Student Spotlight: Mia Cross

Mia Cross was the 2022 Pearl Beach Senior Scholarship recipient and winner of the Richard Newton Senior Vocal Scholarship. She is a vocal student with Yvette Masters, focusing on musical theatre and jazz, and also learns piano, plays guitar and ukulele.

Have you always loved to sing? Yes, I used to set up weekly concerts in our lounge room and sell my family tickets and popcorn to watch me sing.  My first performance was when I was 9, in my primary school’s talent show. I loved being up on the stage and knew from that moment on that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. 

What do you enjoy most about your lessons with Yvette? Yvette has taught me so much. I look forward to my weekly lesson with her. Singing at the Con has given me many other opportunities like performing with the harmonious vocal ensemble Ebb & Flow and performing at the Central Coast Philharmonia Choir concerts. 

What do you love about singing? I love the journey that music takes you on and the story that I can tell through song. I love to share that with everyone. I’m at my happiest when I sing. The stage is my home.

What tips do you have for other young singers? For me, it’s relaxing and being in the moment. But it is so easy to let nerves get the better of you. You have to remember that your body is your instrument.

What were some of the highlights for you in 2022? 2022 was a big year for me. A stand out for me was playing my absolute dream roll of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde the Musical. I was honoured to win the Richard Newton 2022 Senior Vocal Scholarship and 2022 Pearl Beach Scholarship. Another big highlight was also winning the Sydney Eisteddfod (Musical Theatre section) . I always love performing at Youth in Performing Arts, but 2022 was extra special as I won the YIPA/Gosford North Rotary Club Bob Pye Memorial Scholarship.

How do you approach your practice? Positively. I just have some fun with it. I don’t approach practice as a chore or something I have to do but something I want to do.

Who is your musical inspiration? Kristen Chenoweth, Barbara Streisand and Ariana Grande – I think her vocal tone is effortless. 

What do you hope to do in the future? In my immediate future I want to do well enough in my HSC to be able to perform at Encore. In 2024, I want to study Music/Musical Theatre at the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney and then at Western Australian Performing Arts. My ultimate goal is to perform on stage on Broadway and London’s West End. I just want to sing and perform for the rest of my life. 

If you weren’t learning singing, what other instruments would you like to learn? I think I would always want to play piano. I probably might have wanted to learn violin.

When you’re not playing – or practicing – what do you like to do? I’m never not singing! I am always singing at home, trying to improve my technique. I like to perform with the Gosford Musical Society. It’s my home away from home. I also like to perform in plays in various community theatre groups. I also take dance classes in tap, jazz, contemporary and ballet.