Enter the competition

Telstra Road to Discovery - 2011 / 2012 Heat Winners

	HEAT WINNER 1 MELBOURNE HAYDEN CALNIN Hayden Calnin, 22 From Collingwood, the only musician in his family, grew up on the Mornington Peninsula and is currently completing his final year of a Bachelor of Film and Television at Swinburne University. A multi-instrumentalist who plays with local Melbourne band “League”, Hayden describes his musical style as subtle and husky with a focus on honest storytelling. Last year he was one of only four musicians chosen from around the country to perform at the APRA Song Summit in 2010 alongside big name Australian artists Megan Washington, Josh Pyke and Eskimo Joe. He has also supported rock legends “You Am I” and will be releasing his first EP later this year.
	HEAT WINNER 2 ALBURY GRETTA ZILLER Singer-songwriter Gretta Ziller, 29, is originally from Thologolong, one hour from Wodonga. Gretta describes her musical style as a mix of alternative country, folk, bluegrass and Americana and has mastered an eclectic mix of musical instruments including the bagpipes, violin, mandolin and guitar. She recently completed the Academy of Country Music (CMAA) course in Tamworth, and also won second place in the 2010 Australian Songwriters Association Song Writing contest, the first songwriting competition of its kind she had ever entered.
	HEAT WINNER 3 DOWERIN JONNY TAYLOR Jonny Taylor, 25, from Bunbury has a background in classical guitar and describes his music as acoustic rock with a twist of country. A full-time working musician and former Top 12 Australian Idol finalist, Johnny grew up in Busselton before recently moving to Bunbury. He has shared the stage with big name acts Ash Grunwald, Eskimo Joe and James Blundell to name a few, and was voted Best Male Artist at the 2011 WA Country Music Awards. Jonny released his debut album “Insights” earlier this year and is also a former Telstra Road semi-finalist.
	HEAT WINNER 4 KARRATHA CHRISTIAN JONES Originally from Melbourne, Christian moved to Western Australia over 13 years ago and currently divides his time between Boyup Brook and Karratha, where he drives buses for the local mining community. A self-taught musician, he credits his wife Annie for unleashing his songwriting ability. While competing for her affections against another musician, it forced him to write his first ever song. He won the girl and has continued his musical journey ever since. A former Triple J unearthed artist and WA Country Music Award “Best Male Artist” winner, Christian draws inspiration for his music from his many travels around Australia and loves nothing more than busking on a street corner to really connect with his audience.
	HEAT WINNER 5 ADELAIDE MELODY FEDER Melody Feder, 23, from Vista was born and raised in South Australia and is a former Mary MacKillop College student. Inspired by her musical father, she has been singing since she was five years old and currently teaches private vocal lessons. A chance meeting with Kasey Chambers when she was 11, led Melody to appear on stage with the star and she has been determined to carve out her niche in the Australian music scene ever since. Her Telstra Road win adds to what has already been a very successful year for Melody. She also won the 2011 Trans-Tasman and Aristocrat Entertainer of the Year awards, and graduated from the CMAA Academy of Country Music. Melody performs regularly around the country both solo and with her trio, Pretty Radio, and is releasing her debut solo EP “Dirt Roads and Diamonds” in September 2011.
	HEAT WINNER 6 BUNDABERG ANDREW REDFORD Andrew Redford, 19, from the Sunshine Coast moved from Melbourne to Maroochydore as a young boy and learnt the guitar at the age of 10. Now a multi-instrumentalist, Andrew has released two EP’s to date and describes his music as a mix of indie, pop, folk and soft rock. In 2010 Andrew won the $10,000 Billy Thorpe Scholarship at the Q Song Awards, was a finalist in the APRA contemporary music awards and received international acclaim when shortlisted in the Songbird British Song Competition in 2009. Currently a full-time working musician, Andrew credits Coldplay’s Chris Martin as his biggest musical inspiration and said his parents continue to influence his life and musical career.
