RISING country music star Charlie Fittler has landed a spot in the prestigious Junior Country Music Academy.
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The 15-year-old Armidale boy made the final of the Toyota LandCruiser Country Music Busking Championships in January.
“I came off a farm and country music has always stuck,” he said.
“Most of us that are going are looking for a career in the music, that’s what the academy is really pushing – it’s a week of extensive practice, career building, song writing, performance, stage craft, all the things you need to build up a career.”
Some of the biggest names in country music will share their secrets at the academy, including Travis Collins, Amber Lawrence and Lyn Bowtell.
Just 20 musicians are selected to take part from across Australia and New Zealand.
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Charlie has hit up open mic nights in Armidale for more than a year, and was scouted at the Tamworth Country Music Festival for the busker competition.
“Out of about four hundred people only ten get selected to perform,” he said.
“I was pretty nervous when I first played but you get used to it – with the bigger crowds you still get butterflies.
“I always wanted to be the Keith Urban person and play in front of the biggest crowds, I never looked at putting all the effort in, but after doing some open mics and learning guitar I might as well get something out of it.”
Recording his own music is one of Charlie’s dreams, and he’s just started writing some original songs.
“My style is kind of country, it’s everything that comes along in life,” he said.
The Junior Academy of Country Music course runs from July 7 to 15 at Calrossy Campus in Tamworth.