Scone’s shining star – Eleanor Wyndham

SCONE’S up and coming artist, Eleanor Wyndham, has been awarded the Barry Rose Scholarship with the Upper Hunter Music Conservatorium and placed fourth in the National NAIDOC Poster Competition.

To say the St Joseph’s year eight student took 2020 by the horns, is an understatement.

Eleanor has been playing guitar since she was ten years old. Her love for music sprouted when she stumbled across her parents CD collection.

“I absolutely fell in love with classic rock . . . I love punk rock and any variation of rock, or even a bit of jazz and blues,” said Eleanor.

“I started thinking, ‘hold on I used to know how to play guitar, why don’t I get back into this so I could connect with these songs some more?’

“From then on, I joined the school band and I just kept pushing myself, guitar is something I really enjoy.”

Her inspirations include Jimi Hendrix and Suze DeMarchi from the baby animals, although she says, “so many artists have given me inspiration.”

Eleanor doesn’t look at playing the guitar as study and said, “I always turn to it anyway.”

“It doesn’t feel like a chore, it doesn’t feel like something that I have to put a time frame on, because I do it all the time,” she said.

“The guitar is an awesome instrument, it has so much freedom.

“Like art as well, its just one of those things that I do to relax, it’s a hobby, I love it.”

Her talents have been recognised with the highly sought after Barry Rose Scholarship with the Upper Hunter Music Conservatorium.

“My guitar teacher actually suggested that I give the scholarship a go, he said to me, ‘you should play this piece and another piece of your choosing, it’s worth a shot,” she said.

“I chose ‘Rope’ by the Foo Fighters and ‘Teenagers’ by My Chemical Romance . . . and it was fun really, just to go over the pieces that I had worked hard on.

“We got a phone call a few weeks later saying I was one of the recipients of the scholarship, which was awesome . . . that should cover most of next years fees for my music lessons.

“I was a little shocked for a second because anyone could get this scholarship, it’s not just for guitars and it’s not designated to any ages group, it’s for anyone.

“And it was me, of all people, I was honoured.”

Eleanor has started writing her own music but understands the music industry doesn’t offer stability when it comes to financial support.

“You have to be in the top five percent to even get into the top 200 . .  it’s rare,” she said.

“I don’t see myself going into it, but it’s definitely something I want to keep doing on the side of whatever my job is in the future.

“It’s a well-being thing, art and music is my escape, so if it becomes successful on the side then that’s a bonus.”

For now, Eleanor is happy to play music with her friends and peers, although she is not totally convinced of her future singing career.

“Recently we had presentation days, I was fortunate enough to play ‘The Middle’, by Jimmy Eat World, which is a pretty well known pop rock song, in front of my year group,” said Eleanor.

“I also got to play with Mr Douglas who is a science teacher at our school. He was amazing on the drums and another friend of mine who is in year eleven played the bass guitar.

“I had to sing it, because my friend who is the singer was away that day.”

Eleanors mum Emma Wyndham interjected, “she’s actually a really good singer.”

A mortified Eleanor said, “I can’t sing!” 

“It was my first time singing in front of an audience and I think it went pretty well,” she later admitted.

“It was lots of fun to play in front of an audience, especially after Covid-19 took away DioSounds and heaps of other opportunities we had at the school.”

NAIDOC Award

When Eleanor’s art teacher saw her finished NAIDOC art piece, she encouraged her to enter the 2020 National NAIDOC Poster Competition.

“We were in general art class in year eight, it isn’t an elective yet but my art teacher said ‘this is a competition you might be interested in’” explained Eleanor.

“She handed a note out to the class and encouraged the class to all participate and I definitely did because I have a lot of fun with art competitions, even if I don’t succeed it’s fun to explore a new theme that they want from me.

“I sometimes discover more about my own ability when these things happen.”

Eleanor submitted a portrait for this year’s theme ‘always was, always will be’.

“It was a portrait of an Aboriginal elder who had flames around him, which resembles the fires that happened earlier this year,” said Eleanor.

“I incorporated the Aboriginal flag into the background and the embers of the fire coming out of his beard are Aboriginal symbols and spirit orbs.

“I had black tree branches coming out . . . I tried to be as symbolic and put as much meaning into the art work as I could.” 

Eleanor ended up placing fourth in the National competition, a huge achievement for a year eight student.

Eleanor said she will continue to focus on her studies and see where her career takes her, but knows art and music will remain a prominent part of her life, no matter what.