Aylesbury school student reaches final of national songwriting competition

An Aylesbury School student has made the finals of a national songwriting competition.

Iola Campbell, 13, is one of the 30 finalists in The Song Academy’s search for the best young creatives.

Iola has been shortlisted in the 13-15-year-old category in the UK and Ireland for her entry, Another Time.

Out of thousands of entrants the schoolgirl from Northall was selected for her entry which focused on mental health.

She wrote, composed and arranged the song which you can listen to hear on SoundCloud.

Iola said: “I started writing Another Time because I wanted to be able to express my opinion on an issue that isn’t talked about enough. I’d written a few songs before but they were all quite humorous, and this was the first where I tried to convey a more serious message.

“The song is basically about mental health. I’ve had anxiety before and found it very challenging, so the topic is quite important to me. My song communicates the hope that anyone struggling with their mental health manages to find a way out and get better.

"Part of the song also talks about trying to directly help people who are finding things hard. I thought that was important to include because it’s sometimes really difficult to see a way out no matter what others do to help.

“In summary, when writing Another Time, I was inspired by the complex topic of mental health and the difficulties around helping people get better. I wanted to create something that could theoretically bring comfort to someone who is struggling.”

It is the 13th year that the Song Academy has run its competition challenging musical youngsters to get creative.

Each year winners are selected in separate age categories starting at eight going all the way up to 18.

It is aimed at both spiring young songwriters who already have some experience as well as young people who want to write their first tune.

Judges who select the upcoming shortlists in each category have recent experience in the music industry.

The final three will be announced on 13 June and invited to a summer camp, winners will be confirmed at a live show in Notting Hill on 23 September.