HILARY Hayes, who won the junior section of the Mount Maunganui Busking Festival a few years ago, again drew a crowd playing the violin in the open senior section yesterday.
It was a week to the day since the 15-year-old won the orchestral section at the 2009 National Young Performer Awards,
held in Invercargill.
Hilary, from Hamilton, said she planed to put the proceeds of yesterday's electric violin performances towards buying an iPod.
Gutsy junior performers did their utmost to impress the judges on Saturday, none more so than Louise Coulter and Lachlan Burne who had set their sights on taking a big share of the $3000 prize money.
Louise, 10, of Mount Maunganui, danced her heart out to the tunes of hip hop band Black Eyed Peas to take out the junior first prize of $400 which will go towards her fundraising efforts to get to America next year.
Earlier this month Louise competed in the Melbourne regional SourceDance Hollywood Competition. She won her division, securing one of eight scholarships valued about US$2000 ($2655), which allow recipients to spend 10 days at a Los Angeles dance workshop in July next year.
She was awarded a near-perfect score of 299 out of 300, a feat that her even amazed her dance teacher, Amy Yorke from Dance Avenue.
Avid AC/DC fan Lachlan Burne, 9, of Waihi Beach, performing under the name "Lockstar", placed second. He won $200 - and said he had been eyeing up a new Gibson SG electric guitar for sometime.
Lachlan, who has only been playing the guitar since he got one for his eight birthday in February last year, plays mostly rock and blues.
But Lachlan said his favourite music was that of AC/DC and blamed his mother Kate for becoming hooked, as she constantly played their music in the car and house.
Twenty-two performers put their performance skills on the line during the junior section.
Mainstreet manager Les Creswell said the range of busking talent was fantastic and the street entertainment helped keep downtown Mount "humming". Solo singer Ashleigh Ward came third winning $100 and "TeeFee", a harp and guitar duo, came fourth also winning themselves $100.with Michele McPherson
