Our students have achieved remarkable success this year in the ‘Play it Strange National Secondary School Songwriting Competition’. This is New Zealand’s premier songwriting event for Years 9-13 students. This prestigious competition invites young musicians from all over the country to submit their original songs, with multiple contests held throughout the year, each offering a variety of exciting prizes.
We are proud to announce that five of our students—Caelin Thompson, Shaine Bondad, Emma Little, Caini Wang, and Kinda Kassibawi—made the finalist list in the main competition. Their outstanding achievement has earned them a one-day session in a professional recording studio, valued at approximately $800, where they will record their songs for the annual digital album. Each finalist will also receive a certificate and a $50 Rockshop voucher.
In addition to this incredible achievement, we are thrilled to report that Year 12 Contemporary Music Student Joy Feng was named the first-place winner in the ‘Peace Song’ category with her song, “Be There With You.” This category challenged students to write lyrics focused on peace and non-violence, and Joy’s composition truly stood out among the entries.
Joy’s prize for this achievement is very exciting:
She will receive a $1000 Rockshop voucher
She will also receive a mentoring session with Jordan Luck, the lead singer of the iconic New Zealand band The Exponents and the only musician to be inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame twice.
Moreover, Joy’s song will be professionally recorded, and she will have the unique opportunity to work with orchestral musicians from the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s ‘Aspiring Musicians’ programme, along with a composer to create an accompaniment for her piece.
Additionally, Joy will have the opportunity to perform her song live at the Annual Play it Strange Awards in October.
Due to the number of winners from our school that have made this year’s finalist list, Westlake Girls has been named ‘School of the Year‘ for the year 9-13 competition!
We couldn’t be prouder of the high level of talent, hard work, and creativity our students have shown in their songwriting abilities.
Congratulations to all our participants, especially our finalists and 1st place winner.