	HEAT WINNER 7 TOOWOOMBA BART THRUPP Bart Thrupp, 19, from Toowoomba impressed the judges at the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers with his solid songwriting skills, melodic vocals and Aussie charm, captivating the massive local crowd in the process. Originally from Roma, Bart’s music career began when at the age of four he was given a guitar and he has since mastered a raft of instruments. Now a full-time working musician, when performing live he simultaneously juggles acoustic guitar, vocals, stomp box, foot tambourine, and even the cowbell to create a unique listening experience. In the past year Bart has supported well-known Australian acts such as Claire Bowditch, Daryl Braithwaite and Rose Tattoo and describes his music as folk-pop
	HEAT WINNER 8 DARWIN TOM O'BRIEN Tom O’Brien, 27, from Darwin impressed the judges at the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets with his songwriting ability and the ease and confidence he demonstrated in his on-stage performance. A cabinet maker by trade, Tom grew up playing the blues with his father, who is also a local musician, and boasted learning to play the whole Eric Clapton unplugged album by age 13. After years of playing heavy metal and dabbling in punk music, Tom hit his stride with a laid-back blend of country and rock and cites Missy Higgins as one of his favourite Australian singer-songwriters.
	HEAT WINNER 9 BURNIE LUKE TRIFFITT Luke Triffitt, 30, was born and bred in Launceston and began playing music at age 13 when he put together his first school band. Since then he has enjoyed success with well-known Tasmanian rock band ‘The Styles’, having played in the same line-up as the Hoodoo Gurus at the 2005 Falls Festival in Marion Bay, and also received airplay on Triple J. Luke’s style has mellowed since the rock group disbanded and he cites Neil Young and Australian singer-songwriter Clare Bowditch as musical influences. He currently performs around local venues with his wife Sarah as the duo ‘Paper Souls’, mixing a blend of acoustic guitar and smooth harmonies to play their own unique brand of modern folk.
	HEAT WINNER 10 BIRREGURRA ANDY MAHONY Andy Mahony, 16, from Skipton is currently completing Year 10 at Beaufort Secondary College and has been working towards a career in music since first picking up a guitar at age three, and performing for his first audience at age five. Since then Andy has gone on to master a number of musical instruments including the banjo, bass guitar, harmonica and mandolin as well as refining his songwriting skills. He has also shared the stage with some of the most successful country artists in Australia. Andy performed alongside Troy Cassar-Daley and Adam Harvey during the Whittlesea Country Music Festival. He was part of Lee Kernaghan’s “Spirit of the Bush Drought Release Concert” in 2008 and was also the opening act for Adam Brand that same year in Colac. A recent graduate from the 2011 Country Music Academy of Australia, Andy has just recorded his debut album titled “Chipping Away” which features 10 original songs and is due for release this week.
	HEAT WINNER 11 CANBERRA ALICE PLUMB Alice Plumb, 21, from Gungahlin is a country girl at heart. Alice grew up in Crookwell NSW before relocating to Canberra recently and cites country artists Catherine Britt, Kasey Chambers and Dolly Parton as her musical influences. Alice opened her performance at the Canberra Heat with a track, “White Liar”, from her idol Miranda Lambert, and backed it up with her song “I Know You”, which she hoped would demonstrate her ability as a singer, musician and songwriter. She has been singing since she was 12 and playing guitar since she was 15. For the past five years Alice has been concentrating on her songwriting and plans to record her debut album later this year.
	HEAT WINNER 12 WINDSOR MARDI PANNAN Mardi Pannan, 34, is originally from Tamworth but currently resides in Newtown, Sydney. She began writing music at the age of 16, but got serious about her music career at the age of 20 when she began learning the guitar. Now a full-time working musician, Mardi describes her sound as alt-folk/roots music and is a regular at Sydney’s hottest live music venues, The Vanguard and The Basement. Mardi has also played alongside many well-known musicians such as The Whitlams, Renee Geyer, and Felicity Urquhart. This is one of many accolades for Mardi, who was a finalist in the 2011 APRA Professional Development Awards, a two-time finalist in the Music Oz Awards and winner of the Lighthouse Songwriting Award at the Port Fairy Folk Festival.