The 17 year old is heading back to Tamworth in July for her second stint in Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA) Junior Academy and she could not be more thrilled.
‘‘They asked me to come back through the Byrnes Family Scholarship which was lovely and I’m very excited to be returning,’’ she said.
The academy program gives young artists aged from 10-18 the chance to join the cream of Australian country music.
Seven-time Golden Guitar winner Lyn Bowtell leads the academy as director with fellow Golden Guitar winner and Bushwackers member Roger Corbett as general manager. Leading the groups this year will be Simon Johnson, Fanny Lumsden, Mickey Pye and David Carter.
In 2017 Madi set off to Tamworth for the first time to take part in the program.
‘‘I decided to go back to the academy because last time I was involved I had no idea about the music industry. I was just starting out and I was so nervous and had no experience,’’ she said.
‘‘But now I’ve got some experience I can benefit more.’’
Since her 2017 graduation, Madi has performed around the state with Multicultural Victoria, on the ABC and 3 Rivers Festival stages, worked with APRA AMCO at the Abbey Road studios in Melbourne and performed alongside our homegrown talents Benny Walker and Isaiah Firebrace.
The Moama local credits the academy with giving her the courage to take a leap into the music industry.
With her sound encompassing multiple genres, as soon as Madi opens her mouth she captivates her audience.
And she hopes to continue her pursuit of music for a long time to come.
‘‘I’ve been told my sound is mainly a mix between country and indie and it’s a little bit alternative,’’ she said.
‘‘I’ve always thought there was a bit of folk in there too.
‘‘I come from a really musical family where music has always been around and I’m really grateful for that. My grandfather Archie Walker was an incredible musician and I want to make my family proud of me.
‘‘At my final performance at the academy last time I was on stage in front of all these people. Even though I was nervous I felt really comfortable up there.
‘‘I definitely see music as my career.’’
The CMAA Junior Academy runs from July 6-12 with the final performance event on July 12.
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