Media Release Marlborough Smokefreerockquest 2012 results

Fourteen year old singer songwriter Clara van Wel won the Marlborough Smokefreerockquest fpr the second year running, at the regional final at the Convention Centre on Saturday night.

The acoustic guitarist from Marlborough Girls College had a new look from last year’s jeans and sneakers, and had gone for a 1940’s theme with a black lace dress and pearl necklace.

Clara says it was quite a challenge to go out on stage alone, among the competing bands.

“Last year I didn’t think I had any chance of winning and this year I thought it was pretty unlikely to happen again,” she says.

Clara says her dream is to make a career from music, but reading is another passion and her songs are often inspired by books she has read.

Second place went to Two Brothers, singer and acoustic guitarist Jayden Paul and his brother, backing vocalist Jesse Paul, from Marlborough Boys’ College.

These top two contenders win musical gear from associate sponsor NZ Rockshops and go on to compete for one of eight national finalist spots in this year’s Smokefreerockquest national final at Claudelands in Hamilton on 22 September.

Rockquest Promotions Founders and Directors Glenn Common and Pete Rainey said from here on the Marlborough finalists would have to work hard and draw on their creativity to make the most of the opportunity Smokefreerockquest offered.

“In August judges will be selecting the eight finalists from DVDs of their own original music,” Common said. “There are a range of skills they’ll need to pull this together – creativity and musical ability are important, but they also learn to work together as a group and have to be well organised to produce the video footage that could be their next step towards Kiwi music success.”

The eight national finalists will be selected from a pool made up of first and second place-getters from each of the 24 regional finals, and bands from Rockshop Second Chance, an opportunity for established bands who feel they didn’t play at their best on the night.

Smokefreerockquest powered by Rockshop, has a prize package that includes musical gear to the value of $10,000 from NZ Rockshops and their suppliers, a NZ On Air new recording and music video grant worth over $10,000, a place on the NZ On Air Kiwi Hit Disc, a radio promotional support for a single, and video play on youth music channel FOUR. There is also the MAINZ Scholarship for outstanding musicianship, the APRA Lyric Award, the Lowdown Best Song Award, the Smokefree Women’s Musicianship Award and the Skinny People’s Choice, voted by text, with the opportunity to open at the SFRQ National final.

Other Marlborough finals awards made on Saturday night.
Third place winning musical gear from associate sponsor NZ Rockshops and their suppliers: Eagle vs Shark, Marlborough Boys' College

APRA Lyric Award: Dani and Jack from Queen Charlotte College for ‘Do you Remember?’

Lowdown Best Song: Lee Stuart from Marlborough Girls’ College

The Mainz Musicianship Award with the opportunity to be selected for the $4500 Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand Scholarship, announced at the national final: Thornton Church, the drummer from Hold On We’re Sinking from Marlborough Boys’ College

Smokefree Award For Women’s Musicianship: Alex Brown, the singer and guitarist from Tame, Marlborough Girls’ College

Skinny People’s Choice voted by text: First World Disasters, Marlborough Boys' College & Queen Charlotte College

To find out more about Smokefreerockquest 2012, visit the official website sfrq.co.nz.

Smokefreerockquest – 24 years of musical success
Smokefreerockquest is New Zealand’s only nationwide, live, original music, youth event. Now well into its third decade, the series of over 40 events reaches audiences from Whangarei to Invercargill. Founded in 1988 by music teachers Glenn Common and Pete Rainey, who now run Rockquest Promotions full time out of Nelson, Smokefreerockquest has become a New Zealand institution.
Smokefreerockquest 2012 powered by Rockshop aims to motivate young musicians to prove their ability and realise the heights they can reach in their music careers, and to encourage their peers to support 100% original New Zealand music. For more information visit www.sfrq.co.nz

Hall of Fame
Musical successes from Smokefreerockquest over its 24-year history include Kimbra, Midnight Youth, Opshop, Evermore, Ladyhawke, Minuit, Kids of 88, Die!Die!Die!, Pistol Youth, Annah Mac, Bang!Bang!Eche!, Ivy Lies, Cairo Knife Fight, Cut Off Your Hands, Luke Thompson, the Datsuns, Brooke Fraser, Anika Moa, Anna Coddington, The Electric Confectionaires, Steriogram, Aaradhna, Spacifix, Phoenix Foundation, The Feelers, The Black Seeds, Nesian Mystik, Bic Runga, The Checks, Julia Deans, Pine, King Kapisi, Kingston, The Naked and Famous, Autozamm and Elemeno P.

Smokefree’s Smoking Not Our Future Campaign
Research from HSC shows that 94 percent of all young people have seen the Smoking Not OurFuture initiative and that Smokefreerockquest plays a large part in getting its key messages and its celebrities in front of young people. Smokefree has been the naming rights sponsor of Smokefreerockquest for 22 of its 24 years and this longstanding partnership between the two agencies has been mutually beneficial. Smokefree is able to deliver its messages to large numbers of secondary school students attending the regional events. While participants in the event areprovided with connections to their schools and communities and develop skills and aspirations, which will help create the future musical stars of New Zealand. For more information visit notourfuture.co.nz

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