Year 8 St John’s Regional College student Maddison McNamara is a star in the making. Picture: Meagan Rogers.
By Shaun Inguanzo
MOVE over Gabriella Cilmi – another Dandenong teenager is hot on your heels in the search for international fame and fortune.
Maddison McNamara, 13, is a Year 8 student at St John’s Regional College in Dandenong and already she’s made waves in the music industry by winning a series of talent quests.
Most recently she performed at Federation Square in Melbourne as part of World Youth Day celebrations and will soon be featured in a music video for the World Youth Day theme. Maddison won this year’s Urban Quest competition, hosted by Mission Australia and the Dandenong Plaza, in the vocal category.
She has also won her school’s talent quest in the vocal and duet categories.
“I’ve been singing for nine years, since I was five,” Maddison said. “I’m training at the Caulfied School of Singing.”
Although she sings covers of songs by hit artists including Beyonce and Christina Aguilera, Maddison said she was working on writing and performing original material.
“I love to sing ballads and up-tempo songs,” she said “I have written some lyrics but haven’t made them into a song as yet.”
There are glimmers of fame and fortune beginning to appear – even if they are just humble beginnings.
“Winning the Urban Talent Quest has given me many opportunities to take my singing to a new level, such as doing a video production and a recording deal,” Maddison said. “I’m also in a band called Funky Avenue, which I was asked to be in a few months ago.
“We practise most weekends and will hopefully soon be doing gigs.
“I will be filling in for my friend’s band, Horizon, where I will be singing at a wedding and two RSL clubs. They will be my first paid singing performances.”
