D.N.A keyboardist Will Roddick at the Nelson 2016 Bandquest. Photo: Brittany Spencer.

Nelson band third in Bandquest national finals

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A group of students from Nelson Intermediate took out third place at the Rockshop Bandquest national finals.

D.N.A from Nelson Intermediate won $500 for their school music department, but that wasn’t their only success of the night.

The band’s keyboardist Will Roddick won the Best Keyboardist Award after receiving the same award in the regional final at Theatre Royal, August 20.

Now in its sixth year, Rockshop Bandquest is for bands of two or more members, from intermediate or primary schools, who play a short set of covers or original songs. There were 12 live events this year and an online contest for bands from outlying regions.

The judges for this year’s event were Auckland singer-songwriter Jamie McDell and Will McGillvray from Christchurch band Nomad.

Will McGillvray says it’s amazing to have so many young kids who are this enthusiastic about making music: “The competition aspect of Bandquest is driving all of them to improve – there are now hundreds of awesome 9-12-year-old bands around the country performing at a high level. The future is exciting.”

D.N.A came in behind 2k16 from Whanganui Intermediate who took out the night and Mercy from Cambridge Middle School who placed second.

The Male Vocalist Award went to Dunedin’s Enzo Hood, from John McGlashan College while the Female Vocalist Award was given to Jessica Lawrence from Hutt Intermediate.