Ilah on an island as the notes came flooding in

ABOVE: Ilah Gardiner making music at her home in West Coraki. Photo: Contributed

Susanna Freymark

As the world around her was sinking, Ilah Gardiner picked up her guitar and wrote a song.

The 12 year old was stuck at home as the March floodwaters rose around her West Coraki house.

The paddocks were flooded and with her parents, she had to rescue the animals.

Luckily the family home was on a mound and it became an island in a sea of floodwater.

Ilah was stranded for days. The Evans River student made the most of her time composing and writing the song Rising from the Fire.

Ilah has been making music ever since she can remember.

“I picked up a guitar when I was about nine,” she said.

“I play piano too and I learnt how to sing as soon as I could talk.”

Ilah’s father used to be in a band.

“So, I’ve been exposed to a lot of music atmosphere,” she said.

Ilah loves writing songs.

And when she was flooded in she was bored. She picked up her guitar and started with a riff. Then she spent a few days writing the words to Rising from the Fire.

The song is about “getting over a hard time,” she said.

She used Garage Band to record the song and then entered it in the Song Academy Competition.

This is a global competition. Her song made it into the top 10 but not the top five.

The results have given Ilah a confidence boost.

She also entered a different song into the Harmony Day competition.

My dream is to perform and be a songwriter for other bands, she said.

Her musical influences are Amy Wade, Birdie and Queen.

There’s no stopping Ilah, She is writing nine songs  for her first album.

It’s clear she likes to push herself and the way she’s going her name will be there  on iTunes list.

You can listen to Ilah’s song Rising from the Fire on Soundcloud.