Invergordon carer and schoolgirl (16) hits the right note with judges to win inaugural John Preston Young Songwriter Award
AN Easter Ross carer and school pupil has won a songwriting award set up in memory of a music "legend".
Rhoehaisse Clark (16) is the recipient of the John Preston Young Songwriter Award 2021.
A pupil at Invergordon Academy, she has been writing songs since she was 11 and is a self-taught guitar player.
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Her performance on the Liam Colgan Haybarn Stage at the recent Woodzstock Music Festival on the Black Isle was only her second gig, at which she played a selection of her own songs.
Along with the prestigious title, Rhoehaisse receives an award of £500.
"Congratulations to Rhoehaisse, she has been incredible.” - Fiona Sellar
She said: “I use songwriting as a way to express myself, which makes me write more meaningful songs. My music genre is folk-pop music. I am a young carer and find songwriting and music a way to clear my head away from my caring role.”
The adjudication panel consisted of Edwyn Collins, Scottish indie singer, songwriter, producer and record label owner; Yvonne Lyon, the talented and emerging Scottish singer songwriter; and Rory MacDonald, bass player and songwriter from much loved Scottish icons Runrig.
Fiona Sellar, vice-chairman of organisers, the Liam Colgan Music Fund (LCMF) said: “To have such a gifted trio of judges on the adjudication panel was incredible.
"They commended the talent on offer and we’re grateful to them for giving their time and expertise. Their commitment, along with the quality of the entrants for these awards, was outstanding. The awards are a fitting tribute to John.”
John Preston was a managing director of Polydor Records and chairman of the BPI. He made an outstanding contribution to the British music industry for well over three decades and worked with music industry icons such as Kate Bush, Take That and Simon Cowell.
The John Preston Memorial Fund and Open Awards were set up by the LCMF in 2021 in his memory.
LCMF sponsoring a stage at the Woodzstock Music Festival created an opportunity for young, new songwriters to showcase their original songs alongside guest artists like Amy Papiransky.
Fiona Sellar said: “Sponsoring the Haybarn Stage at the Woodzstock Music Festival provided a fantastic opportunity for LCMF to promote our work in supporting young up and coming artists, and for our award winner and runner-up to perform. Congratulations to Rhoehaisse, she has been incredible.”
Ross Smith, one of the festival organisers, said: “The partnership between Woodzstock and LCMF has really paid off. We were able to provide a platform for young musicians to get some deserved stage time and recognition, which may even lead to more opportunities for them in the future.”