“We All Cried Together”: Mia Palencia on Creating Music with Second Echo Ensemble
Mia Palencia by Fiona Vail Photography.
For composer, singer, and storyteller Mia Palencia, creating original music for The Adventures of Peacock, Chicken and the Pony They Rode Upon has been more than just another creative gig. It’s been a career-defining collaboration rooted in shared vision, vulnerability and joy. Premiering at both the Sydney Opera House and The Hedberg’s Theatre Royal in 2025, the production marks a bold new chapter for Second Echo Ensemble, a contemporary performance company of artists with and without disability.
“Honestly, this has always been the dream,” says Mia. “To be in the community, discovering what stories people want to tell - and then turning those into musicals. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do.” As someone who’s made Tasmania her home, she speaks warmly of the island’s deep affection for the genre. “Tasmanians love musical theatre. But most often, it’s the classics that get programmed. It’s a real risk to make something new from scratch. And an even bigger one to invest in it. That’s why this moment feels so powerful. We’re doing it.”
The process behind Peacock, Chicken and the Pony has been unlike anything Mia has worked on before. “Usually, I’m brought in after the script is finalised. The story’s locked in, and my job is to drop in the music. But with Second Echo, the process is completely different. The story has evolved over years, not just weeks. It’s been elastic, responsive and completely collaborative.”
That fluidity has meant Mia is often composing on the spot - sometimes literally. “I’ll bring in a new song, and [Creative Director] Kelly will say, ‘Let’s stop and listen.’ It’s terrifying, because I don’t know how people will react. But then someone stands up to dance. Or we all start crying. It’s incredible to feel that immediate, honest response from the performers. These are their characters we’re bringing to life. Their voices. Their movement. Their stories.”
Born in Malaysia, Mia’s musical journey began early. At just 14, she launched her luminous career as one half of Double Take, the celebrated Sabahan jazz duo that helped shape Malaysia’s indie music scene in the early 2000s. Since then, she’s released seven albums, composed music for film, theatre, and television and performed on stages across the world. As a singer, songwriter and voice actor, her work has spanned genres and mediums, from fronting jazz bands and composing for musicals to lending her voice to jingles, cartoons and documentaries.
Adventures will be the fifth musical Mia has composed and the first to be performed in Australia. Now based in Tasmania, Mia continues to explore the full spectrum of her musical identity. She is the coordinator of the Songwriting program at the University of Tasmania Conservatorium of Music, where she shares her passion for songwriting with the next generation of creators. “I love working with emerging writers,” she says. “Helping people uncover their voice - that’s the magic.”
Working with Second Echo Ensemble has amplified that magic. “Everyone is a maker here. That’s not just a saying, it’s how the work is made. It’s chaotic, yes. But in the best possible way. It’s where the most beautiful surprises come from.”
Bringing the production to the Sydney Opera House has been a surreal experience for Mia and the team. “When we arrived for the preview, we all just stood there in disbelief. Even the stage manager introducing herself - ‘Your ten-minute call is coming up’ - felt monumental. Every part of it legitimised the years of work we’ve put in.”
The project also represents an important shift for Second Echo Ensemble. Known for their improvisational performance work, this is their first major move into a fixed-form musical. It’s an enormous leap for the company and its artists. “This show is a huge moment for contemporary performance in Australia,” Mia says. “Not just because it’s original, or because it’s by a diverse company of artists with and without disability, but because it challenges how new work can be made. In Sydney, people told us they’d never seen anything like it. That says everything.”
For Mia, this is exactly where she wants to be. “I’m here to make music that empowers people. That holds them. That gives them space to shine. And in this show, on these stages, I think we’ve done just that.”
Learn more about Mia Palencia
Learn more about The Adventures of Peacock, Chicken and the Pony They Rode Upon and purchase tickets.
