The 17-year-old Waitaki Boys’ High School pupil was recently named a finalist in a prestigious European guitar competition.
Joseph made the cut in the Guitar Masters final, a classical and fingerstyle competition part of a popular guitar festival held in Wroclaw, Poland.
In an attempt to qualify, Joseph made a video of himself playing that led to his being named among the top 24 to perform at the National Forum of Music.
He is now raising funds for his trip to Poland, which he described as one of the most significant moments in his fledgling career.
"This is the biggest thing I’ve done so far. I’ve played and competed around New Zealand and Australia but I’m pretty excited to play in Europe, as it’s a big scene over there.
"It’s a great opportunity to get some exposure overseas. Some of the other guys [in the final] were people I used to follow and learn from online, so I’m stoked to make it through to the final."
He is putting together a 25-minute set for the next round of the competition, which will be held in November.
Joseph said among the judges were some of the "greatest players in the world", such as Martin Taylor and Tommy Emmanuel, with whom he had performed in the past.
"I’ll be doing my best but I’m really happy to have got through and be judged at the highest level," he said.
A Givealittle page, Get Joseph to the Guitar Masters Final in Poland, has been set up and has so far raised $2460.
Joseph, a self-taught guitarist who has been playing for about seven years, is staging a fundraising concert at the Waitaki Boys’ High School auditorium on October 13 and is working on other fundraising ideas.
- Oamaru Mail
