These Words Are Meant For Someone

Yes, I'm very proud of it. Remember that CNZ didn't grant us funding in 2017, and that's why Barbara and Lauren didn't get paid. This, despite Mark telling me that Barbie was literally the best soprano in NZ for the material that I write. - I wasn't well-known then, but Emanuel and Barbara certainly were, and we didn't even get a discount on the ACR, as none of the team were current NZSM students. Sour grapes, I know, but if you're wondering where my total antipathy for the major arts funding bodies in New Zealand comes from, it's from this and several moments where Ethan and Stephen went up against the NZ Film Commission with similar results. Even of my friends who have had some success internationally, like Bernie Rao and James Dunlop, that was self-funded work, and they put in the hard yards to get that international distribution deal for Killer Sofa. Yes, that's a New Zealand movie, and Piimio is in it. - It's easy to say 'basically nobody gets funded', but many of my enemies are those that receive regular funding.

I reckon they're jelly that my musicals are more successful than theirs. 🥝🤣 As for films, I think any producers should bother to meet with me and hear me out about my process. Even though we had virtually no money, we've made a lot of good stuff. - Pippa, my Mum, wasn't a fan of the initial reading of the cycle. That was an interesting phone conversation... Andrew, my Dad, liked it; I think my music sounds the way it does largely because I was trying to impress my parents. I was hoping for international success, but ultimately it was about proving myself to my peers and writing music that people liked. 🎼