Welcome to yTeamer’s Supporting yTeamers !
Another month sees our yTeam doing pretty epic things that we can get behind as a community! You could say we are marching alongside them in March… give us a point for creatitvity… maybe? Anyways, this month we feature the musical genius of Georgia McAlpine and the environmental expertise of Cassie Moss. See why and what got them started, what challenges they have faced, and especially, how we can support them on their journeys.
Music Artist – Georgia McAlpine (WA yTeamer)
Georgia McAlpine is a 23-year-old singer/songwriter originally from Buntine in the Wheatbelt. After releasing her debut EP in 2018, she has been performing solo around Perth. Drawing inspiration from Australian artists such as Thelma Plum, Angie McMahon and Meg Mac, she writes raw and honest lyrics. Now joined by her band, her music is bought to life. Georgia first met yLead in 2015 at an In-school program run by our CEO Bel Yorston.
What do you love about the yLead community and why do you keep contributing and connecting?
People in the yLead community bond and create relationships over positive things: their passions, their hobbies, the small things that make them smile. This creates connections that are hard to believe exist from only spending, in many circumstances (especially living all the way in WA), small amounts of time together!
We are brave, vulnerable, kind, inclusive and present. I have met some of the most incredible people through yLead and I hope I have been able to give back in some way. I hope to inspire those around me to pursue the challenging and to be kind and inclusive, always
What is your ultimate goal? You know, the big one, if failure is no option? Dream big, we are here to support you!
Oooft! To play a show with a big crowd overseas (or even interstate) would be phenomenal. If I could travel for work that would be amazing! I also really want to be more of an advocate for musicians so I am trying to start improving that on a local level first.
What is the biggest win that you have had?
I think the greatest night of my life was my “Band Launch.” After having to postpone a sold-out show hours before due to COVID, we came back a month later and it meant the world to me to have so many people there supporting me such as friends, family and even people I didn’t know. I got to share the stage with an amazing line-up I had curated (check out Mia June, Angie Coleman & Cam Alexander!) and when I performed with my band, after all the work and rehearsal we had put in, I truly felt on top of the world.
Tell us what inspired you to start your project?
I honestly think I would never have pursued music to this extent had I not had some of the conversations I was lucky enough to have with people from the yLead community. I have always tinkled around playing guitar and writing songs, but I’d say going to boarding school and being away from everything I knew in my small town of Buntine was when I really started writing songs as a bit of a coping mechanism.
What has been the biggest challenge (so far) that you have faced?
Potentially now, I am facing one of my biggest challenges. The last few months, I have really taken a step back from music. I have started working full time (the money in the music industry just doesn’t cut it) and to be completely honest have been struggling to write anything new. The industry is extremely tough and it’s something I am trying to work on behind the scenes to change – to make it more inclusive, more feasible to pursue financially and with more support present for artists… watch this space!
What is something that this whole process has taught you?
When I left for exchange in the Netherlands, I decided to set a release date for while I was overseas (seemed like the easiest way, to not have to see people for a while!) I hadn’t really planned to release the recorded songs but thought, why not. Even if one person got enjoyment out of them that that would make me happy. What I learnt was taking that initial leap opens up so many more opportunities. I then had people reach out and ask me to play live shows (my plan fell down a bit when I had to say, sure – how about in 6 month’s time when I am back in Perth 🤣
I will say, while each opportunity you take opens many more, you do need to be careful (particularly) in the arts industry that you are taking opportunities which will benefit you in some way – whether it’s financially, giving you a big sense of enjoyment or GENUINE exposure. It’s easy to overwork yourself for little reward and become burnt out.
How can we support you?
Well, I’ll give you two options – and this is not just how to support me but musicians/artists in general!
1) Follow and engage with artists on social media and streaming platforms – listen to their music, send them a message saying how much you love their stuff and if you can, go to their shows! This means the most to artists!
IG/FB/Tik Tok: @georgiamcalpine_music + Spotify: Georgia McAlpine
2) Financially. It is so hard for artists to scrape together money to make their next projects. You can support them by buying their merch, tickets to concerts or lots of artists have a link on their Spotify where you can make a direct donation. It may seem a bit strange at first, but think of it like how you used to spend money on a CD! Anything helps and just seeing that someone is willing to make that commitment will have a huge impact on them!
Planet Conscious Teaching – Cassie Moss (VIC yTeamer)
Cassie has created a platform called ‘Planet Conscious Teaching’ and it is a space for all things sustainability education. She is on a mission to break down the barriers of teaching sustainability and provide teachers with helpful resources that they can use in their classroom. Cassie was first introduced to yLead in 2013 at Melbourne ALSC. She yTeamed for a while down south before making a move north to Bondi in Sydney.
What do you love about the yLead community and why do you keep contributing and connecting?
I love the enthusiasm and energy that the yLead community fosters and the unique people that it attracts. I love how supportive everyone is and how the community continually encourages me to take risks and step outside of my comfort zone. yLead has taught me so much over the years and has connected me with so many incredible individuals.
What is your ultimate goal? You know, the big one, if failure is no option? Dream big, we are here to support you!
I am not 100% sure yet but I would love to create a Planet Conscious Community of Teachers where teachers can inspire each other, share ideas and feel supported by like-minded educators. But my ultimate goal would be to one day start a Planet Conscious School. A school for all that combines both modern teaching practices with back to Earth basis. A school that allows students to learn through practical real-world experiences and supports each student’s unique passions.
What is the biggest win that you have had?
I have absolutely loved connecting with other passionate educators and sustainability advocates. Though the creation of Planet Conscious Teaching, I have engaged with and learnt so much from other educators.
Tell us what inspired you to start your project?
I am a primary school teacher with a passion for sustainability. The more I learnt about sustainability and the current state of our planet, the more I felt the urge to do something. I began by embedding more sustainability practices into my own classroom and school. This was great but what I noticed was that other teachers were hesitant to follow suit due to a lack of knowledge, a ‘I already have too much to teach’ attitude and a limited understanding on where to find resources. And so, Planet Conscious Teaching was born.
What has been the biggest challenge (so far) that you have faced?
Learning to create Instagram Reels! I wanted to create a platform that was engaging, informative and easily accessible which is why I am using Instagram. I thought it would be easy however I have quickly learnt that there is a lot more to making reels than ‘video meets the eye’.
What is something that this whole process has taught you?
Don’t overthink it. If you’ve got an idea, just go for it. What do you have to lose? When I began, I wasn’t sure where my ‘passion project’ was going to take me but the journey has helped refine my place in education.
How can we support you?
You can follow my Instagram page @planetconsciousteaching and share it with anyone you feel may be interested. I would love to connect with yTeamers who have a similar passion or are interested to learn more.
