ELLIENA VERY IN TUNE WITH MUSICAL PASSIONS
LEARNING to play a single instrument can be difficult. This Gold Coast teenager has mastered 10.
Oh, and she also sings. Elliena Escott can play the trumpet, piano, guitar, ukulele, French horn, trombone, saxophone, violin, cello and drums.
The 16-year-old said she had “never found it difficult” to learn to play instruments. It “just kinda comes naturally”.
“In primary school I started singing in choirs,” said Elliena, who has three sisters and one brother. “Then I joined an orchestra and concert band in Year 6.
“I picked up the trumpet and my teacher suggested I learn the French horn.
“My siblings play guitar so they taught me that. I just love learning instruments and want to keep learning.”
The Trinity Lutheran College student said she practised for “hours” every day and her weekends were spent busking around the Gold Coast and performing at the Brisbane Conservatorium with the Queensland youth orchestras.
Her dream is to become a film soundtrack composer and she hopes to go to study at somewhere like Berkeley or New York universities.
Elliena, who admits the French horn is her favourite instrument, has been selected as a finalist in Score IT!, a competition held by Queensland Music Festival.
Dozens of music students from around the state were asked to compose music to a film at the Griffith Film School.
“This one was very unique,” she said. “It’s about a man in outback Australia who lost his wife and has to face the dangers of the desert. I embedded a lot of aboriginal culture sounds into my piece.”
The winner will be announced on July 25 at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University.