Growing Bold with a love of music

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Growing Bold with a love of music with Rachael Leahcar

Pete:

Welcome to the Grow Bold with Disability podcast brought to you by Feros Care, a podcast dedicated to smashing stereotypes and talking about the things people with disability care about most. To help us live bolder, healthier, better connected lives. I'm journalist Pete Timbs.

Tristram:

And I'm Tristram Peters. I work for disability service directory ClickAbility and am a wheelchair user living with spinal muscular atrophy.

Pete:

And our guest is Australian singer songwriter Rachael Leahcar. Now you might remember her from the very first season of The Voice Australia, where she came third. And since then, she's released five top 10 charting albums and is legally blind. In this episode, we'll find out how Rachael discovered her love of music, the struggles she had to overcome as a blind person in a seeing world and how she made it to the top of her game. Rachael, welcome to Grow Bold with Disability.

Rachael:

Hi ya.

Tristram:

So Rachael, you were born with retinitis pigmentosa. Can you explain it to us and how it affects you day to day?

Rachael:

Yeah. So, retinitis pigmentosa means that I have a degenerative genetic eye condition and I was born with it and diagnosed at six months old. I have tunnel vision, short-sightedness, night blindness and it deteriorates over time. Mine’s a slowly deteriorating one. So sometimes I'll notice that I can't see things even as well as last year that I used to. You never know when it's going to go. You don't know if it's stable. I don't know if mine is stable at the moment. I'm hoping I can keep what I have. But if not, it hasn't really stopped me from doing anything I've ever wanted to do. Sometimes much to my parents’ dismay.

Pete:

Now you said you were diagnosed at six months. How progressive was it sort of as a young child? Could you just see until you were six? And then it got really bad? Tell us about it, the journey of it.

Rachael:

Well, that's interesting, because when I was little, I didn't really have a concept of what other people could see. I just thought what I could see was normal. So, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with me. I don't know what you're talking about. I’d just bumped into a lot of things, people would say, “what can you see?” And I’d say I can see this, this, this, this. It really didn’t register. But I think I had a fair bit more vision, maybe 50%. And now I've got about 5% vision left. But I was lucky. I had a lot of support from my parents. My mom was a stay-at-home mom, and she taught me the alphabet before I went to school so I wouldn't be behind because I went to a mainstream school. They were really supportive there. I had an SSO who taught me how to touch type. And I didn't feel like I was left behind really at any point.

Tristram:

It's amazing that the school was so inclusive and had those practices in place. Are there any times when you sort of think, because it is degenerative, why me? Are there any moments where you pause, and you get frustrated by? I imagine, it's quite a long journey.

Rachael:

Look, not too often, to be honest. I feel like I've spent most of my life fighting back against people that think that I can't do things.

Tristram:

Yip.

Rachael:

I'd be always determined to show what I can do and not what I can't do. But there are moments where I just stop and think, and I just remember a couple of years ago. There was only one day I could actually see nothing. There could be nothing there. I won't be able to see any sunsets. I won't be able to see all the places in the world. So that was a little bit depressing. But it's also, I don't know, you deal with whatever you're given. Everyone has their obstacles, and mine is maybe a bit more obvious. But, you know, it could be worse.

I'm alive and I'm happy and healthy and have so many things in life to be grateful for. But yeah, it's more annoying than anything else. It's more of an inconvenience because I can't drive, so I always have to ask people to take me places or come with me and that's inconvenient. But apart from that, I'm happy.

Pete:

Now you mentioned school just before and you say the teachers are great. What about kids? Kids can be nasty or honest sometimes, if you know what I mean. They'll tell you what they're thinking. How was school for you?

Rachael:

You know, school was fine. I think kids, especially when they are young, whatever they're presented with is normal, and then they develop opinions later in life. I was happy to give education to kids that would ask me questions, because kids ask all the questions so I would answer. And I'm glad that I could give them that opportunity to learn about someone different from them. But in high school, I don't know. I had a great circle of friends. There were times where people would be a bit stupid but I just sort of recognized it for what it was. I learned to laugh at myself as well, so that others couldn't laugh at me. Because, you know, if a bully is laughing at you and you're also laughing, it's not a lot of fun for them.

Tristram:

It destroys it, doesn’t it?

