Young Kiwi songsmiths show off talent to burn

By RENEE KIRIONA

NZ Idol star Michael Murphy and TrueBliss singer Joe Cotton will be among artists singing the praises of the country's newest and youngest songwriting talent.

The top five winners of the inaugural Play It Strange secondary schools songwriting competition will have their lyrics brought to life when they are sung by some of the country's best-known artists tonight.

And for Kimbra Johnson (14) of Hamilton and Jeff Parsons (17) of Waiuku, having someone famous sing their song would be an honour.

The two songsmiths have made it to the top 10 of the contest, entered by 270 students throughout the country.

"I don't know if I'm going to be one of the five but if I am it would be a great honour to hear someone of that calibre sing my song," Johnson said.

The Hillcrest High School student has been composing since she was 10 and described her music as a fusion of jazz, soul and rock.

"I'm really into poetry and writing because it allows me to express how I'm feeling. My song It Takes Time is about relationships and love."

Parsons said he had been composing his own rock and jazz- styled songs for the past four years.

"I got into writing because I got bored singing everyone else's stuff. My song Enthusiastic is actually about the frustrations of writing music."

The other artists lined up to sing the praises of the budding songwriters are Exponents' lead singer Jordan Luck and emerging singers Buzz Moller, Sarah Brown, Anthony (Ioasa) Gold and Jason Kerrison, who will duo with Cotton.

Mike Chunn, chief executive of Play It Strange, said the contest had unleashed songwriting talent never seen before in New Zealand youth.

"Listening to the hundreds of extraordinary songs written by young New Zealanders shows just what is waiting in the wings."