Edward's song is a hit at music contest

Seventeen-year-old Edward Smith has been made a finalist in the prestigious UK Songwriting Contest.
Edward Smiths song Walls and Bridges was a winnerEdward Smiths song Walls and Bridges was a winner
Edward Smiths song Walls and Bridges was a winner

His song Walls and Bridges achieved the highest possible score for his category, under-18s.

The competition is acclaimed worldwide and is sponsored by the BRIT Trust and some of the biggest names in the UK and international music communities.

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Edward, of Edinburgh, said: I have been writing songs for a few years and I play guitar and keyboard.

“I really enjoy writing music and producing music for myself and many others. I have most recently published Hills of Skye, another of my songs, on Spotify under the name Answers and I am also in an electronic duo called Themes which has over a thousand listens on one particular song, called Nights, which is on many streaming sites.”

Everyone who enters this prestigious international contest is told the judges’ score for each song submitted and gets an official UKSC Certificate with details of their song’s achievements.

Judges include British producer Stuart Epps, who has worked with Elton John, Robbie Williams and Oasis. Top producer and arranger Richard Niles – who has worked with Paul McCartney, Kylie Minogue, Take That and Mariah Carey – is also on the panel, he has.

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Merchiston Castle School student Edward said: “I am really happy to have got to the finals of the UK Songwriting Contest 2016 as it is a very prestigious competition which is well respected by the music industry.

“Although it is a UK-based competition, people enter from all over the world.

“My song Walls and Bridges was awarded a very high mark of nine. Only one or two per cent of people achieve that score so I was incredibly thankful to the competition judges who are Grammy, Emmy and BRIT Award-winning gold and platinum producers and artists.

“My song will be included in an album of songs which will be pitched to the music industry as a promo album.”

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Edward said he hopes to go on to study music production in the future.

The talanted teenager added: “I will keep writing and performing my music as much as I can. In fact, I enjoyed busking at this years Fringe Festival so keep a look out on the streets during next year’s Festival as I plan to do it again.”

The UK Songwriting Contest is one of the world’s longest running and most popular international songwriting events.

It was launched in London in 2002 in association with the aim of “discovering and encouraging new songwriting talent and promoting the craft of songwriting”.

Edward was one of just 20 around the world to make it to the final of the under-18 category.

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