CANBERRA-RAISED musician, Lani Brouwer Hughes, has been named as the digital heat winner in the Telstra Road to Discovery music development program. 

Originally from Canberra, she took off in 2007 on a road trip through Victoria, NSW and Queensland, and, on finding herself in a Helenvale near Cape York, taught herself a few chords on the guitar while working behind the bar at the Lion’s Den Hotel.

It was in the pub that she was “discovered” by Australian country musician  Bill Chambers, who acts as her mentor and performs alongside her around Cairns.

Hughes, currently studying for a Certificate Three in Music at Tropical North Queensland TAFE, will be flown to Melbourne later this month to take part in a three day music mentoring workshop.

She will also perform in the Semi-Final event at the Queenscliff Music Festival in Victoria on November 24. If successful at the Semi-Final, she will receive $1,000 cash and progress through to the Telstra Road to Discovery Final at the 2013 Tamworth Country Music Festival in January.

The ultimate winners will each receive a 12-month music mentorship which consists of a return trip to Nashville USA, including a gig at the Americana Festival, gigs in Australia and New Zealand, and  a tailored music development fund.

For more details visit www.telstra.com/trtd