Darcy Monteath
IF there is a performance happening at Logan Park High School, Darcy
Monteath wants to be involved.
The 18yearold head prefect is interested in almost any form of show or creative pursuit, a passion that has enabled her to claim awards both on and off the stage.
She started piano when she was 8 and played for about five years, but spent time away from music until she started at Logan Park High School and wanted to join the school band.
Her music teacher, Mr Dodd, put her on the bass guitar.
She quickly fell in love with the instrument and started practising every day.
‘‘It felt like it was my instrument’’
Bass is a key part of jazz and she enjoys being immersed in the music they play.
Her love for music has helped her bands take the runnerup position and a gold award at last year’s Southern Jam, second place in last year’s Showquest and first place in the Dunedin Youth
Jazz Festival twice.
She was personally awarded the best bassist award at the festival twice.
She also loves acting and took on the role of Macbeth in last year’s local Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Competition, in which her group won best pupildirected ensemble and come runnerup for best fiveminute piece.
When she was not thinking about the stage, Darcy spent her time writing.
She had always enjoyed writing, but started taking it seriously in year 10.
From there, her passion grew and the success followed.
She was a runnerup in the National Schools Poetry Award competition last year, came first in the 2020 Poetry New Zealand Yearbook competition and third in the Sargeson New Zealand Short Story Competition that same year.
This year she had spent time as one of the four pupils across the country selected for the New Zealand Society of Authors youth mentorship programme.
She shared her love of writing with others and helped host a fortnightly group for young Dunedin writers, where they could share their work, give feedback and feel safe expressing themselves.
She was still not sure what her future would hold, but no matter what she would stay involved with writing and music.
Achievements: Southern Jam big band runnerup (2021); Southern Jam gold award (2021); Dunedin Youth Jazz Festival 1st place jazz band (2020, 2021), best bassist (2020, 2021); 1st place jazz combo (2021); Sheilah Winn Shakespeare best student directed ensemble (2021); Showquest 2nd (2021); NZSA youth mentor programme (2022); National School’s Poetry award finalist (2021); Poetry NZ 1st (2020); Sargeson competition 3rd place (2020); Level 1, 2 excellence (2020, 2021); head prefect (2022). Role model: Her brother. Hopes for the future: Still deciding, but wants to stay with music and writing.