Who is Tracey Yarad?
I’m an Australian-born, New York–based musician, songwriter, and creative artist. My work lives at the intersection of song, storytelling, and lived experience. I began my career in Australia, touring nationally with original bands and releasing music in the 1990s, before spending several years performing internationally, including an extended period working as a pianist and vocalist in Japan. Music has always been my through-line – whether performing, composing, or collaborating – and it continues to evolve with every chapter of my life.
Over the years, I’ve released multiple music projects and created All These Pretty Things, an autobiographical one-woman musical memoir that has been performed internationally and critically acclaimed for its honesty, humour, and emotional depth. Alongside performing, I spent nearly two decades running a successful music school, mentoring students and building creative community.
I’m also an established jazz photographer, with my work published in international music magazines. At the heart of everything I do is a commitment to truth, resilience, and creative reinvention — using music and story to make meaning, connection, and beauty out of real life.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
I’m blessed that I am living a creative life and am able to work as a writer/musician. I’m honestly not sure what I would do differently from what I do now.
Who inspires you and why?
I’m inspired most by my peers – writers and performers who relentlessly create for festivals and live audiences. I love watching people take a spark of an idea and turn it into something tangible, something brave enough to be put in front of the public. They don’t stop once it’s made; they keep refining it, testing it, taking risks, and trying new things.
The artists who inspire me most are telling their truth, and in the act of creating they’re also offering something generous to others – laughter, reflection, relief, connection. Whether through spoken word, song, or the clever crafting of a story, their work reminds me that art can entertain and heal at the same time.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
I’d love to help steer us back toward a more connected and conscious way of living – one where we spend less time staring into our phones and more time present with each other. A world with less plastic in the oceans, where local farmers are supported over industrial giants, and where individual health is valued as deeply as economic growth. I believe in living more organically, taking responsibility for our impact on the planet, and reconnecting with simpler, off-the-grid ways of being that remind us what actually matters.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
I don’t really go on holidays, but if I had to choose, it would be London. It’s one of my favourite places in the world – I feel a deep sense of home there. I go often, and every time I leave I wish I could stay longer. I love the architecture, the feeling of the streets and hidden laneways, the classic English tea houses, and the beautiful interiors. There’s nowhere else quite like it.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
I live in New York, so where do I even begin? One of my favourite things is surprising friends and family when they visit from Australia. On our first morning, we’ll take a casual walk through my Brooklyn neighbourhood – nothing flashy, just streets and stoops – and then we turn a corner and suddenly we’re on the Brooklyn Promenade. And there she is, in all her glory, glistening across the East River: the incredible New York City skyline. It never fails to take their breath away, and mine.
What are you currently reading?
The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built by Jack Viertel.
What are you currently listening to?
Around You Is A Forest by Thomas Morgan.
Happiness is?
Happiness, for me, is simple: being with my dog, taking a long, unhurried walk, then settling into a friendly café with a good book and a hot cup of tea. It’s those quiet moments of presence and comfort that make me feel most at ease in the world.
What does the future hold for you?
I am continuing to present my one-woman show to festival audiences and this year will go to Hollywood with All These Pretty Things. I want to write another show too. Try my hand at a musical perhaps.
Tracey will present All These Pretty Things at The Box at ARTHUR ARTHOUSE, as part of the 2026 Adelaide Fringe, from 5 – 10 March. For more information, visit: www.adelaidefringe.com.au for details.
Image: Tracey Yarad – photo by Shervin Lainez