Whanganui High School band, Jansen and the AMPS, wins Regional Rock Quest competition 2021

The Whanganui section of the NZ Secondary School Rock Quest competition was held at the Royal Whanganui Opera House on June 26. Eleven bands competed with six of them from Whanganui High School, including the winners ‘Jansen and the Amps!’

The next stage will be composing two totally new songs, developing them, practicing and preparing a video to be sent to a team of judges – all in 12 days. There will be a lot of quick brainstorming taking place. It will be the judges’ role to reduce 30 entries down to a final 10 with those 10 invited to go to Auckland to compete live.

The band does have the expert assistance of experienced rock band performer and teacher, Fred Loveridge but he says, “My role is to just tweak ideas. They decide what they like and don’t like.” All of the members get involved in composing and critiquing.

The band consists of students from year 9 to year 13. There are eight of them complete with drummer, guitar player, keyboard, base, sax, trumpet, trombone and vocalist – the only female, Alyssa Hartley. The keyboard player, Gian, came in only 2 weeks prior to the Whanganui competition replacing someone who had to withdraw at the last minute.

River City Press 1/7/21