Molly strikes right chord with RockQuest judges

 

Self-taught guitarist Mollie Harvey of Rodney College took out the major prize in the solo/duo section of last week’s Northland Smokefree Rockquest regional finals for 2015. 

Mollie also won the Lowdown Best Song award and the People's Choice award making it a great night for Rodney college.

Her prizes include professionally recording a song and she is in the running to be the opening act at the national final at Raye Freedman Arts Centre in Newmarket on September 11. 

Mollie admits to playing the drums at age seven, being always surrounded by music then teaching herself the guitar. Lessons followed to fine-tune things but her repertoire is wide and includes reggae and jazz though she defies being labelled under just one genre. 

“I sing what I feel,” she says, with a career in music definitely on the horizon. 

Otamatea High School and Bream Bay College hardcore thrash-metal trio Alien Weaponry came second in the band section with bass player Ethan Trembath winning the Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand musicianship award with the opportunity to win a $4000 scholarship. 

Well-known on the local scene, the boys are building quite a reputation having toured with some heavyweights during last summer and will no doubt be on the road again later this year.

Also from Rodney College, The Monkey Assassins made a big hit placing third out of 18 bands. 

The quartet has put a lot of time and effort into their music and have thrived thanks in part to guidance, tuition and mentoring by Martin Worthington from A+ Music Tuition in Wellsford. 

The boys have been performing live at different venues including  Auckland Art Gallery, Mangawhai Markets, Matakana Farm Park Markets, private functions and also at The Smashed Pipi, Matakana Tavern, Mangawhai Surf Club, Mangawhai Tavern and venues in Whangarei.


PEOPLE’S CHOICE: Mollie Harvey was a multiple winner at the regional finals.