Rockshop Bandquest award to Nelson Intermediate band

Rockshop Bandquest award to Nelson Intermediate band

The Elements, a ten-piece R&B band from Auckland’s Avondale Intermediate, are the 2013 national winners of Rockshop Bandquest, the nationwide music contest for intermediate and primary students.

Bandquest is in its third year as the younger sibling of Smokefreerockquest, and is for bands of two or more members, from intermediate or primary schools, who play a short set of covers or original songs, with a focus on performance skills.

This year the contest attracted 140 bands who competed last month at live events in seven centres, with an online section that drew entries from Stewart Island to Whangaparoa. The winners and second place getters from these events submitted video footage for the online national final, judged today.

The judges, Leroy Clampitt from Bangladesh and pop artist and radio announcer K’Lee McNabb said it was awesome to see such amazing talent and confidence at such a young age.

“The Elements stood out with their stage presence and great quality of musicianship,” K’Lee said, “I’ve judged other contests with older kids and they lose some of that fearlessness as they get into their teens, but these guys just gave it their all.”

The Elements win credit with NZ Rockshops to the value of $3000 for their school music department, plus a professional recording of their winning song.

Second placed band, The Freckled Mangos from Arrowtown Primary win credit with NZ Rockshops to the value of $1000 for their school music department. They also won Best Original Song for their song ‘Don't Contradict Me’

Third place, winning credit with NZ Rockshops to the value of $500 for their school music department, Nutellica from Taupo Intermediate; with their keyboardist Eden Clapperton winning the Best Keyboardist Award.

Other national awards made in Rockshop Bandquest were:

Best Original Lyrics - Louis Freeman and Henry Dickson from Stolen Thoughts, Balmacewen Intermediate, Dunedin, for their song ‘My Own Eyes’

Best Female Vocalist - Freya Pinkerton from Noise Control, Nelson Intermediate

Best Male Vocalist - Liam Martin from Just Dooze It, Randwick Park School, Manukau

Killer Guitarist - Lawrence Miller from the Vandals, Christchurch South Intermediate; with Michael Bennett from this band also winning the Rocking Drummer award.

Best Bassist and Musicianship Award - Josephine Sitagata from Musical Beats, Avalon Intermediate, Wellington; with this band also winning the Rockstar Styles award for their ‘swag start’.

Rockshop spokesman, Hamish Jackson, said this has been the most successful Bandquest yet, with some amazing talent on display nationwide.

“The response and feedback has been huge, and we’ve heard some incredible stories about some of the kids involved and how events like Bandquest and playing music can have a really positive impact on their lives,” he said. “We’re looking forward to the 2014 competition, as this event continues to build from strength to strength.”

Ends

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