“Music and transformational leadership both tap into emotion, creativity, and connection to inspire people, build trust and drive change.”

That’s why Olivia Sewell ’28 is using her musical talents to inspire others and forge community.  

It’s a lifelong gift that Olivia has been honing since her stage debut at two-years old, “Music is the soundtrack to my life. My dad is a professional singer… my sister Sienna and I have sung with Dad my whole life – making albums, going on concert tours… it’s a complete family affair.”

Olivia has been playing the piano since she was five, and she’s vocally trained in classical and theater styles as well. But it’s her prowess as a song writer that is earning her reconnection in her home country of New Zealand and abroad.

“For two years, I sent in one of my songs to a national songwriting competition created by a charity empowering young people called Play it Strange. I sent my demos in and both times my songs were chosen to be professionally recorded, which was incredible.” Oliva was ushered to a recording studio where she worked alongside a producer to create the final product, “it was a dream come true,” she said. Her songs were released across all major streaming platforms.

Then a few months ago… another big break.

“Play It Strange contacted me about being featured on Shortland Street – which is basically New Zealand’s version of Grey’s Anatomy – as part of their collaboration with the show to feature up and coming New Zealand musicians. When it aired, I couldn’t believe they played the whole song. It was an indescribable feeling to hear my music on a TV show, especially one I’d watched my whole life.”

Olivia says she’s inspired by authenticity in lyrics and delivery… and life in general. “You can absolutely tell who is connected to the music and who isn’t. When everything sounds aligned the listening experience is transcendental. Understanding energy and vibration, and the power of music to heal and transform is what I’ve been taught, but not everyone creates and performs this way.”

It’s a theme she explored in her Robertson application, “I actually wrote an essay on a song that my Dad sang and my Mum wrote about my sister. That particular song is so deeply personal to our family which makes it sacred, and whenever I need to cry for whatever reason, I always listen to it.”

“In my music I love exploring sounds and lyrics that reflect my emotions, my life experiences and feel more like ‘me.’ I love having something that is all mine to honour and own,” she shared.

The exploration of emotion and feeling is something that Olivia hopes listeners take away from her music. “I just hope they FEEL – laugh or cry, release sadness or be uplifted. That’s my aim to help people be really present and embody whatever is going on for them. I always strip myself bare when I write. It’s usually about a specific situation in its most basic form, but the song is always open to interpretation. I love the ambiguity, so I enjoy people’s different perceptions of it.”

Her advice? “Always put yourself and your creations out there. You never know what will happen. We can be so quick to doubt ourselves and our ability, but don’t listen to that voice in your head that tells you its not good enough. Music expresses who we are, perfectly imperfect. It evolves as we evolve, a beautiful snapshot of who we are and how we feel at a particular time. It’s not to be judged, its to be felt.”

The leadership parallel is clear for Olivia, “Just like a powerful song, a great leader moves people not just through words, but through the feelings and energy they create. It’s been a tool for leadership and profound change for generations.”

Listen to Olivia’s latest music here.