Working on something new, something that’s never been done before is all at once exciting and scary. It’s exciting because it’s the theatrical unknown, there’s nothing to compare or contrast with and that’s also the scary part. Is it going to work? If it doesn’t work, do we fail? Are we going to be forever embarrassed? Probably not. As artists we push past feelings of dread and worry that our ideas aren't good enough and find the joy in the project because if the joy isn’t there, it’s really not worth doing.

The joy was certainly there when judging took place for the winner of the ASPIRE song competition last week. We received 26 entries and the standard was very high, it was a difficult decision for the judges and I would like to extend my congratulations to everyone who gave it go and sent us their work. This competition, now in its fourth year continues to encourage musicians to work on something new and put their work out there and I’m consistently surprised and entertained by the new ideas for songs that we are privileged to hear.

Thank you and a big congratulations to our winners Isabella Rendina and Christopher Turner. Izzy and Chris will be workshopping their song this term before recording it professionally at Tommirock Studios in Newcastle West, their song shall be the soundtrack to this year’s ASPIRE video.

ASPIRE Song Competition Results 2016

Isabella Rendina, St Pius X High School, Adamstown and Christopher Turner, St Francis Xavier’s College, Hamilton - Song of our Lives

Highly Commended

Eleanor Smith, St Joseph’s Merewether - Look Further 
Isabella Crebert  All Saints College, St Joseph’s Campus, Lochinvar - A Work in Progress
Year 6 St Joseph’s Kilaben Bay (Scarlett Turnbull, Lara Fennell, Ryan Cameron, Lily Wood, Rylee Jenkinson, Bradley Post,  Gabby Sneddon, Sarah Dutch, Jade Winter, Matilda Thorn, Rosemary Hale, Nyachol Mayek, Luke Williams, Kennan Bathman, Amy-Lee Roberts, Mikaela Frankcombe, Saxon Cousins, Jake Smith, Jessica Bennett) - Be Unique 

Entries

Daniel Armstrong, All Saints College, St Mary’s Campus, Maitland
Olivia McGee, St James Primary School, Kotara South
Emma McGee, St James Primary School, Kotara South
Lilith Curteis, St Kevin’s Primary School, Cardiff
Emily Hayes, St Mary’s Primary School, Warners Bay
Glyndon Hayes, All Saints College, St Mary’s Campus, Maitland
Cody Somerville, St Paul’s High School, Booragul
Sophia Unicomb, St James Primary School, Kotara South
Cydnie Williams, St Paul’s High School, Booragul
Jordan Snowden, St Paul’s High School, Booragul
Dominik Brymora, St Mary’s Primary School, Warners Bay 
Lucy O'Brien, St Joseph’s Primary School, Merewether
Anaiya Mahoney, St Paul’s Primary School, Rutherford  
Emma Booth, St Joseph’s Primary School, Merewether
Sarah Arrowsmith, Chloe Maybury, Aimee Feenan, St Benedict’s Primary School, Edgeworth
Michael Pockran and Jamie Pockran, St Mary’s Primary School, Warners Bay
Laura Pitt and Kaitlyn Allen, St Mary’s Primary School, Warners Bay     
Niamh Geraghty, Zara Cassin and Charlotte Ferry, St Mary’s Primary School, Warners Bay  
Coen Miller and Joseph Beath, St Mary’s Primary School, Warners Bay  
Emily Hayes, Sharmane Wood  and Isabella McNulty, St Mary's Primary School, Warners Bay
Charlotte Parsons, Finn Sneddon, Hayden Gray, Zach Barnett, St Mary’s Primary School, Warners Bay
Bailey James, Zack Forsythe, Lacey McLean, Tayha Hill and Alex Binkin, St Mary’s Primary School, Warners Bay