Epoch Musical Instruments - Danielle Welborn

Emma Barlow

Emma Barlow is a 17 year old musician who has spent the last 3 years competing and performing in venues across South East Queensland and down to the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

Emma was born in Brisbane and by the time she was two her musical talent was already showing. Soon after, Emma's parents moved to the Gold Coast where she started learning classical violin at the age of 8. After many years of practice, orchestras and eisteddfods, 2004 opened a new page for Emma when her family moved to Gympie.

She enrolled in the Country Music School of Excellence where she met Dr. Geoff Walden - Dr Rock - who first introduced her to country music. In 2005 Emma won best female strings player at the Gympie Eisteddfod, following this up with her first fiddling performance at The Gympie Muster, which led straight to playing with The Fiddlers Feast that night.

From then on Emma fell in love with the country scene and has played fiddle with Troy Cassar-Daley, Sara Storer, Pixie Jenkins, Tulca Mor and Ryan Sampson. She is part of the dynamic country rock band Craig Morrison and the Little Cowboys, playing with them at venues as diverse as the Tamworth Country Music Festival, Gympie Muster, Mud Bulls and Music festival and the Bridge Hotel Sydney.

On Emma's first trip to Tamworth Country music festival in 2006, she won the No Holds Barred fiddle competition, was awarded 3rd in the Toohey's talent quest and was a grand finalist in both the 2006 and 2007 Young Aristocrat Entertainer of the Year competition. Since then, Tamworth has been the scene for some of Emma's most exciting and rewarding music experiences, which include busking in Peel Street, performances at The Pub, the Andrew Clermont Supperclub, and the Tamworth West Leagues Club. In 2008 she had the privilege of performing with the Little Cowboys in the Tomkins Showcase, following acts such as Beccy Cole, Travis Collins and Steve Ford, and also played fiddle for the legendary Webb Brothers when they received a lifetime music award.

Emma sings, plays fiddle and guitar for the Gympie-based country/folk trio "Crossroads", who were Grand Finalists in the 2007 Caboolture Urban Country Music Festival and took 3rd place in the Queensland Champion of Champions. She was also fiddler for the Bluegrass band "The Mudrats" when they won the Grand Final of the 2007 Great Kilkivan Horse Ride Talent Search.

Song writing is one of Emma's strongest musical passions, with her work being short listed in the ASAI National Song Writing Competition and in the CCMA Top 20 Awards at this year's Tamworth. Having finished high school last year, Emma is now ready to spread her wings and take her music career to new heights in 2008 and beyond.

www.craigmorrison.com.au