Rachael:

My friends sort of made a game of using my cane to hit the water bottles around so they would, you know, hit it with a water bottle and kick a goal. And this and that.

Tristram:

Yeah, I often find that, like, for myself as a power chair user, if a kid asks me a question, the parent will always go “oh you can’t ask that”, which just instantly adds that stigma around disability for the rest of their life. I mean, education is so important. Like you said there, it's about talking to them and explaining it to them. I mean, you must do that a fair bit.

Rachael:

When I can, there is a lot of people, I don't think they know how to answer their kids sometimes. They're scared of offending. But yeah, I'm definitely open to, and I would encourage asking questions and learn about different things.

I have been overjoyed when kids would ask just in my vicinity in my ear shot like, “what's that thing she's holding?”

And the parents would get down on their knees and say, “Look, that's a cane, you know? She she can't see very well, so that helps her define things and not hit into them.”

And I would just be there with a big smile on my face and especially with my guide dog as well. If they know not to pat the guide dog they’d ask their parents, “can I pat it?”

And they say. “no, they're a working dog. It's helping her.” So that's a huge help.

Pete:

Cool. Now you might have been losing your sight as a child until now. But also, you were discovering your voice. When did you actually work out you could hold a note?

Rachael:

I've been told I came out screaming, so since I was born. But I think because I was so in tune with my ears that I picked up on sound a lot. And voices. I used to imitate voices when I was very young and sort of conglomerated it into my own voice. I've always loved music and had a connection with it, and that's a place that I felt like a normal person. I know that's, you know, in quotations “normal,” but yeah, it was something I could feel empowered with.

Tristram:

Yeah, for sure. I mean, it sounds like it came very easily to you, didn’t it? You're a natural talent.

Rachael:

I just loved it. I knew that I loved it. And I performed everywhere possible that I could. I didn't imagine that I could make a career out of it, because off stage, I was still quite shy and self conscious, and I was comparing myself to all the people at my school. I went to a music school and I loved doing that and being around it all. But I did feel a little bit inadequate because there are all these amazing musicians around the place, and I thought, I'll never live up to that, but because I loved it, I kept taking all the opportunities. And it led me to where I am today. And I'm truly grateful for it.

Pete:

Well, you can also play a few instruments yourself. Do you think that came easier as you mentioned the singing because you're probably listening a little bit more? Did the instruments come easy to you as well?

Rachael:

Uh, sort of. I remember quitting piano when I was six because my teacher wasn't teaching me hard enough songs. So I started off again when I was nine and learnt that I had to start from the beginning. I feel like I picked up the piano pretty quickly. Other instruments? I had the ear for it. But, you know, you also have to have the coordination and the finger movements. I definitely had the ear for the music and can hear things really well. And I love playing instruments, but it takes a lot of work to learn them well.

Tristram:

Yeah. And you mentioned the music school there. From the age of 12 you started gaining recognition as a singer. You're accepted in the South Australian Public Primary Schools Choir, the music program at Brighton Secondary School. And you also entered the Fellini Search for a Star where you made it through the Grand Final, chosen as one of the top three performers. I mean, what was that period like?

Rachael:

Yeah, I was pretty competitive. As I said, I love doing what I did. And secretly, I loved the spotlight. It was exciting and it shifted focus from my disability to something that I was able to do and I loved it. And it was so exciting. Competitions were a bit of a soft spot for me. I'd enter anything I possibly could. And it was a chance to learn and better myself as well as a performer. Every opportunity got me better and better, and hopefully, you know, led me to a career which it did.

Pete:

You mentioned all those singing competitions. You went in so many as a young child. But even when you were young, you went to the ultimate one, which was The Voice auditions. How did that come about?

Rachael:

Yeah, well, I heard blind auditions, and I thought I was going to be great.

Pete:

It’s a very niche market, isn't it?

Rachael:

Yeah, it's perfect. And when I got there, it’s like what is this? You know, my aunty actually suggested to go into The Voice, but it wasn't the first competition I entered. I first went for Australia's Got Talent when I was 16 years old. I actually got through those auditions on the TV, but it didn't go to air. And two weeks later they said “you're not getting through because there was so many acts and they only could have so many singers”.

Pete:

Of course, on Australia’s Got Talent they have jugglers and comedians and everything, don't they?

