NZMM 2024: North Shore Schools Songwriting Competition

NZMM 2024: North Shore Schools Songwriting Competition

2024 WINNERS

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s North Shore Schools Songwriting Competition!

Intermediate Division:
🏆 Winner: Hayley Amundsen – ‘Bad Vibes’ (Waitoki School)
🏅 Runner-up: Hayden, Finlay, Laura, Isla – ‘Holiday’ (Northcote Intermediate School)

Secondary Division:
🏆 Winner: Caleb Wright – ‘Strata’ (Rangitoto College)
🏅 Runner-up: Isis Pinero – ‘Forever’ (Takapuna Grammar School)

Honourable Mentions:
⭐ Blake Stainton – ‘Mr. Man in Black’ (Albany Senior High School)
⭐ James Todd – ‘Day ‘n Night’ (Rangitoto College)

Winners and runners-up receive studio time at DEPOT Sound to professionally record their original songs with our incredibly talented team of engineers. Thank you to our judging panel of industry legends and to everyone who entered their song and helped celebrate NZMM 2024 with us!

Over the years, DEPOT Sound has developed a strong reputation for supporting young local songwriters and bands, through a number of opportunities for youth to access professional recording studios. In keeping with this, we are delighted to announce that we will once again be running the North Shore Schools Songwriting Competition in celebration of NZ Music Month 2024!

We are calling all North Shore intermediate and secondary school musicians and bands to enter to win a chance to get their songs listened to and judged by a panel of industry legends, with the winners professionally produced and recorded by our incredibly talented team at DEPOT Sound.

This year, NZ Music Month is focusing on ‘Amplifying Aotearoa’ and its musical landscape. Through our competition, we commit to encouraging young musicians to explore collaboration with their peers, and grow their skills in songwriting, production, and studio work.

Presented in celebration of NZ Music Month 2024 with support from Creative NZ

Competition Overview

• The DEPOT Sound North Shore Schools Songwriting Competition is open to current North Shore Intermediate and Secondary School students
• Submit your original song to the online form between Wednesday 1 May – Friday 31 May
• Entries will be judged by our experienced panel of producers, session musicians and industry experts
• The winner of each division (Intermediate and Secondary) will receive two days of studio time at DEPOT Sound Recording Studio
• The runner up of each division will win a single day of recording at DEPOT Sound Recording Studio
• Judging will take place in June, with winners notified by email

Judges

Christian Tjandrawinata

Producer, Engineer, Songwriter, Photographer and Videographer

Sons of Zion, Corella, Borderline

Christian is an Auckland-based Producer, Engineer, Songwriter, Photographer and Videographer. Born in Indonesia, he moved to New Zealand at age 10. He spent two years at Parachute Music as their in-house music producer/engineer, collaborating with top NZ artists. Currently, he freelances, producing music and visuals for emerging and established artists. With expertise spanning from video to music production, Christian’s name is on many of today’s hottest hits.

Ciara Bernstein

Musician, Producer, Sound Engineer

The Vault, Half/Time, To The Front

Ciara is the owner of The Vault, a vibrant all-ages venue and creative hub in central Auckland. She’s a key figure in Girls Rock!/To The Front Tāmaki Makaurau, now serving as a member of their kaitiaki. With a rich musical background spanning nearly a dozen bands over 8 years, Ciara’s toured extensively across Aotearoa, Australia, USA, and South Africa. As a multi-talented musician, producer, and audio engineer, she’s a driving force behind The Vault’s role in nurturing local talent and fostering community connections.

Edy Liu (Edy On The Beat)

Producer, Mix Engineer

Sam V, HALES

Auckland-based producer/mix engineer EDY is a prominent figure in NZ’s music scene, collaborating with a diverse range of local and international artists. His versatile production style spans pop, R&B/soul, reggae, and hip-hop, drawing inspiration from artists like Ryan Lesloe and Scott Storch. After three years as a secondary school music educator, EDY freelances, and expands his reach to LA alongside artists like Sam V and HALES.

