Watt’s ‘Buckaroo Bill’ tune in the running for top prize

Music student and composer, Eamonn Watt is currently in fifth place in the finals an international songwriting competition.

His western-inspired composition The Tale of Buckaroo Bill has slipped down a place in the leaderboard but Watt is still in with a chance of winning a prize. His track has been overtaken by an American song called Alive which is now in the lead.

However, Watt, from Sandwick, says, “It is incredible that I am still ranked, there are around 370 finalists I would like to thank everyone who has voted for me.

“The support from Shetland is amazing and the number of repeat voters has made a big difference. It would appear that votes are also being picked up from USA voters with some positive comments from USA Music critics.”

Watt, who studies music online with the University of the Highlands and Islands after graduating from the music courses at Mareel, “virtually composes” and produces his diverse film scores and classically-inspired music through computer software.

He has composed four albums since 2012 with the recent album being Pianissimo, a collection of 22 virtually composed piano compositions. One track, Raconteur, won the finalist rank in the UK Songwriting Contest in 2012 and 2015.

Watt now has a chance of taking home a huge selection of prizes, the first being the Grand Prize of $25,000 (about £17,500) plus a package of musical equipment and services for the chosen song.

His track could also win a ranked prize in its instrumental category also containing musical equipment and services, as well as a bonus prize being the People’s Choice award, where the public can vote for their favourite composition.

• You can support Watt by voting for The Tale of Buckaroo Bill at hwww.radioairplay.com/competition_votes/Instrumental. Click on the Instrumental section look for “Eamonn Watt” as the author, click the green ‘thumbs up’ button and confirm your vote.