From Sporting Dreams To Musical Feats

She’s pushed trolleys, worked at Maccas, waited tables and cleaned toilets of a ‘grotty old’ Melbourne pub.

And like most aspiring musicians, Patty Preece has also experienced the life of being a struggling muso.

But from humble beginnings, the now music maestro has added a Masters degree to their repertoire - and it’s been a long road to getting there.

“I think it’s about having passion for what you are doing and believing in yourself and your art form,” Patty explains.

“We often talk about creating a reality TV show called artist survivor – where everyday people have to live a day in the life of an artist. 

“You have to go to this gig – you won’t get paid for it. To get there you have to drive six hours and the last hour is on a dirt road. There’s no food or accommodation for you – but you’ll get really great exposure! 

“I have countless stories like this – playing really weird gigs for exposure. It has been an uphill battle at times, but this is the stuff you can’t learn in a classroom – you really have to experience it.”

Patty, who is also on a journey of identity, has had an incredibly colourful adventure to get to where they are today.

“When I left high school in Mackay I wanted to go to the big city and be an elite athlete. I trained for a couple of years at the Queensland academy of sport and represented Queensland in hockey,” she says.

“I also had a stint playing Gaelic football and was named in an honorary Australian side at the national titles. I could bench press, pull up and do a mad handstand, but I was studying Occupational Therapy at the time and just felt that a life in sport didn’t hold as much meaning for me as caring for and working with marginalised groups in my community.” 

So, Patty ‘ditched’ her sporting life and worked for years in mental health. 

“My first gig out of uni was at the Forensic Mental health facility at The Park in Wolston. This was a real eye opener and helped me to see the outcomes of structural injustices. I started a music group here – we would play guitars, sing and write songs…whatever the day needed. It was catharsis, community and connection. It was this job that led me to becoming a music tech.” 

Patty said the groups they were working with were writing some great original songs. 

“I really wanted to record them but recording studios at the time were expensive and not so accessible. So, I decided to study a diploma of music industry technical production at TAFE on the Gold Coast. I bought myself a home recording setup and just fell in love with the process of capturing music.” 

Patty says that although a music career wasn’t always on the horizon, she’s always been a listener and lover of music.

“Like most of us – a Sony Walkman and a Salt-N-Pepa cassette was all I needed to escape.” 

“I lost my dad when I was 12 years old and this was such a hard age to do anything, let alone process grief and emotions...music was that place that I could go to, to help me understand my feelings or to just escape them.”

She’s also always loved playing music.

“At primary school I learnt to play trumpet first (after the recorder, of course) and then drums at high school. 

“In my first band as a grown-up - Bertha Control - I developed a clear association with music and identity and its role as a potential agent for social change. The band had a riot grrrl ethos writing songs about oppressive social structures and playing at political rallies around Brisbane. We also believed in encouraging women’s participation in the music industry. I recorded and played on our second studio album Songs of Sedition (John Howard had just brought in the sedition laws at the time).” 

Patty now puts her performance energy into the duo Ironing Maidens - formed with partner Melania Jack in Byron Bay a decade ago.

“Ironing Maidens was originally the capstone project for my Bachelor or Audio Production at SAE. I had just read about the amazing work of Daphne Oram and Delia Derbyshire – both BBC radiophonic electronic music pioneers – and I was keen to explore how instrument design could shape my music practice.”

At around the same time, Melania was editing together some old vintage footage of a housewife ironing, for a film clip for Shiny Shiny. 

“She cut the downward motion of an iron hitting an ironing board to the beat, so that it appeared as though the ironer was making a sic beat,” Patty recalls.

“Melania then said to me ‘do you think we could make an instrument that did that? Bang on the ironing board to make a beat’? From there, I learnt the basics of electronics and programming and made a series of iron instruments. We wrote some kooky songs and created a live gig, theatre-inspired electronic music band. We’ve been playing and touring ever since.”

In addition to her musical passions, Patty is also a respected member of CQUniversity’s School of Education and the Arts.

“I have been working for CQU for six years now. I relocated from Byron Bay to Cairns to take on the role of creative arts technician and associate lecturer for the Bachelor of Creative Arts course. During COVID, the course was phased out and I now teach into the Bachelor of Music program,” Patty explains.

When not teaching, studying or performing - Patty can be found mentoring the next generation of artists. 

“Mentorship and knowledge-sharing form the cornerstone of my professional ethos,” Patty says. 

“I'm a big fan of programs that bridge knowledge gaps, empower aspiring talents, and offer guidance in navigating the ropes of their chosen fields. These mentorship initiatives are like secret weapons for personal and professional growth, helping nurture the next generation of artists and keeping the artistic flame burning strong.”

By Isis Symes, CQUniversity. For the full story visit cqu.edu.au/news/1102482/maestro-masters-music

After leaving high school in Mackay, Patty Preece represented Queensland in hockey before discovering her true path to music. Photos supplied

Patty Preece (left) and partner Melania Jack in Ironing Maidens