Rotorua is many things - including a musical hot spot.
We have been thrilled to report the fabulous news from the weekend about Western Heights High School band Strangely Arousing taking out the Smokefree Pacifica Beats competition in Auckland on Friday night.
This contest is breathing down the neck ofthe Smokefreerockquest as being "the" big competition to win.
But we didn't stop there. The following night, a Rotorua/Taupo band, A Bit Nigel, took out the Smokefreerockquest.
Two out of two isn't bad. If you look at the line-up of past winners of such competitions, they read like a who's who of New Zealand music. Many of these acts have done much more than any reality TV competition winner.
The local teenagers clutching their new titles from the weekend now have the chance to make something of these big wins and we look forward to following their success.
On the flip side of the musical coin, we are building up to what will be the biggest New Zealand Aria competition yet.
The local competition is the one to win on the classical musical calendar. This year is the 20th anniversary and organisers are reporting record entries.
If you make it into the top 10 and get the chance to perform in the finals, at the Rotorua Convention Centre on Sunday, November 3, you will have the added bonus of performing with the full Auckland Philharmonia orchestra. For many singers this in itself is a dream come true.
So whether rock or classical is your thing, it seems in Rotorua we have it all covered.
