Emerging Talent Bios

Roseanna Gamlen-Green

Roseanna is a young Christchurch singer-songwriter with a talent for creating evocative and beautiful songs. This year her song 'Turning To Gold' has been chosen for the official NZ Olympics 'Anthem in Black' album which is going to the 2012 London Olympics. Roseanna has opened for the likes of Barnaby Weir (Black Seeds), Tiki Taane, Dane Rumble, The Dukes and internationally awarded artist Imogen Heap. She has also performed in Parliament on a number of occasions. In 2010 she recorded her single ‘Birds’, with Eddie Rayner (Crowded House). She also performed on National TV (Good Morning) and released her EP on itunes. Roseanna started songwriting in 2008 and then in 2009 and 2010 she was placed in the Top 40 for Play it Strange's National Secondary Schools Songwriting Competition.

Amy Jansen

Amy is a vocalist. Having just completed her Bachelor of Music at Canterbury University at the top of her class she is now taking time off from the technical side of music to enjoy herself and explore what the world of music has to offer.

Ester Fan

Violin is Esther's second language, having put bow to string, before pen to paper, at the age of four. She hails from the Hawke's Bay and now grazes the greener pastures of Culverden as the local vet. She is delighted at the chance to get out of her overalls, blow the dust off her music and play with the multi-talented David Smith for the Emerging Talent Competition.

Hadley Anderson

I’m Hadley Anderson, age 16, and I come from Blenheim. I go to Marlborough Boys College where music and history are my favorite subjects. I am a member of the school choir and also the lead singer in the MBC Jazz Band. I also enjoy doing musical theatre; we have combined college’s production with MGC every year, definitely helps with the social life. I have been singing since I was 9 years old and more recently I have been accompanying myself on the piano for the past 3 years. I am starting to play out now in restaurants and wineries, and for weddings and parties etc. Music I listen to on my iPod; well let’s just say I was born in the wrong era. I enjoy Jazz & Blues, and anything 70s & 80s. I was born in 1995. I play a bit of squash when I have time, but to be honest I have very little of that. I want to take my music as far as I can and are always looking for opportunities to extend with this.

Rebecca Miller

My name is Rebecca Miller. I grew up in Hanmer Springs and have returned after 10 years away so that my children can experience the same wonderful childhood that I did. I started learning piano when I was 9 years old and continued lessons until I was 18. I have recently taken up lessons again so that I can complete Grade 8 and then teach others. I also learned to play the clarinet and the saxophone as a teenager and still play saxophone in the local band "The Notables".

Rachel Dawick

"A young big-voiced country blues singer with Bessie Smith on her mind" (Chapel Arts, Bath 2010)

At the end of 2010 Rachel returned to her home country and with a grant from Creative NZ toured the country in 2011 performing, running songwriting workshops and collecting the stories of women's lives in the 1800s along the way. Now living in Christchurch she is completing the songs for the double album "The Boundary Riders" due to be released with book in October 2012. Previously Rachel spent the last eight years in the UK completing a masters in songwriting at Bath Spa University, two invitations to attend two retreats run by Chris Difford (Squeeze) in Italy as part of 12 songwriters. Two collaborative songs written over this time have since been released in Greece with EMI ("Peeling Apples" Athena Andreadis - released 2012 in the UK under Embraceable Records) and the UK ("Somewhere to Jump" Aberfeldy).

Originally from New Zealand Rachel has spent the last nine years playing at festivals and clubs across NZ and the UK originally in NZ as part of an all female blues/celtic trio "Ruby Blue" and more recently in NZ and in the UK as a solo artist sometimes working as a duo with the fabulous Nick Lewis and as a band with Roy Dodds, Kevin McGuire, Andy May and Nick Lewis for her most recent album "Ed's Bar and Grill" released at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2009 with musicians Nick Lewis, Pat McGarvey (Southern Tennant Folk Union Band) and Wil Molleson (Eliza Carthy).

Her songs reviewed as being songs that seem timeless "as if recorded in black and white" cross the boundaries of folk, blues, country, jazz, and cabaret. Think Dietrich meets Joan Baez.

Chizzy Combo

Ella Dunbar-Wilcox (vocals)
Matthew Howes (guitar)
Hamish Smith (bass)
Joshua Saville (trumpet)
Liam Humm (saxophone)
Jackson Roche (drums)

The Chizzy combo consists of young jazz musicians who have been playing together for over a year. They formed at Chisnallwood Intermediate but have now started high school and are aged around 13 years. They have had the opportunity to play for a variety of functions and events in a gigging capacity and have been lucky to jam with some great jazz professionals.

Last year in 2011 while at Chisnallwood Intermediate and Westburn School they received gold at CPIT's jazzquest as well as best guitarist (Matt Howes) and most promising composition (Ella Dunbar-Wilcox) At the NZSM Jazz festival, also in 2011, they received best guitarist (Matt Howes), best bassist (Hamish Smith), adjudicator's commendation (Ella Dunbar-Wilcox) and adjudicator's choice for the Chisnallwood Jazz.