have liked as my school work was getting busier. 

New School

I switched schools and I now attend Toolooa State High School. At first, I didn’t know many people and I was a bit nervous but it didn’t take me too long to get used to the change and meet some people. Toolooa doesn’t have a radio station so I focus on music more. 

I studied maths, English, drama, music and science for the whole year of 2015.  In 2016, I completed the same courses but with one new class called Industrial Graphics. In 2017, I replaced Industrial Graphics with Early Childhood Studies and a Certificate in Retail.

When School’s Out

It’s my desire and hope that after school, I will attend SAE Quantum so that I can complete a Diploma of Music and then a Bachelor of Audio.  I plan to have a gap year so that I can save up a lot of money because going to Brisbane straight away would mean going unprepared. When I complete a Diploma, I can either study for a Bachelor, could find work in a music studio or a gaming studio. I could make soundtracks for games or work in the film industry and make soundtracks for movies. 

Here’s a YouTube link of my favourite Japanese instrument: