SHE might only be 12-years-old, but Lia Maras is on track for a bright future in music.

The Queanbeyan resident, in Year 7 at The Anglican School Googong, discovered her passion for singing and music at just four.

Fast forward about eight years and Lia has been named this year’s songwriter of the year by the Australian Children’s Music Foundation (ACMF) for her song “Clover”.

“I am very excited and very grateful,” she said. “It came as a surprise, and was hard to take in at first.”

Lia, a first-time entrant in the ACMF’s National Songwriting Competition, saw off competition from 1500 other hopefuls to be crowned 2022 Songwriter of the Year.

She also picked up first prize in the Year 7-8 school grade category. 

The annual competition, in its 20th year, is open to school-aged children who are asked to write an original song and submit it for judging.

Lia’s winning song “Clover”, which she sang herself, took her a few days to write and about a month to record.

The song is about the beauty of nature.

“Like the rain at school, someone’s eyes and clovers and things,” she said.

“There are a lot of clovers at school so I thought it would be cool to write about.”

Lia, who counts Coldplay as her music idols, was inspired to enter a song after noticing a billboard advertising the competition in a shopping centre.

“We have seen the advert in the shopping mall for a few years now and I always put off entering, but I decided to do it this year,” she said.

The talented singer/songwriter is no stranger to music having grown up in a musical household.

“My brother and sister both play or have played guitar, saxophone, clarinet and the flute,” she said.

Lia, who also plays guitar, has been writing songs for many years.

“I started writing little Christmas jingles that were very awful, but I just kept writing little tunes until I got to where I am now,” she said.

She said music makes her happy, and that any time was a great time for her to write music.

“I’m very influenced by music, so If I listen to a song it makes me feel how the song is portrayed,” she said.

“Whenever an idea comes, usually it’s very random. I start writing but I enjoy writing and playing music anytime.”

At the moment Lia uses her laptop to record songs, and harbours the ambition to become a professional songwriter.

“I definitely want to become a professional songwriter or a musician because I love it, and I want to get out there.”

Nathaniel Maras, Lia’s dad, is proud of his daughter’s achievements.

He said Lia developed a love for music at a young age.

“At four, Lia was given her first acoustic guitar and I remember her arms were so small she could hardly reach the fretboard,” he said.

“She used to get upset that she couldn’t reach to play but I just encouraged her to keep going.

“Wind the clock forward and she’s 12 now and you can’t stop her singing and playing guitar and making music.”

When Nathaniel discovered his daughter had a talent for songwriting, he encouraged her to pursue the craft.

“I told her she had some nice songs and asked her if she heard them on the radio, and she said they were her own creations,” he said.

“So I said why don’t you write them down and record them on the iPad. 

“We bought her a microphone that plugs into the iPad so she can record her ideas because later on, you never know, it might turn into something.

“When we saw the competition advertised in the shopping centre, my wife and I encouraged her to give it a go.”

Judges of the competition assessed various aspects of each song, including lyrics, melody, song structure and originality.

Having scooped the pool with two prizes, Lia has won a total of $2500 in prizemoney which will go towards music lessons and a new guitar.

“She’s been pining all year for an electric guitar,” said Nathaniel.

“We have always said just get better then you can get one.

“So, now she’s won the competition, she’s got the guitar.”

Here are some of the lyrics from “Clover’:

Frozen fractures falling 

Shards breaking at the sight of light 

And every fragmentation 

Is trapped within your eyes 

The clovers flooded with water 

The rain thrumming in my heart 

Piercing, penetrating, 

Your gaze tears me apart 

I could think 

You’re the one to blame 

But then how to explain 

The fact that you did nothing 

And I still like everything about 

You 

It’s you 

That I don’t understand 

A thousand flowers bloom 

In the blue, I can’t withstand Icy waters 

A broken sea of lazuline 

Don’t let me go under 

‘Cause I’m drowning 

No, I’m drowning in your eyes 

I watch the water swallow 

The fields of evergreen 

The silence loud and hollow 

More fragile than it seems