NZ student to join music's elite at US college

ACG Strathallan past student, Mitchell French, is off to Boston to study music at the Berklee College of Music. This is no small deal as the college's alumni includes John Mayer, Melissa Etheridge, Quincy Jones and Diana Krall as well as members of Aerosmith, Steely Dan and the Dixie Chicks.

Having graduated from Strathallan last year, Mitchell was one of thousands of applicants world-wide to apply for a place at this prestigious university. After his application was accepted, he then had to travel to Singapore for an audition and interview. Mitchell’s mother Karen says “It was always going to be a tough process. Of those that get invited for audition and interview, only a third get accepted.”

Mitchell and his parents are understandably “very excited” and ACG Strathallan music teacher, Bruce Wilson, notes that Mitchell is “in the right place to make it all happen.” Berklee is one of the top music colleges in the world and Mitchell is only the tenth student from New Zealand to be accepted to study at the college.

A talented singer, songwriter, guitarist and drummer, Mitchell contributed enormously to the musical life of the school during his five years of study at ACG Strathallan. He was involved in four musical productions and also took a lead role in each of the ACG New Zealand Schools’ concerts, Imagine in 2010 and Times Like These in 2011. He even played alongside Justin Bieber when he visited the school in 2010.

Mitchell’s tremendous talent has also been recognised at a national level, including achieving third place in the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Song Writer of the Year competition last year.

Mitchell travels to Boston in May to embark on the four year course of study.