ABOUT
Hello! I am Rachel Morais and I am a composer and educator based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
My journey with music started at a very young age where I grew up in an environment which encouraged appreciation of music and self expression. Coming from parents who both play instruments, it felt natural to explore the piano in my own way by singing, learning short tunes by ear and creating my own version of these melodies.
Fast forward to several years later, I received a scholarship to study a Bachelor of Music (Contemporary Performance) at JMC Academy, Australia and it was there that my proclivity toward composing music was unearthed. A mentor turned friend encouraged me to start writing and releasing music and since then, I have not turned back. My artistry has been evolving from its nascency in modern classical music to crossing borders between jazz, minimalism and a post-classical soundscape with music releases on Spotify, Apple and more.
My personal philosophy toward composition is perfectly summed up in the words of J.S. Bach:
“Music is an agreeable harmony for the honour of God and the permissible delights of the soul”.
With new music in the works, I am now stepping into my own sound and I can’t wait to share that with you.
Thank you for stopping by!
Rachel x
MUSIC
hujan
Release date: 26/03/2021
Album Artwork: Shanita Lyn Kumar
‘hujan’, which is a Malay word for rain was formed during the heat and height of the bushfires that devastated many parts of Australia in early 2020. It was my unique way of releasing my thoughts and emotions about the trying times we were living in and expressing a sense of nostalgia for past memories and my wish for a hopeful conclusion. ‘hujan’ is also a homage to both my homes, of the one I come from (Malaysia) and the one I have lived in (Australia).
In essence, ‘hujan’ tells a story of longing and wanting for refreshment and familiarity.
Order in Chaos
Release date: 20/03/20
Album Artwork: Shanita Lyn Kumar
Order in Chaos was the merging of both my journey through different phases in life as well as my development as a piano player into a composer. There is an order to the chaos in our lives and how everything falls into place according to a divine pattern. Some of these pieces were birthed in the most fragile and poignant moments in my life and some came about through a little bit of tinkering on the piano and discovering what felt and sounded right together.
VIDEO
Soliloquy: A Dance Film
“What do we say to ourselves when we are alone?
In a soliloquy, I am simultaneously the observed and the observer.”
Soliloquy: A Dance Film is a virtual collaboration between pianist-composer Rachel Morais and dancer-choreographer SueKi Yee
Videographer: Yee Heng Yeh
Videographer and editor: Beth Hughes
This project was created during quarantine with support from Cendana Malaysia.
Order in Chaos
Filmed and edited by Beth Hughes in the colourful and eccentric streets of Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. Here’s a little sneak peek of my debut EP, Order in Chaos.
The Star online on “Soliloquy: A Dance Film”
“A spark in the dark: Dancer and pianist strike a chord with their virtual film collaboration” - Rouwen Lim
Eksentrika on Rachel Morais
“Unlike other piano compositions we’ve heard, there was something uniquely different in Morais’ works. Her music, according to her social media’s description, reflects the fragility and realness of life.” - Sukhbir Cheema
BFM 89.9 Radio Interview
“A collaborative dance video between dancer and choreographer SueKi Yee and musician Rachel Morais, it was made this year, while observing social distancing requirements, and with SueKi in Kuala Lumpur and Rachel in Brisbane. We speak to them both about their collaborative process, and what it was like to make art during a global pandemic.” - Sharmilla Ganesan