Ryan Chelva’s song writing skills have put him on a national scale. 84386 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By XAVIER SMERDON
WHEN Ryan Chelva moved to Australia from Malaysia two years ago he never knew he had a musical ability that could win him national awards.
The Point Cook teenager was chosen to take part in the Music: Count Us In initiative which brings students together from schools all over Australia to rehearse and perform the same song on the same day and time.
Ryan was paired up with fellow songwriters Sun Kim Woo from Sydney and Jorja Bromley from Shepparton to create the song with Josh Pike that will be performed by about 500,000 students and teachers.
Recording for the song, Different People, will start soon and it will be performed on Thursday 1 November.
“The target age group for the song was six-year-olds and the whole initiative is about creating an appreciation for music really,” Ryan said.
“It was quite fun going to Sydney and meeting Josh Pike. I learnt so much from him.”
The Heathdale Christian College student has been playing guitar his whole life but only recently started learning to play the piano and discovering his song writing talents.
“It (writing songs) just started so suddenly and so abruptly because I wrote my first song in about 15 minutes and everyone liked it and encouraged me so much that it just took off from there,” he said.
“In Malaysia there is not much focus on music in schools so when I came to this school they had so many initiatives that it was something for me to work towards.
“Music will definitely be a big part of the rest of my life.”
For more information visit www.musiccountusin.org.au
