Ten-year-old Katoomba singer Allegra Dunning is headed for the hot streets of Tamworth for the annual country music festival this month.
Allegra was selected to perform at the festival and will be on the Regional Australian Bank Stage on Australia Day, January 26, at noon.
She will hold back the nerves and perform four original songs with a bluesy, folk feel, as well as a Led Zeppelin number. Allegra will look on the opportunity to watch and learn as a performer.
“I’m just doing it for the fun,” she said. “I’d really like to see Casey Chambers and I just want to see some of the performers and the way they interact with the audience.”
Earlier this year she was one of eight singers from Katoomba High and Blue Mountains Grammar in the group Vocalocity, to score third place in the Australian A Cappella Awards school band division championship final in Melbourne against top teams from all over Australia and New Zealand.
They were one of only two NSW groups to be successful with a top three placing.
Allegra was the first primary school student to have performed at the championships and did the lead vocals on the popular Dolly Parton country hit Jolene. She has dropped out of the group because of solo commitments.
Allegra will perform at Katoomba’s Lady Luck festival, the Illawarra Folk Festival and St Albans Folk Festival this year.
When she is not writing music or playing a variety of instruments (guitar, drums, piano and ukelele) she busks in Katoomba and Leura to help pay for her music lessons and to save up to make her own EP with original songs.
“Allegra often hands over a bag of coins to her music teachers,” Mum, Jo Dunning said.
The talented singer is halfway towards her goal to raise the $4,500 needed to record an album, and has also had offers to perform overseas.
“She’s got a busy few months ahead,” Mrs Dunning said.
