Ruby Wall was always surrounded with music – from her opera singing grandparents to her rock band member dad, she fell in love with the passion for music.
“I was seeing my parents being so passionate and loving what they were doing,” she said.
“I remember dad putting a video of my grandfather, and he looked like Walt Disney, with the glasses, the hair and the moustache, but he sounded like Dean Martin. I was probably about 8 or 7, just looking at my grandfather and saying ‘that’s how I want to perform’.
“I wasn’t trying to be like them but wanted to have my own special connection and when I tried to discover that, I threw myself into everything and I loved every second of it.”
The 16-year-old was never pressured into pursuing music, but she knew music was a craft she wanted to devote her time into and forge a pathway that was special to her.
She took little bits of her family’s innate talents and with the guidance of Lisa Lockland-Bell from Performance Studios, she was able to find her own sound that was not only raw but also relatable to life experiences.
Ruby is among the selected few to be part of the Elite Performance Academy at Performance Studios, where they not only train on singing and performing, but also spiritually through meditation and yoga classes.
Although she has had many opportunities to perform and grow through the Elite Performance Academy, her audition was a little different compared to the rest.
Ruby had tested positive for Covid-19 but went on to record her audition in isolation. When she was better, her first meeting with Ms Lockland-Bell came with a surprise when the Broadway director of Frozen was present for a workshop.
“I got to see everyone. That day, Lisa was like “Welcome! You’re a scholarship student” and little did I know, that was the best opportunity I could have ever gotten,” she said.
“I just think it’s the right place, the right time. I think this institution is building us to be tough and to understand values, such as humility and gratefulness.
“This is something that not a lot of people can go through, and I am thankful that this is actually happening to only seven/six of us and that we’re the start of something that’s going to be so influential in our community.”
A wise head on young shoulders, Ruby is careful to not let her youthful eagerness overpower her sensibility.
“Making it in the real world would be tremendous but feeling complete within yourself, I think that’s a little bit more important.
“Every time I go out on stage, I feel like I’m holding the hands of all my grandparents. Even though I didn’t meet them, they’ve left a loving warm feeling in my heart
“Every performance that I go through, I know that they are there behind me, giving me strength. They’re in my heart and in my voice and how I express to everyone.”
