Maude Morris rewrites her parents’ 0800 What’s Up song
Maude Morris rewrites her parents’ 0800 What’s Up song
Barnardos New Zealand 0800 What’s Up is celebrating Music Month with the release of a new theme song.
Maude Morris, a 19 year old musician from Hawke’s Bay and daughter to New Zealand musicians Ian Morris (Th’Dudes) and Kim Willoughby (When the Cat’s Away) has written and composed the new song for the 0800 What’s Up youth counselling service called “We’ll be around.”
Maude’s parents wrote, produced and sang the original 0800 What’s Up music jingle back in the 1990s. It was recorded in her dad’s studio (downstairs in their family home). She remembers the song being played over and over when it was being mixed and mastered and her Mum singing it round the house because it was stuck in her head.
Maude said that inspirations for her song came from the lyrics in the chorus of the original song, “I thought they were great and had good meaning and didn’t need to be changed that much, the “what’s up is listening” part was a huge part in the last song and a very important part.”
Maude feels that she has a big connection to the song, “I think it’s awesome that we can keep it in the family.”
Music has always been a huge part of Maude’s life, “I grew up around it and my parents lived by it. I think music really connects people together. And it lasts forever so I can still have a connection to my Dad through his music. I really don’t know what I would be doing without music. I wouldn’t have any direction and my days would be so boring. It’s also the best way to meet people. A lot of my best friends I have met through music it’s a great way to bond.”
The music video for “We’ll be around,” which Maude has kindly gifted to 0800 What’s Up can be viewed on YouTube www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6nFCB8A1Ug
Maude is joining What’s Up as the service’s newest ambassador. 0800 What’s Up Manager, Rhonda Morrison says she is thrilled to have such young talent on board.
About 0800
What's Up, a service of Barnardos NZ
0800 What's Up
is a free, national phone counselling service for five to 18
year olds run by Barnardos New Zealand. It’s open 365 days
a year from 1pm-11pm, and in an average year answers more
than 100,000 calls – it’s the most accessed professional
telephone counselling service for children and young people
in New Zealand. More than 95% of the helpline’s funding
comes through the generosity of New Zealanders who want to
make a difference to children’s lives. To support 0800
What’s Up, visit www.whatsup.co.nz/grown-ups
ENDS