When Serpentine resident Stuart Pottinger came across a music course one day while online, little did he know it would be the start of his daughter’s journey to becoming a professional musician.
Sally Pottinger, 15, has since been accepted into the Australian Academy of Country Music in Tamworth, NSW and has been getting ready to make her way there in the next few weeks.
The Serpentine Jarrahdale Grammar School student said she could not believe it.
“Dad did some recordings on his computer and we sent it all off,” she said.
“The academy sent me an email saying that I’ve been accepted and I thought oh my God.”
Sally said her music career started two years ago with guitar lessons and some vocal training.
“My dad received a guitar one Christmas and I wanted to play it so I got music lessons from school and have been playing ever since learning from my music school and using YouTube to learn songs,” she said.
“Mum plays the piano and the flute and both my parents are good singers though they won’t admit it.”
Aside from her father Sally has cited Kasey Chambers, Sunny Cowgirls, Adam Harvey and Beccy Cole as some of her influences.
“Music brings people together,” she said.
“I really love it when I play a song people know and they sing along, I also like it when I play one of my songs and the guys at Serpy pub clap and tell me to keep writing songs for them.
“It’s such a thrill to play my guitar and sing a song and watch the guy at the bar tapping his foot in time.”
Sally has been a regular at the Serpentine Rib and Steakhouse and she has also played at the Byford Markets.
She said she bought her first guitar after getting paid for performing at the opening of the suburb of Whitby some time ago and one day hopes to go to Nashville in America but for now is excited about flying to Tamworth.
“Country music is big over there,” she said.
“I can’t wait to meet people my age who love the genre just as much as me and learn all sorts of new things about performing with teachers who have exceptional experience.”
Mr Pottinger said he is very proud of his daughter.
“The Serpy pub have been fantastic and the guys there like her music and encourage her to learn new songs and keep going,” he said.
“I am so proud that Sally has started with music and continued to work so hard to make a hobby into a potential career.”
