Time of My Life by Myf Warhurst

Title: Time of My Life

Author: Myf Warhurst

Genre: Memoir

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Published: 28^th September 2022

Format: Paperback

Pages:300

Price: $34.99

Synopsis: From the much-loved Myf Warhurst comes a captivating and joyous memoir of wisdom, humour and heart that unleashes the music within us all

We all have a soundtrack to our lives, songs that as soon as we hear them we’re transported to a moment in time. As the youngest child, and only girl, in a family of creative types, Myf Warhurst grew up with the music in her. Whether she was watching Daryl Braithwaite on TV on a Sunday night or listening to the crackle of the needle across vinyl as Agnetha and Anni-Frid took her from rural Victoria to Eurovision, music has always shaped Myf’s life. Later her love of music (and the realisation that a professional pianist gig wasn’t part of the plan) would shape her career.
But music isn’t just about memories. It’s a safe place for people who feel different. Songs and lyrics helped Myf make sense of the world and deal with heartbreak and uncertainty. Music steered her hopes and fashion choices, cemented friendships and bonded family. In Time of My Life, she shares funny, fabulous, and occasionally fraught tales about growing up in a small country town with an unhealthy obsession with Countdown, then working in Australian radio and her experiences on the much-loved music quiz show Spicks & Specks. She spills the backstage beans on work, fame, feminism, failure, love, and success. Like a sommelier matches food with wine, Myf matches hits with memory, and in the process reminds us all that, as Louis Armstrong said, ‘Music is life itself.’ A captivating and joyous memoir of wisdom, humour and heart that unleashes the music within us all.

~*~

I’m not someone who usually reads celebrity-authored books – perhaps because there are so many, and it can feel like they don’t have a magical voice behind them. But when I heard Myf Warhurst was writing a book I knew I would be in for a treat with Myf’s genuine and heartfelt voice that resonates on television, radio, and now, through the written word. I’ve been a fan of Myf’s for years – from watching her on Spicks and Specks, to her arts and music show on the ABC, and her fantastic weekly podcast with Zan Rowe, Bang On. So, I was keen to read this book when she announced that she was working on it. And I am so pleased she did because it was well-worth the wait. Myf’s story starts in country Victoria as the youngest of four and the only girl, where she had access to two channels – Channel Nine and the ABC. And it was here, at a very young age, that she was enthralled by the joy and magic of music that would go on to form her career with the ABC and SBS.

Myf sets out her journey chronologically, with songs that relate to each part of her life, and where that song, that moment of her youth took her into her adult years. Each song she uses to caption the chapters leads into her beautifully joyful music experiences, where she explores how her early exposure to music formed what she liked as she grew up, and from there, what she thought she had to like at certain ages, but really, as Myf realises and tells us throughout the memoir, the music you like should be what you like – not what anyone else thinks you should like. She is open, raw, and honest about what she likes, and says she’s come to realise that she should just embrace it – as we all should. I love this about Myf and her discussion about music, because she reassures all of us that we don’t have to be ashamed of the bands or singers we like – it is these songs and singers that for some reason have spoken to us at various stages in our lives, that have meant something to us, and marked various points in each of our lives that have made us who we are.

Myf’s genuine voice dances off the page – it was like she was sitting with me reading it, which was delightful and a great comfort. I loved how open Myf was when speaking about her anxiety too – letting people know that they are not alone, which is powerful and evocative. I think Myf’s book is one that will be well-loved by her fans and those who knew her. Being invited into her life was a great privilege, something that felt special as I read the book, which was waiting for me at my local bookshop not long after it came out. I can’t pin down a favourite tale Myf told, because they were all so wonderful, fun, and joyous. Myf’s effervescent spirit came through clearly with bouncing and dancing, and lots of singing. I also loved her nod to Bang On with the colours on the cover, so Bang Fam will get a thrill out of this too. Thank you Myf, for sharing yourself with us so openly. We love you!