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- By Isabella Root
Sixteen-year-old Milania Jolley from Waiuku College has won the APRA Lyric Award at the Solo/Duo regional final for Smokefreerockquest (SFRQ).
“I expected maybe a rapper who performed at the contest [would win], his lyrics were very, very good,” she says. “So, when they said my name, I was surprised.’”
Last year, Jolley competed with her former band, Discombobulated Children, and returned this year as one half of a duo, Wavelength, alongside her friend Emily Lyes.
A last-minute decision to perform her original song Forest Embrace paid off, impressing the
judges more than she had expected. Jolley says the award-winning song is about getting
away from the hustle and bustle of the city and finding peace in nature.
“The forest doesn’t expect anything from you,” she explains.
Jolley takes inspiration from former SFRQ winner, Emerson Wagner, and encourages other young musicians to put themselves forward as well.
“Get out there! You might feel kind of nervous to do it and you might not be completely sure about it, but if you have a song that you want to share then you might as well just go out and do so.”
Her dad, Dean Jolley, says he is proud of his daughter’s achievement and believes the
competition has provided her with valuable lessons, regardless of whether she pursues
music in the future.
“One of the things I really love about it is that if they’re on stage and they make a mistake or get something wrong, they take a breath and move on – it’s a good life lesson,” he says.
The confidence and communication skills his daughter has gained through SFRQ are just as
important as the music.
“The things she’s learning now are brilliant – about talking in front of people, presenting
and using her voice, I just love all of it.”
After the awards ceremony, Dean gave her $20 to treat herself to a McDonald’s dinner. All
going well, she might treat her family to a lot more one day if her music career takes off.
