“I’m inspired by all types of music, whether it be drum and bass, classical music or folk songs. Anything that has heart and soul is something that inspires me, and even my song writing itself.”

- ACG Sunderland Year 13 student, Erin Geraghty

Sharing her thoughts on musical inspirations was all it took for ACG Sunderland Year 13 student, Erin Geraghty, to win a Gibson Les Paul Studio Tribute Guitar in a recent NZ Rockshop competition.

Loyally committed to a whole host of musical heroes, from the Beatles and Queen to Kimbra, Coldplay and local Kiwi artists, this talented singer/songwriter confirms that her musical influences are difficult to pin down. “I definitely couldn’t choose one song or artist to be inspired by” she says. “Everybody fuels everybody else.”

“I write a mishmash of indie and alternative music, but I have found that the songs I write reflect the artists that I was listening to at that time. I am really interested in experimenting with jazz fusion sounds at the moment.”

A born performer, Erin began learning the piano at age three, and also plays the violin, guitar, ukulele, saxophone and flute, along with many percussion instruments including marimba, vibraphone and glockenspiel.

Involved in a number of concert bands over the years, Erin is currently focusing her energies on a rock back she co-founded called The Moon Children. Having been together for over five years, the band celebrated great success in 2019 after placing second at Smokefree Rockquest Auckland Central finals.

“We all have really grown up through this musical journey” says Erin. “Our songs and skills have matured and our drive to enter competitions, and to keep performing as much as we can, has definitely helped us be the musicians we are today. I always love learning new things and trying different genres and styles.”

Erin’s passion for music is reflected in the detail she finds within each song. “My favourite part of music is listening closely to it and hearing instruments and sounds that aren’t as obvious. Like how the Beatles recorded their songs with different sounds on different sides of the speaker” she reports. “I collect vinyl and the satisfying experience of listening to albums one by one, in order of how the artist wants you to listen to their work, is just amazing.”

While Erin plans to study business and communication at university, majoring in media and audio, she is certain that music will continue to play a big part in her future. “I am planning to continue recording my songs right after my external exams conclude, and hopefully will release my EP mid next year” she says. “I’ll always try to incorporate music into my life, and will continue to do gigs, write songs and even run music workshops in my local community. As long as I’m doing something creative with music - then I’m happy.”