Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC) students Richard Denyer, Oscar Goodwin, and Matilda Metcalfe competed in the national Smokefree Rockquest final held in Auckland on Saturday (September 16).

Smokefree Rockquest is Aotearoa New Zealand’s only nationwide, live, original music youth event.

To reach the final, the musical trio ‘Spoken’ entered two original songs in the regional competition, filmed three original songs for the next round, and performed a further two original songs in the final.

Principal Nicola Jacobsen said everyone at MAC was incredibly proud of Matilda, Oscar and Richard.

“Reaching the final ten in the nationwide Rockquest competition is an exceptional achievement and testament to their commitment, passion and hard work.

“This achievement also reflects the dedication of our head of music Mat Doyle who provides extraordinary support to our students.”

Vocalist and keyboard player Matilda Metcalfe said reaching the Rockquest final was an incredible opportunity for the trio.

“We feel so privileged to have made the final of the competition and to be given a platform to reach a broader audience and gain the wider recognition we have worked so hard for.”

Drummer Oscar Goodwin agrees. “I’ve been part of this competition since I was in Year 8 and it’s always been a dream of mine to make the national final.

“It was great to be on stage and meet all the other musicians at the event and it’s such an awesome way to end our time at school.”

Bass player Richard Denyer said making the final of the competition was the result of years of hard work, hours and hours of practice and meticulous songwriting.

“The songs we write are a fusion of all our musical personalities because each of us has different taste in music which makes for an interesting dynamic because we always bring different ideas to the table.” 

MAC head of music Mat Doyle said making the nation’s top ten is a testament to their dedication, passion, and hard work.

“Spoken's success serves as an inspiration to all our students, showing them that with passion and perseverance, they can achieve great things.

“We are so thankful to have events such as Smokefree Rockquest to provide our students with opportunities to share and present their craft and to open doors for them.”

View one of Spoken’s original songs

Watch their live performance at Rockquest here.

PHOTO: Supplied