Talented Kiama teenager Aurora Badami’s taste in music spans a century, but she’s narrowed it down to two very different songs which she plans to perform at Folk By The Sea’s Charity Concert at Kiama Leagues Club on September 11.

Folk By The Sea organisers have invited Kiama High School students Aurora, from Year 9, and Bowie Egan, Year 7, to open the Thursday night Charity Concert, which will be a preview for the festival which runs from September 12-14.

Aurora performed at Kiama High’s 70th anniversary celebrations, but the Charity Concert will be her first “public” performance – one she hopes will lead to more opportunities to share her music and hopefully build towards a career in music.

Aurora says she “grew up in a house of music” and credits her father, anthropologist and jazz musician Dr Monty Badami, with fostering her love of music, her interest in performing, and a wide, eclectic taste in musical styles.

“Without my dad, I wouldn’t be playing,” she says. “He’s played in a number of jazz bands and has a great singing voice.

“I have no one taste in music. I like music from the 1920s through to now – singers like Etta James (an American soul singer whose career blossomed in the 1950s and ’60s), The Beatles, Radiohead from the 1980s … through to contemporary artists like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish.”

To demonstrate that range in tastes, at the Leagues Club concert she will perform Upward Over the Mountain, by 51-year-old American folk singer-songwriter Iron & Wine (real name Samuel Beam) and a brand new song called The Sick by emerging artist Bella Kay, released on August 4.

She will accompany herself on acoustic guitar at the concert.

“I had piano lessons when I was younger but I prefer the guitar, so I taught myself to play so that I could accompany myself. I practice guitar and singing a lot, and I am working on my own songs … but they are not quite ready to play in public, so I’ve chosen two songs that I hope will appeal to a folk audience.”

Aurora and Bowie will open the charity concert at 7pm with two songs each.

They will be followed by South Coast Indie-Folk artist Kane Calcite, acoustic duo Square Pegs and Bluegrass bands Charley Castles and The Boys in the Well and Kiama’s own The Water Runners.

Entry is by donation, with all proceeds going to Lifeline South Coast.

Festival director Neil McCann said the preview show was a chance for people who hadn’t attended in previous years to come along to a great night of music and get an idea of what Folk By The Sea is all about.

“We’re hoping this show will really ‘sell’ the festival to people who may not have been to a folk festival before,” he said.

“They’ll see some of the festival’s main acts, as well as a performance from very talented Kiama High School students, and hopefully they will want to come along to the main festival over the weekend.”

Folk By The Sea artists will also be promoting the festival with performances at Burnetts on Barney on Saturday, September 6 and at the Kiama Seaside Markets on Wednesday

September 10.

Folk By The Sea tickets and festival information at www.folkbythesea.com.au.