![Killing Heidi artists and siblings Jesse and Ella Hooper with their mentee Yara Alkurd. Picture supplied Killing Heidi artists and siblings Jesse and Ella Hooper with their mentee Yara Alkurd. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/9jp2tjuwKpcNcyMwTq82JY/4cc38e71-a03b-459b-b0e5-dd11d6616cd5.jpg/r0_267_5000_3334_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Ella Hooper always knew she had a kooky quality to her singing voice.
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She had a yodelling-like range that stood out from the crowd.
The lead singer of Killing Heidi, which she formed at only 13 with her big brother Jesse in North East Victoria, instinctively knew to embrace her point of difference.
She wanted up-and-coming artists to do the same.
"Highlight your uniqueness," she said.
"You don't have to fit the current craze; you'll get lost!
"Some people say they're not sure what their uniqueness is: your first job is to find your uniqueness.
"It might be a kooky voice or the way you dress or even something as silly as only singing about cats!
"Something kooky with your voice like yodelling gets people's attention.
"Don't cover it up."
The singer-songwriter, radio and TV personality, Ella said she and her brother grew up in Violet Town relatively isolated from the music industry and before social media.
She said their mum and dad had musician friends who were early mentors.
They also had music teachers in primary (Violet Town) and high (Benalla) schools instrumental in their success.
"Our high school music teacher let us work on writing songs rather than get too caught up on our other classes," Ella said.
"Bless both of our music teachers because we and they were proven right when our songs got on the radio!"
The Hooper siblings wrote and performed songs for a 1996 Triple J competition and won with Kettle.
Encouraged to write songs by her English and drama teacher parents, Ella said she now enjoyed chances to mentor up and coming artists.
"I come from a family of teachers and various educators," she said.
"I have a long and storied career with lots of experiences to draw from."
This year Ella joined Wild Turkey Bourbon's Wild Turkey Music 101, a series featuring Australia's best artists mentoring aspiring talent, showcasing those who have trusted their instincts and believed in themselves to make it in the industry and provided a leg up to those aspiring to break through.
The program supported aspiring musicians through mentorship and the chance to gain live music experience through their Wild Sessions; a series of off-grid gigs hosted in Wild Turkey's custom mobile music home.
Ella and Jesse Hooper joined Matt Corby and Busby Marou on the inaugural program.
![Singer-songwriter Ella Hooper joined Wild Turkey Bourbon's Wild Turkey Music 101, a series featuring Australia's best artists mentoring aspiring talent, showcasing those who have trusted their instincts and believed in themselves to make it in the industry and provided a leg up to those aspiring to breakthrough. Picture supplied
Singer-songwriter Ella Hooper joined Wild Turkey Bourbon's Wild Turkey Music 101, a series featuring Australia's best artists mentoring aspiring talent, showcasing those who have trusted their instincts and believed in themselves to make it in the industry and provided a leg up to those aspiring to breakthrough. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/9jp2tjuwKpcNcyMwTq82JY/a6483d00-b709-4e1c-a65d-ede6a6ad40d9.jpg/r0_267_5000_3334_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Paolo Marinoni, marketing director - Australia and New Zealand, Campari Group, said there was huge demand from aspiring musicians across Australia for the Music 101 program.
"It's tough to make it in the music industry and learning from the greats who have made it is something Wild Turkey is proud to facilitate," he said.
"This masterclass is our way of extending the mentorship to aspiring musicians across Australia, and we look forward to seeing what new talent comes out of the program in the future."
Wild Turkey Bourbon also brought together Corby, Marou and the Hooper siblings for a free virtual masterclass.
All aspiring musicians were invited to attend the masterclass on November 20 to learn some tricks of the trade.
This masterclass was part of Wild Turkey's commitment to support up and coming artists get ahead in the music industry and encourage them to trust their spirit by being bold, unapologetically themselves and staying true to their roots.
Looking ahead to 2024, Ella will support James Taylor at Day on The Green gigs, release a new album mid-year and build on the success of her Small Town Temple tour.
Small Town Temple is a love letter to her home town of Violet Town, where she and Jesse farewelled their mum, Helen Keighery, after her last fight with breast cancer in 2022. Cancer also claimed their dad, Jeremy Hooper, just weeks before.
"There will be more touring to come and a new album in the works," she said.
"I also love to mentor."