Piano Fixed the Maths. Then She Played Woodford — Grace Alexandra

"I started doing piano lessons and I started getting better at maths." — Grace AlexandraGrace Alexandra came to Woodford on a pay-it-forward ticket. The next year, she was performing at it.Grace is 16, Darug, and already the kind of artist who makes you lean forward. She first came to Woodfordia as a child, dancing with the Jinibara Dance Troupe in 2018. She came back in 2024 as a punter — watched Jaguar Jones, Yothu Yindi, and Caravana Sun — and left knowing she wanted to be on those stages. Twelve months later, here she is.Harley Breen sits down with Grace — and, delightfully, her mum, just off camera — for a conversation that's warm, unhurried, and quietly remarkable. They talk about the unlikely chain of events that led Grace to music: failing maths, choosing piano lessons over a tutor, and discovering, almost by accident, that she could sing. About growing up Darug , travelling to Sydney to connect with the Gadigal community, and writing a song about a place that moved her so deeply at age ten that she couldn't not write about it. About what it means to be a young Indigenous artist right now, and why the community of peers she needs doesn't quite exist yet in her area.What she's already done is not nothing. One of 15 First Nations artists nationally, Grace was selected for the First Sounds National Album, funded by AMRAP. She's played Bluesfest and the Gympie Muster. And now, Woodford.This episode is for:Anyone who believes the best origin stories start with failing mathsPeople who want to hear what the next generation of Indigenous Australian music sounds likeAnyone who needs a reminder of what it looks like when a young person is completely, quietly sure of themselvesDive in to hear about:How failing maths led Grace to piano lessons — and how piano lessons fixed the mathsThe pay-it-forward ticket that brought her to Woodford as a punter, and the moment she decided she'd be back as a performerThe place Grace visited at age ten that became the heart of an original songBeing selected for the First Sounds National Album out of 15 First Nations artists nationallyWhy there's a gap in peer community for young musicians in her area — and why Woodford helps fill itKey topics: Grace Alexandra, First Nations music, young Australian artists, Woodford Folk Festival, singer-songwriter, Indigenous storytelling, Sunshine Coast music sceneTo come to the Woodford Folk Festival this year visit: https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/FOR MORE: Harley Breen: https://www.harleybreen.com.auGrace Alexandra: https://linktr.ee/grace_alexandra_music CREDITS: Host: Harley Breen | Guest: Grace Alexandra | Executive Producer: Benny Wallington, Bree Hickson-Jamieson | Producers: Cameron Scurrah, Georgia Shaw, Amelie Barham, Benjamin 'Tofty' Toft | Video Editing: Nick Haddow | Music by: The East Pointers | Recorded on Jinibara CountryRecorded December 2025#RadioWoodfordia #GraceAlexandra #HarleyBreen #WoodfordFolkFestival #Woodfordia #FirstNationsMusic #IndigenousAustralian #SingerSongwriter #AustralianMusic #NewMusic #Podcast #LiveMusicJoin the Woodfordian Citizens:Perks -- Bi-Monthly emails sharing the ins and outs of the world of Woodfordia and the people who keep the heart beating.- Special invites to special events on site at Woodfordia. Super special.- Bonus podcast content- Early early bird access to Woodford Folk Festival tickets- Early access to workshop bookings at Woodford Folk FestivalVisit: woodfordia.org/woodfordia/become-a-citizenMore information at www.woodfordia.orgFor the festival: www.woodfordfolkfestival.comFor Harley: https://www.harleybreen.com.au/Credits:Host: Harley BreenExecutive Producers: Bree Hickson-Jamieson, Josh Weier, Benny WallingtonAudio mastering: Kieron AtkinsonMusic by: The East Pointers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.