Rising star claims six awards

Trumpeting his talent: Bodhi Scott-Jones, of Ballina, performs on his trumpet yesterday in the Brass Solo 20th Century-style Composer section at the Lismore Musical Festival Eisteddfod held at the Lismore City Hall.

Jay Cronan

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Lismore Musical Festival Society eisteddfod 2010

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BODHI SCOTT-JONES displayed all the poise and talent of a musical star in the making yesterday.

The Ballina Public School student was playing his trumpet in the brass category of the Lismore Eisteddfod, and he won each of the six sections in which he competed.

Bodhi, 12, has been playing the instrument for three-and-a-half years and has a preference for ‘jazzy-type styles, likes blues and swing’.

One of his jazz heroes is Louis Armstrong, while another favourite is James Morrison, who he met once in Grafton.

Bodhi practises for about 90 minutes a day, but much of that is in preparation for shows he has to play with the Ballina Shire Concert Band, or the shire’s Dixieland Jazz Band, or the band formed by his school and Ballina High.

His future lies in music, Bodhi said – ‘something to do with the trumpet’, was as specific as he could get right now.

Eisteddfod secretary Val Axtens said Bodhi had ‘a great gift’.

“He has a very mature sound for a little boy,” she said.

Bodhi believes he’s the only musical one in the family – though he thinks there’s a great uncle in New Zealand who plays the trombone.

Sam Handford was another boy to do well yesterday.

The Casino Public School pupil also has a flair for jazzy kinds of songs, said his teacher, Cheryl Siddon – though his favourite number at the moment is Advance Australia Fair. “It has some higher notes in it that you really have to aim for,” Sam said.

Sam says he practises ‘very occasionally’ – that is, four or five times a week – because he has had so much else on this year, including footy and campdrafting.

He said he was ‘really happy’ to have done so well yesterday, with one first spot and two seconds in the three sections he entered.

The eisteddfod continues today, with the first of two days of piano competitions.

It finishes on September 24.