Freya Milliken (’23) arrived in Wolfville for her Bachelor of Music in 2019 with a life already steeped in music. Growing up with two musician parents and a youth spent in performance, she was ready to take to the stage at Acadia’s School of Music (SOM). 

In her four years at Acadia, she built on her performance and songwriting background, fast-tracking her development as an artist, picking up all kinds of new skills, experiences, and friends along the way. 

In a video feature, Freya reflects on what she gained from her School of Music education. “One of my biggest takeaways from what I learned is to be open, think critically, be analytical, and also just to let go of what you know and allow yourself to be surprised,” she says. 

Letting go also came in handy for Freya when it comes to perspective in songwriting, something she excels in. She recalls that in her songwriting course at Acadia, she learned to see stories from other perspectives. One particularly notable perspective that Freya explored in her time at Acadia was that of a WWI soldier. She was one of the 13 students in the Acadia University Singers who travelled across Europe for the Singing in Flanders’ Fields project in the spring of 2024. During their trip, the students retraced the steps of the Acadia students-turned-soldiers that they researched beforehand. On their journey, they performed two formal concerts and sang at memorial sites across England, France, and Belgium. 

Now an accomplished singer-songwriter, Freya has collected accolades from across the Maritimes. She won Song of the Year at the Music New Brunswick Awards in 2023 for her song, “Wholeheartedly”, the title track off her debut EP. Then last year, she snagged a nomination for Folk/Roots Recording of the Year at the 2025 Music Nova Scotia Awards. 

 

All her other accomplishments aside, Freya says that the connections she made in Wolfville are what has had the biggest impact on her. “I have a lot of really great memories from my time at Acadia,” she says. “But I have to say the thing I’m most grateful for and feel so fond of is the collaboration. Because our classes were so small, it was easy to get to know each other very fast.” 

Now, two years after graduating, Freya continues to nourish those connections that she established at Acadia. Right now, she says, the main focus in her music career is writing new music with her friend and colleague, Tyler McDonald (’21, ’23), whom she met at Acadia and has been co-writing with since 2022. The two are building toward Freya’s first full-length album. “We have a very organic way of creating together, plus our diverse interests in genre and creative approaches make writing all the more fun,” she says. 

Freya and Tyler have called on another Acadia voice, Mark Adam (School of Music), in recording her next single. “His mentorship and friendship have had an immeasurable impact on each of our development as musicians,” says Freya. “It's a real honour to work with him in this way.” 

Outside of the recording studio, Freya is connecting with other Wolfville community mainstays, like Music in Communities and Food Art Nature, to develop a nature-inspired songwriting workshop that will be offered in the coming spring and fall. 

And while she works on recording and leading workshops, Freya is still regularly hitting stages all over the Valley and in Halifax; you can catch her at these upcoming shows. Be sure to check her website for more dates to be announced soon! 

March 14 - Dartmouth - Woodside Tavern w/ DoubleSpeak *
March 15 - Wolfville - Al Whittle Theatre w/ Craig Cardiff
March 21-22 - Lunenburg – TBA
March 23 - Port Williams - The Noodle Guy *
April 13 - Wolfville - Horton Ridge Malt House *
April 27 - Halifax - The Carleton w/ Pillow Fite
May 1 - Halifax - Propeller Brewery w/ Noah Tye
May 31 - Wolfville Farmers Market * 

* w/ Tyler McDonald