Musical future hitting high notes

 

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Smokefree Rockquest regional solo category winner Emma Scott Rankin is quickly putting herself on the musical map.

Though only 15 years of age, Emma Scott Rankin was brought up among the music of the 60s, 70s and 80s and is an ardent fan of rock groups like the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

From a young age Emma began penning songs and, as her acoustic guitar playing improved, she has combined her talents to stage performing.

From winning the North-land More FM Junior Star Search in 2010 to perform-ances at the Whangarei Christmas Festival, Gore Gold Guitars, Leigh Sawmill, Bay of Islands Country Rock Festival and now a finalist as a solo artist in the national Smokefree Rockquest, Emma’s inspiration comes simply “from people” she says – from people in the news to relationships and everyday situations that effect our lives she gleans words and rhymes she puts to music.

The year 11 Otamatea High School student says she also gets a lot of support and encouragement from the school and fellow students.

While she leans towards the ballad/rock genre, famous names such as Bonny Raitt, Emmylou Harris, and Joni Mitchell are but a few guitar-playing, songwriting balladeers who, though from a past era are great yardsticks. Our own Brooke Fraser is also a worthy example to which a young musician may aspire.

In August Emma will be recording a music video for Rockquest prejudging, then in September an EP of her own songs backed by musicians from her father’s band Hashtag to be used for promotional purposes and hopefully laying the foundation for a musical career.

With due modesty Emma doesn’t expect to take the world by storm but she admits to having no plan ‘B’ for her future, having a definite commitment to music and a keenness to follow that commitment to the industry down whatever path it may lead.

Maybe the time is right for another Brooke Fraser.

Regarded as possibly the world’s youngest heavy metal band, Waipu group Alien Weaponry won second place in the Northland finals of the Smokefree Rockquest

2014 and also progress to the national finals. They have just spent last week shoot-ing a music video (includ-ing their own song Cages) in their home town Waipu which will be submitted to the Rockquest finals selec-tion panel. The band, featur-ing Lewis de Jong (12), Ethan Trembath (12), and Henry de Jong (14) are excited to have been asked by chart-topping act Devilskin to join them for part of their North Island tour.

By Rob Pooley

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