Editorial: Young musos make us proud

Anna Wallis

FOR the second time in less than a week it's been proven that the kids are all right.

In fact, the kids in Whanganui are more than all right, they are superstars.

Straight after Whanganui High School won the national Stage Challenge, Whanganui Intermediate's 2K16 were victorious in the national final of Rockshop Bandquest.

As well as the accolades, the school's music department got $3000 worth of gear for the victory. It's sorely needed -- the band's winning entry was recorded on borrowed equipment.

2K16 were described as "true rock stars" by one judge.

They were picked as the best of 12 live events and the online contest for bands from outlying regions. It's the section they had won previously, with their combination of music by Adele and Little Mix.

They were congratulated by the judges for making the songs their own.

2K16 is adding to the rich musical vein that runs through Whanganui, a city of musicians and songwriters with its own unique venues and radio stations. This R&B/regaae outfit is a credit to its school and its hometown.

On a slightly different tonal tangent, Whanganui's musical credentials were also explored by the mayoral hopefuls.

Nga Tai O Te Awa's Yeah Hard picked up the contenders and took most of them for some Carpool Karaoke.

The idea and execution were pure genius. It was a different way of looking at the candidates, and added some much-needed fun to the race. Good on all those who took part.