Young musician inspired by Elvis
The King is alive and living in Palmerston North - or at least his music and mojo live on - in Carson Taare.
The 15-year-old Palmerston North Boys’ High pupil hopes to have a career in music and Elvis Presley is his guiding light.
‘‘I look up to him heaps, I’ve got posters all over my bedroom and he’s my main inspiration for singing as well as guitar. I sort of want to be like the next Elvis Presley.’’
Carson busks and plays gigs at cafes and bars. At one of his performances he was heard by jazz singer Rodger Fox, who invited him to sing two Frank Sinatra songs with his band in the Let the Good Times Roll concert at The Regent on August 20.
‘‘I’m practising them all the time, in class I’ll be tapping on my desk and humming.’’
Carson fell into singing when he was about eight after listening and singing along to the radio with his Grandpa to the likes of Elvis, Glen Campbell, Frank Sinatra and Tom Jones.
Now he sings with a school choir and barbershop quartet, is a member of the New Zealand Secondary Schools Choir and takes lessons with singing teacher Erna Ferry.
He loves good songs from any genre but especially pop, country and anything Elvis.
‘‘I perform a lot of his songs and listen to a lot of his songs. I learn from Elvis’ stage presence, his vocal technique, the way that he sung and pick up how to write a song and the feeling he put into it.’’
To enter this year’s Manawatu Smokefree Rockquest Carson tried his hand at songwriting and was blown away when he won the best vocals award and came second in the the solo/duo category.
He’s now waiting for the results from the nationals, which will be judged from video entries, and announced in September.
‘‘It’s exciting. I submitted five original songs. It was indie-pop, just me and my guitar.’’
When he finishes school, Carson plans to head study music at university, and his ultimate goal is to work full time as a musician.