By BEN CAMERON
SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD pop performer Abbey Grace has a special reason for singing at Pakenham’s Relay for Life event this Saturday.
“My grandfather who was from Berwick passed away from cancer when I was younger and so I have always felt passionately about helping in any way to raise money and awareness for cancer research,” she said.
“When the organizer of Cardinia Relay for Life, Bronwyn Mepstead invited me to perform this year, as well as last year, I felt honored and extremely excited to be a part of this inspiring event.”
Already an acclaimed songwriter, Grace’s passion for writing stemmed from a difficult period in her life.
“I first discovered my passion for songwriting in 2012 after a friend mine and myself were bullied,” she said.
“The situation inspired me to write my first song titled Burn in a hope to raise awareness and hope for other victims of bullying.
“Songwriting also became my way of self-expression and I was really hooked.”
Burn eventually charted at number two on Triple J’s Unearthed pop chart last year, and nine overall.
Just a year later, she won the Australian Music Count Us In songwriting competition, and was invited to write a tune with Australian music luminaries Katie Noonan and John Foreman.
Keep On was sung by 600,000 school students around the country.
“It was such an insane feeling to know that so many students from around Australia were going to be singing a song I got to participate in writing,” she said.
“On the day of the performance, I felt so proud to have been a part of this project and felt so overwhelmed to see the culmination of everyone learning it and singing together.
“Writing with legends such as Katie Noonan and John Foreman as well as the three other students was an incredible experience.
“They’re such professionals and dedicated and highly talented musicians and it was great to learn and be mentored by them.”
She was also a semi-finalist in the 2014 International Songwriting Competition, and came tenth in the youth section of the Australian Songwriting Competition.
“The best piece of advice I can give to budding songwriters is to write from the heart, speak your mind, listen to as many different artists as possible,” she said.
“Also to try out an instrument as it’s really helpful to be able to accompany yourself and helps to build a musical foundation when writing a song.”
She will release her debut EP Wonderland this year.
Abbey Grace will perform at Relay for Life’s closing ceremony on Saturday at 11.45am.
