Among the hundreds of new students being welcomed to the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2020 will be two individuals — Madi Henry and Logan Wrathall — whose close association with Bindoon Entertainment Arts and Theatre (BEAT) group and involvement with Bindoon Open Mic Nights has given them a great foundation for their studies.
Madi, a singer-songwriter who also plays piano and guitar is studying an Advanced Diploma in Music Artistry.
“It is a course in performance and song writing,” said Madi. “I’m planning on continuing on into my Bachelor’s degree in music and then hopefully into music education.”
Logan has had a stellar start to the year, not only with his entry to WAAPA, but also by being named the Shire of Chittering Youth Citizen of the Year at the recent Australia Day Awards.
While he is a keen actor and can play guitar, Logan’s passion is on the technical side of a performance, something BEAT helped nurture, and he will be studying a Diploma of Live Production and Technical Services.
“Logan has also been involved with our open mic nights for the last five years,” said Barni Norton from BEAT. “He spent most of his time in the bio-box where he has worked the lights, not only for our BOM nights but our concerts too.”
“BEAT certainly made thing easier to access,” says Logan. “I loved being able to help out with lighting at open mic nights and learnt a lot from Tuarn Brown. They were very accommodating and let me do things how I wanted to do it.”
The support of the BEAT team also helped Madi flourish as a performer. She recalls, “I started Bindoon Open Mic when I was 14. I remember being too scared to even get on stage by myself!
“Over the last 4 years of attending Bindoon Open Mic nights I’ve grown as a performer. The nurturing and supportive environment really helped my confidence grow.”
The pair have some advice for those wanting to follow a similar path.
“Find something local to participate in in the industry you want to be a part of,” says Logan.
“I guess the one thing I have to say is make sure you take every opportunity you can,” says Madi. “Work hard and don’t be afraid to just go for it!”
The team from BEAT are looking forward to seeing how Madi and Logan progress over the year.
“The BEAT crew and BOM friends are all pretty excited for Logan and Madi,” said Barni. “We are hoping they might bring some of their WAAPA friends to events in the year!”
