Eden students joined over 500,000 others across Australia in the nation’s largest ever gig on Thursday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Schools around the country paused at 12.30pm for a rendition of this year’s Music: Count Us In song, ‘Paint You a Song’.
The song was written by a select group of five Australian high school students under the guidance of The Cat Empire frontman Harry James Angus, including Eden’s Emily Claxton.
Emily performed the song at Parliament House, alongside program ambassador and renowned musician John Foreman, Olympic athlete and ukulele player Matthew Mitcham, and 850 other students.
A video of Emily's performance will be posted on the 'Music: Count Us In' Facebook page next week.
At the same time, Year 7 music classes at Eden Marine High School belted out their schoolmate’s song.
“I’m so proud; really stoked for Emily,” music teacher Sam Martin said.
“Listening to this song, you can really hear the elements they’ve used from the song Emily originally sent in when she applied.
“It seems to me that they’ve used a lot of her melodical and lyrical ideas in the song, so she was obviously quite influential in that group of five students.”
Mr Martin said the program is a great initiative to help get students involved in music.
“Every Year 7 class has learned the song and played it today,” he said.
“It’s quite an easy song to pick up and play, and to gain experience with.
“I’m sure we’ll continue to play the song and perform it at presentation nights, because we’re very proud of Emily and her song.”
Mr Martin has also organised Saturday’s Whale Song concert at the Eden Whale Festival, and he says he will be trying to score a late addition to the line-up.
“Who knows, perhaps I can convince her to sing the song there,” he laughed.