Maddi is an exceptional and multi-talented musician, writer and film maker.
Outside of school she has her own record label, has released her first album ‘Bijou’ (for which she wrote all her own songs) and she has just recorded a music video for one of her album tracks “K.O.” – not bad for someone still at school.
This is what Maddi said about the experience:
“Filming KO has been my most exciting project thus far, as I got to mix two of my favourite elements of art – music and film. It was definitely not an easy project as I knew I wanted to direct it while also playing the main character, but with the help of my amazing crew and cast we managed to get the whole thing done in two days.
The video is centred around a fight and it’s got an empowering message of female strength and our ability to stand up for ourselves. The video is out on my Youtube “artbylaine”.
Maddi started writing screen plays in 2020, and last year she completed her first novel. As if this isn’t enough, within school, Maddi has won writing awards for poetry and fiction, has filmed and edited our promo videos for ‘Sound of Music’ and ‘My Son Pinocchio’.
This year she is also very excited about being elected as Dance Co-Captain.
Maddi has a bright and starry future and next year she wants to study film at University and would absolutely love a career in the film industry.
Read more about Maddi below.
Q: What are your favourite aspects of the arts?
A: Within the arts I really love music, film, creative writing and dance. My timetable this year is absolutely packed with art subjects – biology being the exception! I’ve been dancing and singing since I was two years old, as I grew up in an artistic family where creativity was really encouraged. I’ve only been exploring film production for the past year, but I started writing screenplays in 2020. I still get inspiration from my old projects all the time! I’m also always really excited to bring my love for the arts into school, such as filming promotional videos for various art departments or playing in my newly established band.
Q. What are some past arts achievements that you are proud of?
A: My personal highlights have been the completion of my novel last year and the recent release of my album ‘Bijou’ in January.
All of my personal projects are independently made, and it’s been really amazing to see the support from my friends and even a wider community as I release them publicly. It’s definitely a scary thing to put your work online and something I’ve only really done in the past year, but overall I think it’s important for artists to get themselves out there as much as they can! In school, I’ve won a couple of writing awards for poetry and fiction, and have the privilege of being a dance captain this year alongside Sophie.
Q: As Year 13 Dance Co-Captain, what is your vision for dance this year?
A: While bringing in my own initiatives to the dance department at Dio, I want to also honor the work done by our previous dance captains. Something I really admired from their work last year was their constant enthusiasm which uplifted and inspired everyone around them – I know I was inspired! My vision is to continue this level of energy and motivation in dance this year, across all year levels and students of different experience. I also believe absolutely everyone should be given an opportunity to dance at Dio, even if they do not take curriculum dance or have been dancing for long.
Q: Could you please share some details about your music album on Spotify and your recording experience? Any advice?
A: Writing music is a really important part of my everyday life. With boarding and being away from home, I find music is the thing that grounds me and helps me wind down after school days. My entire album Bijou is recorded in my bedroom studio, completely developed and produced by myself and my producer Josh. I’ll often record and write by myself, and it’s a great way of spending time with my own company. I really believe that everyone should have some sort of creative outlet where they can sit down alone and work independently. My advice for girls wanting to get into songwriting would be to start on a piano or guitar before you try a software or anything electronic. Then I would recommend starting with garageband! I use Logic Pro X for all of my music production, but for a good couple of months when I was starting out, garageband was my favorite place.
Q. Could you share some details about your filming experience for your music video for the album track “K.O.”?
A: Filming KO has been my favorite project thus far, as I got to mix two of my favorite elements of art – music and film. It was definitely not an easy project as I knew I wanted to direct it while also playing the main character, but with the help of my amazing crew and cast we managed to get the whole thing done in two days. Shout out to my girls Alice, Charleeh and Taylor who were my team for the day, making the whole thing possible! It was also pretty nerve-racking for me to give the camera to someone else, but Josh and Elli did an awesome job at filming and I couldn’t be more grateful. The video is a little graphic as it’s centered around a fight, however it’s got an empowering message of female strength and honesty.
The video is on my Youtube “artbylaine”!
Q. Finally, what are your hopes for your arts journey in the future? Any advice for girls trying to start their arts journey?
A: I’m hoping to go to Uni for film next year, as I really want a career in the industry. For girls trying to start their arts journey, whether this be music, film, writing or dance, my best advice is to create what you want with what you have. You also don’t really need a huge amount of support from others to start, all you need is the passion and you’ll make it happen for yourself. I also love to help people trying to get more involved in the arts in any way, so always feel free to talk to me about any questions!
Support Maddi by streaming her album”BIJOU” on Spotify.
And check out her Youtube channel “artbylaine” for her short films and her “K.O.” music video.
