Young musicians perform with idols

Otago Daily Times

15-05-2025

Logan Hunt plays the drums with Barnaby Weir, the frontman for Kiwi band Fly My Pretties at the YAMI summit in Wānaka. PHOTOS: YAMI/DEANNA GERLACH
A Cromwell teen is buzzing after a last-minute opportunity to play the drums on stage with a famous New Zealand frontman.
Logan Hunt performed with Barnaby Weir, of Fly My Pretties and The Black Seeds, on a school trip in April.
The year 11 pupil was one of nine young performers to represent Cromwell College at YAMI (youth and adults in the music industry), held this year in Wānaka.
Logan said he learned the songs on the day, after being asked to fill the spot on stage in someone else's absence.
Cromwell college year 10 pupil Mischa Thomlinson, belts out an original at this year's YAMI summit.
"It was an awesome opportunity to get to play with such a big musician," Logan said.
He described Weir as "kind and really good to work with".
The YAMI summit brings together aspiring musicians and industry heavyweights for a series of workshops on songwriting, performing, DJing, handling royalties, distribution and marketing.
For bass guitarist Indiana Cameron and singer-songwriters Mischa Thomlinson and Tynielle Engelbrecht — all pupils at Cromwell College — working on their own songs with Gin Wigmore and Evie Bamford was a pinch-me experience.
"Gin was really good at knowing what you wanted the song to sound like and getting you to that point," Indiana said.
"But it [YAMI] was not just about how to write and perform but how to record it [your music] too, so you could put it out to the world."
With the help of Weir, Mischa was able to record, over the course of the weekend, an original song called Running back to me, which she planned to release on Spotify tomorrow.
She said the experience offered a behind the scenes look at "how everything comes together"in a recording studio.
Catherine Forsyth, who heads the college's music department, said the summit gave her students access to "experts in their fields" and that was something special.
"They get to see those who are going before them making great music, and they're seeing that music is a real option [career-wise]."
Each day of the summit culminated in gig-like performances by both the teens and their music idols.