Mike Chunn to speak at dinner

Split Enz co-founder Mike Chunn has bolstered his support of young Wakatipu musical talent by offering to talk about his extraordinary career at a fundraising dinner and share his expertise in a special youth workshop.

The former chief executive of the Australasian Performing Right Association (Apra) for 11 years, author, past Mushroom NZ record company head and present chief executive of the music programme for schools trust Play it Strange was already confirmed as as guest judge in the grand final of the 2010 Ultimate Battle of the Musos competition, on Friday, September 24.

X-it Youth Centre, the competition hosts and organisers, announced this week Chunn had also agreed to be the guest speaker for A Dinner at the Heritage Queenstown, on the following Saturday.

The winners of the third annual competition will perform their winning set at the dinner, and have an opportunity to join Chunn at his table.

Additional young acts will perform acoustic sets throughout the evening.

The Stanley St youth centre has also organised Chunn to facilitate a workshop for Wakatipu High School music pupils, on Thursday, September 23.

X-it youth worker Fi Sawers said Wakatipu youth were extraordinarily talented.

"In purchasing a ticket, not only will you hear their musicianship and their passion, you will be served a three-course dinner by Heritage Queenstown, and if all that was not enough in itself, you will hear Mike Chunn talk about his life."

• A Dinner with Mike Chunn at Heritage Queenstown, Saturday, September 25, 7pm to 11.30pm. Tickets, $75 each for a table of 10, or $79 for individuals, are now available from Unichem Wilkinsons Pharmacy and Unichem Remarkables Pharmacy.