UnCovereD Songwriting Competition Winners

Winner – Razi Van Haeften - Untitled

I had one idea, a simple 3 / 4 ostinato I just started playing on my keyboard one day. I liked it, but I couldn’t make up anything else to go with it. So, after getting bored I started coding, playing around with the Web Audio API, scrolling through documentation, and writing JavaScript code I couldn’t fully understand. A sine wave played from my computer, unfortunately it was 1200 Hertz. After a lot of frustration, I eventually coded a 2:3:5:7:11:13 polyrhythm, each note with a frequency from the same pentatonic scale as my original ostinato. Of course, most of it was chaos, but there were tiny sections that sounded all right. I wrote them out in Ableton and moved a few notes around randomly. I added some chords and finished it. The actual project name in Ableton was still “yuiajk”, as I couldn’t be bothered naming it properly and just spammed the keyboard. Still unable to think of a name I called it [Untitled].  I didn’t like it too much in the end, and so I started my next piece Prime Numbers which was inspired and named after the same 2:3:5:7:11:13 polyrhythm. I’m glad I submitted Untitled; I think I like it more now.

Runner Up - Peter Harvey - Callumnity Instrumantal

My name is Peter Harvey, and I have been learning music since I was 8 years old. I started on piano in 2018, trumpet in 2019, and trombone in 2023. The first musical group I joined was the Darwin City Brass Band, and I have also been playing (and singing) in various NT Music School ensembles. I have also performed with Vocalective, and recently, Arafura Wind Ensemble. I am interested in arranging music for concert bands, and sometimes jazz bands and small groups.

The piece I wrote for Uncovered, Callumnity, was created on Soundtrap, and was named as such as it symbolises my primary thought around my brother Callum, a calamity.

Winner  – Gadisha Brittan

My name is Gladisha, I am 14 years old, I was born and raised in Darwin. I started singing when I was only 2 years old and I really love singing. As time went on, I was getting more into rap music, I enjoy both singing and rapping. In 2023, I got the chance to meet my favourite RnB artist, Kennyon Brown, I sand a remixed version of his original song ‘Lady-Love’. I then performed with him in front of the whole town, I had so many good comments afterwards on how I was a very talented singer. Kennyon told me to follow my dreams and never stop singing. His words really inspired me, my parents also have been encouraging me and telling me that I really had a good talent.

Then first song I wrote was about my friend Zara, we grew up living on the same street, but then Zara and her mum had moved out of that house to a new place, it wasn’t long before they moved to Alice Springs. Zara calls me all the time saying how much she misses us and that we miss her too. But every now and then, she will come back to Darwin and stays with me a bit. She was so excited to hear the new song about her, she was so glad when she heard the song. I’m so glad to have a great friend/sister like Jazara.

Winner  – Mia Grosser - Best Lyrics

I've been involved in music for a long time being a part of NTMS choirs for the last 9 years and having started learning to play guitar when I was 8 years old.  Now at 17 I've been a gigging musician around Darwin for nearly 4 years and get so much joy from being able to play live music and perform for people.



I love being able to play my own music and am often inspired by the lives of people around me as well as my own to write. The songs "Committing it to memory" means a lot to me as it is written about Christmas and my family. It’s a collection of my memories and favourite moments through my life.

Winner  – Rupankita Roy - Wagaman School

Runner Up - Eliana Green - Casuarina St Primary - Katherine

Runner Up  – Jed Heathwood