LOCAL singing sensation Alicia Parry has been singing and performing for as long as she can remember.

“I grew up putting on shows with my cousins for our parents, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, and any other innocent bystander,” Alicia told News Of The Area.

When Alicia hit her teen years she was asked what she would like to be when she left school.

This was a difficult question for her to answer.

“I remember feeling lost,” she said.

“The only thing that ever stuck out to me was to be a singer, but singing wasn’t ever really seen as your typical career choice.”

During these impressionable years Alicia took vocal lessons and entered local talent quests.

She sang at the school and at local events such as the Carols by Candlelight.

“These opportunities helped me gain confidence and gave me the experience of performing live,” she said.

It was at the tender age of seventeen when Alicia landed her first gig at the local pub.

With many live gigs such as clubs, pubs, bars, weddings, private functions and charity events tucked under her belt it was time for Alicia to start a different career path, that of becoming a mother.

“I took a break from the live gigging scene to focus on raising my three children,” she said of her time out from singing.

Her reintroduction to the musical scene wasn’t until she was still on maternity leave with her third child, she decided to start teaching vocal lessons one to two days a week from her home.

Now some years later, Alicia is teaching vocal lessons four days a week.

Her students range in age from seven years old to mature adults.

“I love sharing my knowledge, to see how much someone grows in their confidence and ability is just so rewarding,” she said proudly.

When asked what she loved so much about music, Alicia replied, “I love that music is for anybody and everybody.

“It doesn’t discriminate.

“People of all ages, abilities, culture and race can experience the joy that music brings.

“So as cliché as it sounds, music has no barrier, and I love that.”

It was in 2014 when Alicia entered back into the live music scene.

It was approximately a year after her return when she teamed up with another local artist, Ali Christopher and formed a duo called ‘Lucy’s Sky’.

“Singing and playing music with Ali is a dream,” Alicia said of her singing partner.

The singing duo have very similar tastes in music making their partnership so much stronger.

Even though they both still do solo Gigs, the duo performs at many venues and private gigs throughout the Mid North Coast.

Alicia’s music is best described as acoustic pop.

She plays various covers and puts her own artistic spin to the performance.

What is in the pipelines for this amazingly talented musician?

“My priority for this year is focusing on getting some more originals completed.

“I am hoping to make some time for writing this year.

“Another project is getting some tracks down for recording.”

There are amazing things ahead for this talented local musician.

To see what Alicia is working on and where she will be performing next, check out her Facebook page: Alicia Parry-music.

 

By Tamara MCWILLIAM