Margie Maccoll
Any one of seven finalists in this year’s Noosa Stars Alive competition could have taken out the winners title, such was the standard of their performances, Noosa Alive artistic director and competition founder Ian Mackellar told the audience last Sunday at the Finals event.
“We’re all about showcasing, nurturing the wonderful talent we have here on the coast,” he said.
“Each and everyone of them was outstanding.”
In the event’s third year for the first time judges awarded second ($500) and third ($250) place prizes in addition to the winning prize of $1000 and title.
Selected through an audition process the seven finalists performed on stage at Lions Park, Gympie Terrace, on Sunday in front of an audience and judges Ian Mackellar, Noosa Alive president Andrew Stafford and actor Jo Hendrie.
MC Damien Anthony-Avery Rossi announced the judges decision awarding singer Rafael Estrade and key player Nate Campbell the winning prize, multi-instrumentalist Jake Parkes second and singer nine-year-old Georgia Stafford third.
“It was pretty unexpected, but really amazing,” Nate said of their win.
Raf and Nate, both 13, have been performing together for about six months.
Both teens gained scholarships to Katie Noonan’s Eumundi School of Music, where they met and became friends.
“We feel very blessed to have such talented young men,” Nate’s mum said of the boys.
“My son plays about five instruments, keys are the main one. No matter how many times I hear Raf sing it makes me gasp.”
“The teens often busk on Hastings Street, and play the odd gig if asked.
“They’d perform every day if they could.”
Jo Hendrie told the audience what they had seen “was a really exhilarating showcase of young, stunning talent. It was a real celebration in every sense of the word,” she said. “We had people who were multi-disciplanary instrumentalists.
“We had people writing original songs, people who had sensitively put two songs together, the talent was phenomenal.”
Andrew Stafford said it was “very impressive”. “I think it was incredible just to hear the maturity in all the vocals, fantastic to see a couple of young bands,” he said.
The other finalists were singers and guitarists Zara Grace and Fin Werner who both performed original songs and bands The Karma Police and The Ultraviolets.
The 2023 Noosa Stars Alive winners Tatum and Harriet also performed at the event and the closing party that followed.
The girls, both aged 17 and in Year 12, said winning the competition had been a real confidence boost and opened up an array of opportunities to them.
The inaugural winner Sari Abbott has gained much success since competing and is now touring Australia.
