A TALENTED teenager from York is one of just 30 finalists in a national song-writing competition.

Singer songwriter Maggie Wakeling from Heworth has had her original song Are you OK? selected from more than 1,000 entries for the Song Academy UK/Ireland and International Young song writing competition.

Read next:

 

Eighteen-year-old Maggie, is a former Archbishop Holgate's CE School pupil who now attends CAPA performing arts college in Wakefield and has been writing and performing since the age of 10.

Singer songwriter Maggie Wakeling from Heworth

Singer songwriter Maggie Wakeling from Heworth

Maggie said: "It’s a really tough competition as the standard is incredibly high and a lot of the entries are fully produced, so I was really honoured to have had my unproduced song chosen. It’s just my piano and my voice.

“The music industry is so difficult to get into and to get your songs heard by producers and record labels is even harder. This competition is a great way to do that as the judges are all well-known influential, writers and producers.

“Having Are you OK? chosen means a great deal to me. The song was written about struggles with anxiety and how it physically manifests itself. But the key message of the song is about keeping going and staying strong despite the voices in your head telling you otherwise. There have been a number of occasions when music, either listening to it or writing it, has got me through and if my music can help others in the same way then that’s what I am striving for.”

Her mum and dad, Ruth and Paul, said: "We are incredibly proud of Maggie. Trying to pursue a career in music is so difficult and she is a very humble person and often doesn’t realise just how good she is.

“We couldn’t believe it when we saw her name in the top 30 finalists as this was the first year she had entered, and a for a number of the entries this was their 4th or 5th year. We are really excited for her and for the next stage of the competition.

Among the celebrities on the judging panel are singers Callum Scott (Dancing on my Own), Dan Gillespie Sells from The Feeling and Janet Devlin from the X Factor. The top 10 finalists are due to be announced next Friday.

Maggie is playing the role of Margaret New in Jamie the Musical in May at Theatre @ 41 but she also regularly gigs in and around Yorkshire.

To listen to the song go to: https://soundcloud.com/song_academy/sets/says23-uk-ireland-16-18-year

Follow Maggie on Instagram @maggiemaemusic or her website maggiewakeling.weebly.com