Here’s a chance to be a rock star!

Dunedin (Tuesday, 22 December 2015) – If you’re a musician who can blend old and new, this could be the competition for you.

The annual Robbie Rocks competition, organised by Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, is underway.

Inspired by well-known Scottish poet and songwriter Robert Burns, affectionately known as Robbie Burns, the competition sets an interesting challenge. Entrants choose one of Robbie Burns’ songs and reinterpret it for a modern audience.

Museum Curator Seán Brosnahan says they are expecting another collection of interesting contemporary compositions that use the poet’s lyrics.

“Robbie Burns may be the greatest songwriter in history. He was certainly the outstanding ’rock star’ of 18th century Scotland and love for his poems and songs has spread around the world ever “Yet every day people pass his statue in the Octagon without any thought for the man or his The competition has two categories – a youth section (open to any performer/band whose members all attended school in 2015) and an open section (all other performers).

Once the judges have deliberated, finalists in each category will give a live performance in the upper Octagon from 2pm on Sunday, 24 January. Winners will be announced at the end of this event and there will also be a prize for the audience favourite. The winners of the open and youth categories will play at the Burns Dinner at the Museum on Monday, 25 January.

More information and entry forms are available from the Museum or at www.toituosm.com.

Entries close on 15 January.

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