Eight-year-old Aussie Miles Phillips has hit with catchy bird song
Major Aussie artists are obsessed with the toe-tapping bird song written by an eight-year-old boy that has become a ‘little bit of a flag’ for human creativity
READING LEVEL: GREEN
An eight-year-old Aussie schoolboy has become the latest sensation* with his song Eastern Rosellas*, the viral tune winning the hearts of millions online.
Miles Phillips was feeding the birds on his grandparents’ veranda on Raymond Island, Victoria, when the lyrics just came to him.
“There was, like, lots of different types of bird that were really cool,” Miles said.
“But the main bird that I spotted out was the eastern rosella, and I really thought it was cool, and I started singing to it.”
He immediately recorded the line on the MP3-player his parents had given him. Soon, the catchy chorus got stuck in everyone’s head in the household, he said.
The rest of the song came to life in a Saturday jamming* session with his dad, Joel Phillips, a professional screen and voice actor.
They performed the song with Joel on keyboard in their Sydney-home and posted it online. Soon, everyone was asking for more. Viewer comments followed a common theme: “When’s the song coming out?”
The official music video with the full-band* version was released in July, immediately winning hearts and jumping up the music charts, not once or twice, but seven times.
Eastern Rosellas first appeared on the Triple J Unearthed list in July, climbed to number five on the ARIA Top 20 Australian Singles chart in August, before reaching number six on the independent Label Singles chart in September.
The initial videos posted on social media have gathered more than two million views, turning the young artist into a national sensation.
The duo has had many live performances, including one at Parliament House in Canberra. They have also shared the stage with The Wiggles’ Emma Memma, which Miles said was the best part of his musical journey so far.
The song has been covered by major Aussie artists like Ben Lee, who along with fellow indie* performer Georgia Maq said they were obsessed with the anthem.
“I love it so much because it’s anti-AI and pro-creativity,” Maq said.
“It shows what you can do if you foster a kid’s creativity and make them feel comfortable and confident in what they’re doing; it’s so — beautiful I get goosebumps* and tear up and stuff every time I hear it.”
As a dad, Joel said he felt “incredibly proud” that the song had come to represent human creativity, even though that was never their initial* goal.
“(Easter Rosellas) has become a little bit of a flag, it’s like yay! Humans! We can create!” he said.
“It’s definitely pro-creativity, because that’s where it all began. It was just Miles’ wonder, and looking at nature, and being free to sing … All I did was just come alongside of him, and cheer that on, and draw that out of him, but it’s his song.”
Joel was also happy that the song reminded so many kids and adults alike to be more creative, inspiring them not only to sing, but to create their own songs.
The proud dad was surrounded by music in his childhood home as well, which shaped his appreciation for music as a form of creative expression*.
“When you can hear music in the house, it feels like everything is okay …. when you can hear that they are singing, and there’s music, there is a sense of freedom and joy,” he said.
Miles, who just turned eight in September, said he was “amazed” and “excited” by all the attention the song has gotten so far, including a cover by Ben Lee.
“It makes me feel like so amazed and, like, excited,” Miles said. “I know when Dad was a kid, he listened to them, and he loved them, and now he’s really excited that my song, they have a cover for it, and … we sang it together.”
Currently a Year-2 student, Miles’ life hasn’t changed much despite his recent fame, but he said classmates often asked for a recess performance of his debut tune.
He is busy forming a school band with his musician friends and is working on a new song called The Rock of Doom.
Miles plays keyboard and a little bit of guitar but drums remain his favourite instrument to play.
When asked if he would ever make another bird song, perhaps a magpie anthem, he wasn’t enthused and said, even though he loved all birds, experiences with swooping magpies on Victoria’s Raymond Island in spring were “not so good”.
The family’s motto when it comes to music is a simple slogan which hangs in the living room, right behind the keyboard where Eastern Rosellas was first recorded.
“Be brave, make mistakes, try again!”, the poster reads.
Reflecting on the same advice he got from his parents, Miles encouraged kids his age to just start creating even if they think they are not perfect, or think they don’t have a good voice.
“If you have made it for fun, you’ve achieved your goal,” he said.
WATCH THE VIDEO
GLOSSARY
- a sensation: great excitement or interest, or someone or something that causes excitement.
- jamming: two or more musicians playing music together, usually creating new music or just playing for fun.
- eastern rosella: the eastern rosella is a parrot native to southeastern Australia. A cute-sized bird with a red head and chest and tiny white cheeks. The upper back and belly of the bird is yellow and green and its feathers are blue and black. You can spot them in woodlands, grasslands, farmlands and some bushland. If you’re lucky, you might see them flying in some parks, gardens, and golf courses.
- full-band version: a song recorded on microphones with all the instruments included, unlike an acoustic version that is recorded with one instruments and without professional microphones.
- Triple J Unearthed: a radio program that showcases new artists and new songs. They have published more than 170,000 tracks from 85,000 different artists. The program was established in 1995.
- ARIA: Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a national music body for the Australian music industry. They rank Australian songs in their weekly and yearly lists.
- Independent Label Singles: Australian independent Record Labels Association is a not-for-profit association that supports independent Australian artists. It was established in 1996.
- indie: independent music and artist.
- goosebumps: small raised areas that you can see on your skin when you feel super excited, cold, or experience fear. It is your body’s reaction to these feelings.
- Ben Lee: he is an Australian musician and actor. He is 48 years old and has played in different bands. he covered Miles’ Eastern Rosellas on social media.
- Georgia Maq: she is an Australian musician who used to be the lead singer of an Australian indie rock band called Camp Cope.
- setlist: a list of songs that musicians and singers decide to perform when they are performing in a concert.
- tour: a planned visit/concert in different cities or countries to perform or meet people. Usually used for visits made by politicians, sport teams, or musicians like Ben Lee and
- creative expression: expressing or showing your thoughts and feelings through something creative such as painting and playing music.
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QUICK QUIZ
- How was Miles inspired to write Eastern Rosellas?
- What is the name of a famous artist who covered the song?
- What did Miles say about Magpies?
- How does Joel feel about his son’s viral song?
- Where did Miles and Joel finish the song?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Create Your Own Song from a Nature Observation
Your classroom teacher will take you outside for a 10 minute nature observation to inspire a song of your own.
Whilst you’re outside, use your senses to look, listen, hear, feel and touch objects, wildlife, scenery and anything else you may notice in the quiet.
Choose one item to be your subject and follow the process below to create your own song.
- Brainstorm words
Choose five words that describe your subject. - Create a chorus
A chorus is the part of a song that often repeats. - Add rhythm
Try:
Clapping a beat.
Tapping a desk gently.
Using body percussion.
Playing an instrument.
Creating sounds with safe classroom objects.
Perform if you feel comfortable
You can perform your songs individually, in pairs or as a group.
Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Music, Personal and social, Critical and Creative thinking.
2. Extension
“Artificial intelligence can create music, but human creativity is different.”
Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give your reasoning on if, and how, human creativity is different.
Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Digital technologies, Personal and social, Critical and creative thinking.
VCOP ACTIVITY
After reading the article, use your comprehension skills to summarise in a maximum of three sentences what the article is about.
Think about:
What is the main topic or idea?
What is an important or interesting fact?
Who was involved (people or places)?
Use your VCOP skills to re-read your summary to make sure it is clear, specific and well punctuated.