Rachael:

Yeah, there's all sorts. So, I guess they had enough singers and they chucked me. It didn't matter, though, because I was the resilient type so just went on with Year 11 and then went into Year 12. And I thought I'll try the X Factor this time. Surely. Na. I didn't even get to the TV audition, so that was a flop. But six months later, I auditioned for The Voice because, you know, blind auditions. I really liked the idea of the coaches not judging me for anything but my voice. And, of course, the idea of The Voice is that the coaches listen and they've got their swivel chairs and if they like you, they press the button and want to coach you.

I guess I was trying to prove something to myself and and didn't want to be taken advantage of because of my disability, which, you know, of course it was part of the story, but I'm glad I could raise some awareness. And plus, the audition was filmed a day before my 18th birthday. So that was quite a celebration.

Pete:

Did they all turn around for you? I think all the judges did, didn't they? Yeah, they all did, in the end. So you chose the Big D. Why did you go with Delta?

Rachael:

Yeah, Delta. Well, to be honest, it was a lot of things leading up to that because I didn't really have a style at that point. I just loved singing any song that I wanted to, and I felt like I was more of a jazz girl because I'd been in the jazz band and jazz cabaret and stuff in school. And I thought maybe I'd go with Seal because he was one of the coaches. But of course, you know, Keith Urban is international and Joel Madden was Rock. Guy loved Rock. And Delta, I had a really special connection with Delta because I listened to her growing up. She was the first album I ever bought. And my brother remembers me singing along to Delta while he was trying to play video games all the time. And backstage, this is probably a bit of a secret, but I said, I don't really know who I'm gonna choose. Maybe Seal. And they said to me, “what if Delta turned?” And I thought, is that a hint? You’ve got a sort of listen to these little tips because, of course, you know, The Voice is a TV show. It's not there to launch your career. You're playing a character. And I know that might be crushing the dreams of some people, maybe not. But you've got to play the game a little bit. And yeah, I knew what they were hinting at, and I chose Delta. And I realized it was the right decision anyway, because she was such a huge influence on my life and my music.

Tristram:

And it's, you know, you made the right call because you kept winning and winning and progressing through each round, and you came third. I mean, what was the whole journey like? It must have just been a roller coaster.

Rachael:

It really was. I was very surprised every time I got through. I know that sounds a bit weird, but I really didn't believe in myself as such. I believed I was having a great time, but I suppose it was a lot to do with the previous TV shows I went for. I just didn't feel like I was good enough but I kept getting through. And I was so happy and semifinals came around. And I got laryngitis for the first time in my life and the last time in my life. You can still see that performance on YouTube now. I sang Nights in White Satin, which was a huge song for me because I had one another competition with that song and traveled to Italy. So it was heartbreaking, honestly, that I couldn't do that song justice. But somehow, five minutes before that song, I couldn't talk and it just came out. It must have been the adrenaline, but then I still had the grand final to deal with.

I'll tell you a funny story because I was desperate to get my voice back and I had to do recordings and things. I asked good old information line Facebook and someone told me a secret. It’s so easy. You just boil the potato and mash it up with a tea towel and stick it around your neck for a few hours. So I did. And it worked. I actually got my voice back, there you go. I think it might be something in the potato that reduces inflammation. Maybe.

Pete:

I guess it was harmless though even if it didn't work.

Rachael:

I was literally ready to try anything. Yeah, it was very exciting. And part one, part two of the grand final. Yeah, coming third, just ridiculous for an 18 year old to go through that.

Pete:

But then an 18-year-old geting signed up to a big music label, that can be very intimidating. How did they do with your disability? Did they try to exploit it for more money, if you know what I mean? Or do they just want to back you in the back of just having a great voice? What was that experience like?

Rachael:

I didn't really feel exploited. I think maybe during The Voice it was a bit played upon, of course, because everyone has a story. They sort of described it - we want to focus on your music, but we also want to talk about your story. I was pretty much known as the singer who happens to be blind. That was my tagline. And then when I was signed up to Universal, I was pretty much portrayed as this little innocent girl who sang in different languages. And, you know, that was nice, I think, at the time for the 18 year old me. And I was really grateful for that because, you know, not everyone gets to be with a big label and released an album.

