Play It Strange – Play It Loud

The Play It Strange Trust has released an album of the Top 20 songs from its inaugural 2004 National Secondary Schools Songwriting competition.

The release celebration, in the Grand Hall at parliament, included performances from several of the competition finalists and doubled as the launch of 2005’s talent-hunt.

The CD is in stores now and has also gone to secondary school music departments around the country to encourage students and teachers to get the songwriting bug. The schools also receive a DVD copy of the television documentary that followed several of the entrants through the 2004 competition.

“The CD is the end product of a very special programme,” says trust co-founder and CEO Mike Chunn.

“These young people have taken the creative opportunity and succeeded in the art of songwriting and performance.”

The top 30 finalists, spread throughout the country, had their songs recorded in a professional studio, and the top 20 take pride of place on the CD, says Trust GM Debbie Little.

“We have boldly included Volume 1 on the CD artwork as we hope this is the first of many Play It Strange CDs to be released.”

Play It Strange was established in November 2003 to encourage young New Zealanders to develop interests and skills in music composing and performance.