The 14-year-old from Aberdare made his mark at the Tamworth Country Music Festival last month, making the grand final of five talent quests.

Finnian placed second in the 12-16 years section of the Mount Franklin Junior Talent Quest; the Tamworth City Bowling Club talent quest and in the junior male vocal section of the Capital Country Music Association competition (in which he also made the top six in the songwriters section).

He also entered the Aristocrat Entertainer of the Year and Coca-Cola Battle of the Young Stars competitions, in between busking and guest appearances with artists including Wanita (Australia's Queen of Honkytonk) and Gympie Muster Talent Search winner Mason Hope.

Finnian attended the prestigious Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA) Junior Academy of Country Music in Tamworth in July.

Academy participants aged nine to 17 took part in intense tuition, a parent or guardian receives a business course ideally suited to managing their child’s musical future. 

Finnian’s mum Michelle said the festival was a busy time, especially learning to balance his schedule.

“If he didn’t go through the academy, we wouldn’t have known where to start,” she said.

Many of the 26 participants from the Junior Academy course made their way back to Tamworth for the festival, getting together for a reunion performance.

Overall, Finnian said the festival was an “awesome” experience. Meeting one of his idols, Troy Cassar-Daley, was the icing on the cake.

Finnian is lucky to count Golden Guitar winners like Travis Collins, Troy Kemp and Lyn Bowtell among his mentors.

Bowtell is his vocal coach, he plays plays regular support spots for Collins and Kemp, and has co-written a song (You Don’t Need a Hat To Be Country) with the latter (see the video below).

Finnian said he feels privileged to have the opportunity to perform with musicians of this calibre.

Returning from Tamworth on Sunday night, it was back to the real world for the Year 10 student at St Joseph’s Lochinvar.