It was very intimidating because I had never been really in the music industry. I had no idea what anyone did. I didn't know what a label did. I don't know what a manager or an agent did. I knew nothing. I was lucky to have my parents there all the time to come with me and support me and help me make big decisions for my future. And, of course, you know, they want to make as much money as possible for me, you know, so they helped me not sign the bad deals. And they tried to get me the best deal possible. And I remember just after, or just before the blind auditions were filmed, we had all these contracts to sign. There were 30 pages and three different contracts, publishing.

Pete:

And no lawyers around.

Rachael:

Well, there was a lawyer, but, you know, you just have to trust that what he says is true.

Pete:

Yeah.

Rachael:

It was a bit crazy. And if you didn't sign them, you didn't go ahead. And that's pretty much saying like the label gets first preference. It was all very scary, but it was a lot of fun as well.

Tristram:

You also mentioned the music industry there. I mean, as a whole what was access like when you're touring, doing gigs? Did they have to put anything in place? Was it just accessible for you to get up on stage and do your thing?

Rachael:

It was always different. I think, like I said, I had my parents. My dad usually travelled with me and he'd take me up on stage if there were steps. I think there was only a couple of little mishaps where I'd missed the step or something. But yeah, it was pretty easy. When I got up on stage, I had to get my dad to tell me where the audience was because I could never see where people were.

But I wanted to be able to connect with them as well. So I’d want to be able to sing to every person in the audience instead of just facing forward. And of course, I couldn't dance around the stage. There would always be some sort of speaker that I would be creeping towards that would give my dad a heart attack. I'd always be moving a bit forward. So, a lot of the times I'd need a bright white X just underneath my feet. So, I didn't move too far away from it and fall off the stage.

Pete:

Now Rachael, the music industry has really changed, I think incredibly, in the last even five years. Especially in terms of Spotify and streaming and all that sort of stuff and how the big music companies operate. So from back in your day, you released an album, you sold some singles, you got radio play and everyone made some money. How are you finding the music industry now with all streaming? And you actually only have to release one song to make money?

Rachael:

Yeah, well, even back then, it was pretty much transforming to streaming. Unfortunately, it's not as lucrative for musicians. It's getting even harder. I think Spotify is like 0000.1 cent per play or something, right? As opposed to I don't know, $2.50 per download on iTunes. So it's a lot harder now, to be honest, to get out there. And the market is so saturated with these amazing musicians, which is great. But also, you know, it's harder to get into. It's harder to be noticed. It's harder. Everything's harder, and especially with all the Covid restrictions. It's harder to put on shows. So, yeah, it's really, really a struggle town at the moment for musicians. But I'm very lucky that I'm able to do some shows around in Adelaide and still release music, because that's what I love doing. And that's what I'm going to do no matter what.

Tristram:

Absolutely, and in terms of releasing the music, is there an album single or anything coming out soon?

Rachael:

Well, I actually just released one a couple of months ago called “Can Do” and it's in support of Can Do for Kids, a charity that supports kids who are blind and deaf and sensory impaired. And they supported me a lot throughout my childhood, and I've never really sung about my disability that this one was kind of a little bit of insight into it and how I imagine the world. And I've heard, you know, on this podcast you guys touch on universal design, which I've learned about in my uni degree that I'm doing. I could talk all day sorry. So yeah, the universal design of imagining a world where everything is accessible to everybody and how easy it would be and how inclusive. And, you know, everyone would feel like they are included and valued in society and just my ideal world I suppose. It's called Can Do and I hope you like it if you have a listen.

Pete:

So also, I want to know you've been through it all in the sense of going through all the competitions, going through The Voice, signing up with Universal Music, you’ve seen it all.

You actually hit the sort of the musical stage at that transition into the streaming side. So anyone coming through who's dreaming of a career in the industry, especially if they've got a disability, what would you say to them?

Rachael:

I’d say, I suppose it depends what they want to do, depending on what avenue they want to go down. I'd say if you're thinking about doing a show like The Voice, you should probably get some experience in the industry first. So you know what to expect and what to do with that spotlight once it's on you. Because when I was 18, like I said, I had no idea what was going on, and I couldn't, I don't think, take full advantage of the opportunity that I was given. So, when these opportunities do come up you want to be ready and you want to have connections. You might even be able to do it without the show, which is totally possible. You can put your music up on Triple J Unearthed and make recordings. Do it as much as possible because I think experience is really important. And you learn so much every performance. I'm still learning, and I've done a million.

