BREAKING into the music business is tough.
But it's even tougher when you're a country musician, according to 17-year-old Kirsty Lee Akers.
"With country music it's not really a popular genre with younger people,'' Akers said.
Despite playing songs that appealed more to ``old ducks'' rather than her peers, she has no plans to change her style.
And so far doing something different has served her well.
Last month on July 31 the singer/songwriter and guitarist from Stanford Merthyr won $6000 for performing two original songs at the Star Quest talent competition grand final at Campbelltown Catholic Club in Sydney.
She was two points shy of the $45,000 first prize.
The money will go towards a trip to Nashville, America's home of country music, or recording a CD, a follow-up to the single Akers has just recorded.
Titled Bashed Up Beaten Battered Broken Heart, she said the song was inspired by her neighbour's love life rather than her own.
Last month's talent competition win follows a number of other achievements including a lead role in Star Struck 2005 nfand winning a talent quest at the Telstra Country Music Festival in January, which earned her a scholarship for a six-week course at Tamworth's Camerata country music school.
Making it to the top 70 in last year's Australian Idol is another credit.
Akers is completing her High School Certificate this year and squeezed in her latest talent competition win in between studying for her trial exams which began earlier this month.
Juggling study and music was hard, but the teachers at her school, Kurri Kurri High, were understanding, she said.
She will play Smithfield RSL in Sydney this Sunday and will appear at the Toyota National Country Music Muster in Gympie from August 23 to 28.
She plays every Wednesday night at Hexham Bowling Club Horseshoe Bend Roundup.
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