Taranaki teen wins national New Zealand songwriting competition

Georgia Jeffrey, 15, has won a national songwriting competition. Photo / Sacred Heart Girls' College

A song about justice has hit all the right notes.

Sacred Heart Girls’ College Year 10 Georgia Jeffrey, 15, won the middle category (Year 7-10) in this year’s Caritas Singout4justice competition. The competition, for New Zealand Catholic school students across New Zealand, encourages students to showcase their musical talents and share positive messages.

Participants send in recordings of their song performances. This year’s theme was Let Justice and Peace Flow. Georgia, who attended St Joseph’s School, Stratford, before Sacred Heart, says her original song, Justice, focuses on the word’s meaning.

“The inspiration behind this song is to take the idea of justice, what it means for each individual, and get the idea across that everyone is enough. It shows they can light up someone else’s day and show peace and justice through their lives.”

The song took her around four hours to write and perfect.

“I dabbled around the piano to write this song. I worked on the song over multiple afternoons. If I condensed that time into hours, I would say it took around four hours to be finished.”

She was excited to win.

“I felt ecstatic and confused when I won. I was in shock and disbelief, knowing I had won out of all the promising and talented Year 7 to 10 students across New Zealand.”

Georgia says the winning result is thanks to her music teacher, Raewyn Hunter.

“She inspired me to enter. I was running out of time to enter. She was the one who convinced me to enter, even though it was the day before the competition was closing. She took her time to help me record and send in my song. I couldn’t have done it without her.”

Raewyn says Georgia is a dedicated student.

“She has worked hard to develop her musical skills. She is someone who steps in and helps out without even being asked. She is a pleasure to teach.”