Torquay musician Hazel Ray has been in love with music for as long as she can remember.
At 16, having already been learning piano for some years, she began singing and writing her own music.
“I wrote my first song and I thought, this is what I would love to do for the rest of my life,” Ray said.
“So I sent an album to Sony when I was 18, and they actually wrote me back a letter, which I’ve since found out is quite rare.
“They said to me that I had a beautiful voice but my writing needed maturing. And I just took that as, well, I’m not good enough… That’s it, that’s the dream done.
“I was not bad at school, so I thought I must go to university and do the things that everyone else does.”
Ray completed a degree in behavioural neuroscience and then became a secondary school teacher.
“I went and taught maths and science for about eight years full time,” she said.
“I got married, I had some children. And I realised, ticking all the boxes of life that I thought I had to tick, I wasn’t happy.”
Since then, Ray has recreated her life, returning to doing the thing that fulfilled her the most – music.
It wasn’t an easy journey. She had to leave most of her previous life behind her, including the safety net of regular, full-time employment.
But through facing her own demons, Ray found a deeper purpose with her music. In addition to playing the usual gigs at pubs and cafes she has curated a series of shows taking people on a potentially transformative experience.
“It’s been a real journey of understanding the science behind energy, mindset and focus,” she said.
“So now I put on these really unique shows where I’m bridging the gap between science and spirituality, trying to to help people change their mindsets and hopefully live a more purposeful, joyful existence.
“My thing is that the world doesn’t need saving, people do. And I’m just trying to open people’s minds to different tools on how to change their mindset so that maybe, just maybe they might find the courage to go and do what they want to do in life rather than what they think they should be doing.”
Hazel Ray’s new single Lonely is out today on all streaming platforms. She is performing at Bells Beach Brewing on Friday, August 9. Visit hazelray.com.au/experiences for more information.
