Mount Maunganui Intermediate wins NZ Bandquest finals

Revolution Radio are Finn Hughes (drums), Oscar Kelly (guitar), Pedro Mihailof-Townsend (bass), Ned Johnston (guitar), Katie Parkinson (keys) and Mairangi Te Ahuru Quinn (vocals). Photo / Supplied

Six pre-teens from Mount Maunganui have been crowned winners of a national music competition also known as the gateway to the Smokefree Rockquest.

Mount Maunganui Intermediate students Finn Hughes, Ned Johnston, Oscar Kelly, Katie Parkinson, Mairangi Te Ahuru-Quinn and Pedro Mihailof-Townsend form the band Revolution Radio. This week, they beat 44 other schools to be named winners of the 2018 National Rockshop Bandquest Competition.

Guitarist Oscar said the band found out on Thursday and was given a standing ovation by the school when the news was announced at assembly yesterday. "It was quite amazing," he said.

"We were just hoping; I wasn't expecting to win. It was quite a shock."

Now in its eighth year, Rockshop Bandquest is for bands of three or more members, up to Year 8, who play a short set of covers or original songs. This year there were 215 entries from 45 schools and 12 live events.

As first place winners this year, Revolution Radio won $3000 credit with The Rockshop for their school plus a professional recording of a song.

Katie, who plays the keys, said she heard Feel It Still on the radio one day and thought 'that's cool, why don't we do that?'.

She said the band had since been practising for about 10 weeks leading up to the competition. They chose two songs - Feel It Still from Portugal the Man, and Come Together by The Beatles.

Drummer Finn said the band had since been working hard and had received some coaching from dad James Hughes and help from the school's music teacher Christine Pearce.

Pearce said she could not be prouder of the band, who also won the regional finals of the competition last year.

Pearce said the competition was an excellent foundation for students entering the Smokefree Rockquest once they enter high school.

Judge Chris Mac from Six60 said competing in Rockshop Bandquest was a "rockstar experience" for the children.

"The amount of talent these primary and intermediate school students present is incredibly impressive. It is a very cool thing to see young Kiwi talent being nurtured along."