Tristram:

So, Rachael, you also have a guide dog. How old were you when you started using Ella?

Rachael:

I think I was 20 years old. I'd actually deferred my speech pathology degree two years, and I couldn't defer it anymore. So I either had to do it or not do it. And me being me, I wanted to do it but the thing that scared me most wasn't actually the exams or the assignments or anything like that. It was actually finding a seat in a big auditorium. Because I'm regularly late to things, ask any of my friends. So I was scared that I would get in, say, five minutes after the lecturer had started and need to whack everyone's legs to find a seat with my cane. But with Ella, I got her and she would just, you know, walk in quietly, put her nose on a chair and I'd sit down like everyone else.

And this would happen on public transport and everywhere. And she did so much more than that. She found doors for me. She took me down flights of stairs. Helps me find things. She's just incredible. And she's kept me safe. And their motto was, even if I get lost, I'll always be safe. And Ella was 2 and a half when I got her, and she's almost 10 now. She will be 10 in July and she's almost ready for retirement.

Pete:

Then what are you gonna do?

Rachael:

I’ll get another one.

Pete:

And does Ella stay with you and the other dog, or is there a retirement village for seeing eye dogs?

Rachael:

You can. I don't think I would be able to give Ella to anyone. We've just had such a strong bond. And she's my baby. I love her to bits, but I know she'll be spoiled rotten. She’ll be lying on the couch, which guide dogs are not meant to do. But I let her. And she'll be just going “na na” you’ve got to go out to the other dog. But, yeah, she's just gorgeous. She'll be a regular pet after that and she'll be spoiled. And then I'll be working with another guide dog.

Pete:

Nice, so where is Rachael Leahcar right now in her career? Where are you with your uni study? Jobs? Music? What's next?

Rachael:

Well, I feel like I've done a lot of albums so far. I did a Christmas album. I did a singer songwriter kind of album. I did covers. I did Beatles covers, which I'm actually, incidentally, doing a few Beatles shows this year. But I thought I'd focus mostly on doing live shows if I can. It's a bit of a hard market at the moment to, you know, do live things because they always seem to be getting canceled last minute. But that's what I mostly want to do at the moment. And also yeah the degree. I'm doing a bachelor of disability and developmental education now, not speech pathology.

Pete:

What happened to speech pathology?

Rachael:

I quit after six months.

Pete:

That's not like you, Rachael. You don't quit.

Rachael:

No, no, I should. Well, I loved it. But I also wanted to focus more on music, I think because it was pretty hectic still, even at that time, and I think I'm at a place now where I can do a degree. I have a bit of a goal to do a degree by the time I'm 30. So, three more years.

Pete:

Plenty of time.

Tristram:

Heaps of time. So, Rachael, as you know, this podcast is called Grow Bold with Disability, and we always like to ask, “what does living a bold life mean to you?”

Rachael:

A bold life? I suppose it means to take every opportunity as it comes. Live everyday like it is your last. And be bold.

Pete:

It gets everyone. Don’t worry.

Rachael:

It's a hard question because you think bold is different for everyone. It could be loud and exciting, or it could just be, you know, the little wins and celebrating those. So whatever works for you.

Pete:

Nice. Fair enough. That's a good answer. Now Rachael, thanks so much for joining us today on the Grow Bold with Disability podcast brought to you by Feros Care. And listeners can find out more about Rachael, the Christmas album, the Can Do single, the tours, fingers crossed that these things keep happening, and anything else that is coming along in the links provided in today's episode show notes. Rachael Leahcar, it's been an absolute pleasure. Thanks for joining us today on Grow Bold with Disability.

Rachael:

Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure.

Pete:

This podcast is brought to you by Feros Care, an NDIS partner delivering local area coordination services in Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. Feros Care is a people care organization committed to helping people live bolder lives. We call it Growing Bold. For over 30 years, Feros has been making it real for both older Australians and those living with disability. To find out more head to www.feroscare.com.au

The content and views discussed in this podcast series are those of the individuals involved. They are not necessarily condoned by, or, are the views of Feros Care or its employees.