Sweet sounds: Geelong’s Sweethearts in action.
By Cherie Donnellan
IMAGINE being a Geelong teenager followed around Europe by a film crew.
That was the glamorous experience of Geelong Motown group Sweethearts earlier this year.
The Independent spoke to two of the group’s backing vocalists, Geneva Burrill and Sarah Tolley, about performing to international audiences and filming for ABC’s Heart and Soul documentary while completing VCE.
Tolley dubbed performing at Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival and Italy’s Porretta Soul Festival in July an “amazing experience”.
“Being with friends, touring the world and playing at major music festivals was fantastic,” she said.
Burrill likewise enjoyed the limelight.
“Yeah, it was cool that people thought we were famous because we were being followed by cameras.”
Tolley and Burrill agreed being filmed was “strange and confronting” in the beginning.
But Burrill expected the documentary to become a “good memento”.
Since returning to Geelong Sweethearts’ members have been practising weekly to gear up for their performance at Queenscliff Music Festival in November.
“We’ve performed there for the last three years,” Tolley proudly declared.
Burrill praised the festival, saying the group had “a great relationship” with the organisers.
“The QMF organisers have set us up with workshops previously with artists who come in to teach us and work with us.
“It’s just fantastic.”
Burrill admitted the group’s regular performances at venues worldwide had earned them a “great following”.
“To be able to do this while we’re still in high school is amazing.”
Tolley summarised the girls’ experience in the band as a high point in music.
“We get to explore Motown and soul – the roots of where all music has evolved – and we get to do things some long-time artists have yet to do.
“What could be better than that?”
Based at Geelong’s Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College, the band has been together since the mid 1990s. The college offers band members the opportunity to study Certificate IV in music, the highest industry-based musical qualification available in Australian schools.
Sweethearts will perform at Queenscliff Music Festival November 24.
The ABC documentary is set to air April 2013.
