Music News - Record entries for Smokefreerockquest!
15 May 2008 - 0 Comments
Smokefreerockquest marks its 20th anniversary year with a record 690 bands.
This is up significantly on last year's 650 entries, which event director Glenn Common says reflects the high profile of past winners and the enduring appeal of putting young musicians on stage in front of an audience of their peers.
Smokefreerockquest success stories include the Datsuns, Opshop, Anika Moa, the Electric Confectionaires, Steriogram, Nesian Mystik, Bic Runga, The Checks, Liam Finn, and Evermore.
This year's regional events start this weekend with bands playing off in Dunedin, Tauranga, Wanganui, New Plymouth, Hamilton and Invercargill. Over the next seven weeks there will be 46 events in 24 centres.
Smokefreerockquest is New Zealand's biggest nationwide youth music event, and involves one quarter of all teenagers nationwide. It is now recognised by the music industry as a talent feeder of new bands and solo musicians.
Common says the event teaches more than 'just music': ³Entering Smokefreerockquest is demanding - it teaches kids a whole range of skills from writing about issues and emotions to getting along with each other and negotiating with their teachers and parents. Our emphasis on original music is the event's strength and at the core of its 20 year contribution to kiwi music."
Prizes awarded at the national final at the Christchurch Town Hall on Friday September 5 include musical equipment from NZ Rockshop to the value of $10,000 and The Edge Airplay Award with NZ On Air where the winning band's music and video are recorded at York Street Studios with guaranteed airplay.
Other awards reinforce the key Smokefreerockquest aim of encouraging students to write and perform their own music. Individual prizes are awarded for best lyrics, women's musicianship and the best song. A scholarship to the Tai Poutini contemporary music course is awarded for musicianship, along with selected bands being matched with past successes in a mentoring programme supported by the Music Industry Commission and the Ministry of Education.
A celebration concert featuring past successes from Smokefreerockquest is planned for September 6 in Christchurch, the night after the national final.
More information is available from the official Smokefreerockquest website
Thanks to www.smokefreerockquest.co.nz for this story.
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