Emily Wheatcroft-Snape

Recording and Mix Engineer

Fazerdaze, Louisa Nicklin, Tiny Ruins

An Auckland native, Emily is a seasoned audio engineer with six years in the industry. After studying at MAINZ and honing her skills at Roundhead Studios, she now freelances from Parachute Studios and collaborates with artists at Roundhead Studios, Parachute Studios, and Big Fan. Her impressive roster includes Fazerdaze, Tiny Ruins, Te Kaahu, Louisa Nicklin, and Karl Steven. In 2022, Emily launched the “Record Enable” initiative to support women and non-binary individuals pursuing careers in music creation. She also channels her creativity into her own music project, “Em,” where she experiments with production ideas.

Emme Lentino

Singer, Songwriter

ABC, Victoria’s Secret, NBC, MTV

Emme’s music has graced screens on ABC’s daytime dramas and in Victoria’s Secret ads. She’s been featured on NBC, MTV Australia, and Voice of America. With chart-topping success in Australia and New Zealand, her track “Time Machine” soared to #1 charts globally after a personal loss. Emme’s a semi-finalist in the ISC Songwriting Contest and co-hosts three radio shows. Committed to kindness and love, she volunteers for suicide prevention. Emme’s excited to be part of Depot Sound’s Songwriting Competition for the third time, celebrating NZ Music Month. 🎶

Neil Baldock

Producer, Sound Engineer, Tui Winner

Six60, Kanye West, Crowded House

Neil is a seasoned producer, sound engineer, Tui winner and previous Depot Sound Studio Manager. With a career spanning renowned artists like Joe Satriani, Kanye West, Common, Neil Finn, Crowded House, Racing, Six60, CheFu, LetLive, Sedan Garrett, Billy Ray Cyrus, Neil has mentored budding talents and captured many “magic moments” at Depot Sound. His passion for music enriches both local and global landscapes, from glamorous studios to community-based spaces.

Terms & Conditions

Please read the competition Terms & Conditions before uploading your submission using the entry form below.

1. The Writers (composers & lyricists) must be:
   • Resident in New Zealand. 
   • School-aged individuals, under 20 years of age, or attending Intermediate or Secondary level education in New Zealand.
   • Students from various educational settings including public, private, homeschooling, and alternative education programs.
2. The work must be an original popular song. It must NOT be an arrangement or adaptation of a traditional non-copyright work or any other original work. 
3. Entries – The following will be required: 
   • Completion of an official entry form. 
   • An mp3, m4a, WAV or AIFF file uploaded of the work nominated.
   • Entries must be received by DEPOT Sound no later than Friday 31st May 2024. 

4. General
   • Only ONE song may be submitted on an official entry form by or on behalf of any one writer and must comply with conditions 1 and 2. 
   • The exception being a writer in a band may also submit a solo work.
   • The song and the recording of the song can be performed and played by anyone as long as it is on a non-professional basis. It is not necessary for the writer(s) to feature on the recording. 
   • All decisions of the judges will be binding on DEPOT Sound and the entrants. 
   • In the event of more than one writer having collaborated in writing a competition winning work, the relevant prize will be allocated equally between the writers.  
   • DEPOT Sound shall have the right to interpret the above conditions and to determine all issues arising out of this contest. Any such interpretations and determinations shall be final. 
   • Unless specifically requested the copies of the entry recordings and lyrics will be retained by DEPOT Sound. 
   • The entrant shall grant permission for replication, mechanical reproduction, broadcast, internet streaming and downloading and communication of the recording of the song to the public. 
   • DEPOT Sound will have the right to print the name and likeness of any entrant in publicity in respect of the competition and all matter incidental thereto. 
   • The entrant agrees to be bound by DEPOT Sound’s entry procedures, rules and regulations established in this entry form. The judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.