Who are you and what do you do, and where can people find you?

My name is Mila Medez Parker. I’m a 12-year-old singer, songwriter, and artist, and I’m also a black belt in Taekwon-do. I love singing, performing, writing, acting, and being creative. You can find me on Instagram and TikTok at @milafmparker

You’ve been performing since you were eight years old and have experience in festivals, public events, television, and musical theatre. How have these different performance environments shaped your identity as a recording artist?

When I was young, I was deaf, so I communicated through the vibrations of music. Over time, I had operations that restored my hearing, and I continued with music as a way to learn to speak and sing.Around the same time, I began Taekwon-do at the age of four. The discipline I learned through Taekwon-do taught me not to give up and to keep trying, and that mindset has stayed with me throughout my career.Working in TV, film, and theatre has also taught me to be comfortable doing a scene over and over again until I get it right. I’ve taken those skills from TV and theatre into hospitals and street performing, where I’ve been able to practise singing, dancing, writing, and being creative in front of different audiences.All of these experiences have shaped me as an artist. They’ve taught me discipline, persistence, creativity, and how to connect with people in different environments. When I go into a recording studio, I’m able to bring all of those experiences together and put them into a song.d for it

Your original songs including laughing in the rain have been shared on your socials, can you walk us through the songwriting process and where you find inspirations for your lyrics and melodies.

My song Laughing in the Rain started with a colourful rainbow umbrella. I took the idea of the umbrella and created a story around it, then I made a melody and turned it into a song. The song became very successful for me, and I recently just won The Best Children's Artist Of The Year Award in Hollywood for it.

Your website describes your work as bringing together music, theatre, dance, and imagination. How do you blend these creative disciplines when developing a live performance?

I do a show with my family where we use costumes and props, and I sing songs that go along with the costume ideas. For example, one of the songs I sing is I Need a Home for My Dinosaur. We act out the song and bring it to life like a live theatre performance.I really like combining singing, dancing, acting, costumes, and imagination because it makes the audience feel like they’re part of the story. The song was written by two good friends of mine, Donna and Andy.

As a young performer who connects with children and families through music, what message do you hope audiences take away after seeing one of your shows?

My message is about having fun and not putting an age limit on who can enjoy the show. I also want people to feel comfortable trying new ideas and being creative.Sometimes your ideas stink, and sometimes they turn into the best show ever! You won’t know unless you try.

You have experience in both acting and singing. Do you approach storytelling differently when performing a song compared to portraying a character on screen or stage?

Yes. Most of my music is very happy and upbeat, while many of the characters I’ve played in TV and shows have been more sad or dark. When I’m singing, I get to show more of my own personality and energy, while acting allows me to step into someone else’s character and story.Hopefully, in the future, I’ll get to play more fun and upbeat roles, and I’d also love to explore the other side of music by making some sad songs. I think it would be fun to show different emotions through both acting and music.