‘I failed music’: Deadloch star chases dream in world best music school

From failing music in college, to starring in one of Australia’s biggest shows. Tasmania’s Naarah is taking her work to the international stage. How she turned her dreams into a reality >

Deadloch star and Gija woman Naarah has won a scholarship that will take her to the UK to study at the elite Royal Academy of Music. (L-R) British High Commissioner Vicky Treadell, Naarah Barnes, and Aurora Education Foundation CEO Leila Smith. Photo: Supplied

From failing music in college, to now starring in one of Australia’s biggest television comedies, Naarah will take one of the world’s most prestigious music schools by storm after winning a life changing scholarship.

The Gija woman won an Aurora Education Foundation scholarship worth nearly $100,000 to study a Masters of Music Theatre at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

But the pathway to this point wasn’t linear for the 25-year-old who has grown up in Glenorchy her whole life.

“I failed music in college. I failed my ATAR. I literally did not get an ATAR and I failed the music course in college and flash forward six years later, I’ve just won almost $100,000 to go to one of the top music schools in the world,” she said.

She said sometimes the pathway doesn’t look the same for everyone and there are so many pathways to achieve your goals.

Tasmanian actor Naarah, in Deadloch. Picture: Prime Video

“I went to low socio-economic schools with one of the lead roles of Deadloch, Kartanya Maynard – we went through school all our life together and barely anyone from the schools we went to actually made it through to university and graduate,” she said.

“It was two girls who were struggling and our mums would sit in our high school auditorium and clap so loud for us whenever we achieved anything.

“For us to both go through university, graduate and make some of Australia’s biggest television shows is pretty huge.”

Since starring in Deadloch, Naarah has received an influx of work in Australia that she has had to turn down so she can study her masters.

“It’s pretty nuts right now to have to be saying no to stuff, especially going back to study when work here in Australia is absolutely booming,” she said.

TasWeekend. Naarah Hobart based Tasmanian performer. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“London just makes me feel alive and it’s the only masters course I’d ever considered. It’s a lot of contact hours. I’ll be dancing and singing and acting flat out all week for the next year of my life.”

She said receiving a scholarship which is dedicated to only First Nations people is a step towards reconciliation.

“The previous British High Commissioner said these scholarships should just be for First Nations people and doing their part towards that reconciliation and the future we want to see,” she said.

“That was really huge for the British High Commission to change something just to be for First Nations people to do their part towards what’s happened across this country.”

Naarah wants kids growing up knowing there are plenty of pathways and they can be what they can’t see.

“The world is full of opportunity,” she said.

“I want them to know that if they want to go to Harvard and become a lawyer, they darn well can.