Nice to meet you, I’m Beate! Born in the cold of Sweden’s North, the soothing sounds of the natural world and the cozy Swedish music by the fireplace formed the backdrop of my first moments on this Earth. Many nights were spent with my Mother easing me to bed with a Latvian lullaby (my parents are from Latvia) after a long snowy day. 

This planted the seed of my lifelong passion for music across cultures and languages, moving my soul and inspiring my first ever dance moves. To quote ABBA: “Mother says I was a dancer before I could walk.”

Arriving in Sydney at 3 years old, I dived straight into dance. My love for ballet, jazz, tap and contemporary became central to my very existence, becoming a competitive dancer as a teenager and a dance teacher after high school. Music has always had power in sparking the soul into movement, an integral aspect of dance that shapes its form and style as well as the key factor in conveying a story.  

Music integrates itself within all aspects of my life, as I welcome the presence of music in everything I do, which makes my role at Eastside so wonderful as it is a space where music is central to everything! 

Currently studying media and communications, my dream is to one day become a Video and Audio Editor of films, so I’m over the moon excited to gain exclusive experience working with audio at my community radio station. 

Born in Sweden to Latvian parents and growing up in Australia, as well as travelling around the world as a young girl, I have had the privilege to experience a myriad of different cultures and people. This allows my approach to storytelling through music, dance and video a richly diverse and creative process. 

Spending 5 months travelling across Europe last year I was able to experience how music shapes people’s lives across different cultures and countries, attending Eurovision, Bergenfest and Latvian concerts as well as finding myself in Scottish pubs in the early hours of the morning listening to fiddles and accordions as people danced the Ceilidh. 

But now I’m ready to settle in and be a part of the music world of Sydney. I hope you welcome me with open arms (and maybe a jig or two)!