Song of heartbreak and hope wins prestigious local song contest

GEELONG singer/songwriter Elizabeth Riordan has been judged the winner of the 2023 Art of the Minds Festival Surf Coast Song Contest.

Ms Riordan moved an audience of more than 100 people at the Torquay Bowls Club with her song ‘Discoveries”, which detailed her mental health journey and the devastation of losing her friend to cancer.

The Geelong artist’s performance was selected from a total of 13 shortlisted finalists, who all delivered material focused on mental health, wellbeing, hope and the power of nature as a healing mechanism.

For her efforts, she recieved a $1,000 cash prize from the Torquay Lions Club, a professional musical studio session with professional producer Michael Stangel and eight hours of free studio time provided by Oxygen College.

Ms Riordan said she was thrilled to be selected as the winner from a “star-studded field”.

“It was really exciting to take it out after coming third last year.

“The brief of the song contest was about the benefits of nature for mental health.

“My song Discoveries was developed by my experiences of losing a close friend to cancer and my favourite memories with her being our times spent at the beach.

“The song details how I go and write her a message in the sand each year, and how the waves help to wash away the messages and the pain.

“This song and my new album Songs I Wrote As Therapy is all about mental health and going through IVF and infertility too, which encapsulates all Art of the Minds is about.”

Art of the Minds president Jules Haddock said the winning song “was incredibly beautiful”.

“Elizabeth’s song was a really fine example of sharing the journey of mental illness and how nature has helped to facilitate her journey of wellness.

“We’ve never had such an excellent caliber of musicians like Elizabeth, it was wonderful.

“Her song will now be our song for the 2024 Art of the Minds Festival and we couldn’t be more proud.

“A huge thanks goes to the Lions Club of Torquay for their amazing support and helping to spread the word of the contest.”

The Surf Coast Song Contest is a key event on the Art of the Minds mental health and wellbeing festival offering.