Last-minute local star power launches music students over the moon

Mark Atkins, one of Australia's most prolific didgeridoo players, is joining the 27 musicians and singer-songwriters of the Country Music Australia Association (CMAA) senior academy for their Graduation Concert at Moonshiner's Honky Tonk Bar on Thursday, January 18.

Known for performing and composing with major acts such as Led Zeppelin, Page and Plant, and Sinead O'Connor, Mark Atkins was most recently in the news for performing a new rendition of The Last Post on top of the Sydney Opera House on Remembrance Day.

The didgeridoo player says he's known of the CMAA senior academy for a long time through its former director, Peter Winkler.

But it was some last-minute serendipity which led Mr Atkins to lend a hand for the students' final performances.

"I think there were a few names dropped in and mine came up, so I put my hand up and said, 'yeah, rightio'. When I heard the song I went all in," Mr Atkins said.

Many of the students were visibly emotional after hearing their group performance come together with the didgeridoo for the first time.

"I think everybody in the room has either had goosebumps or tears. It's an incredible opportunity for us to perform such a powerful song in such a special way," Western Australian student Codee-lee Down said.

"I think every single person on the stage connected with the sound of the didgeridoo and the power of that song."

The academy students have been working tooth and nail for nearly two straight weeks to hone their craft.

They're received guidance from country music legends including Lyn Bowtell, Ashleigh Dallas, Lawrie Minson, and many more.

"This has been a huge emotional roller-coaster for all of us, and we're sad that it's ending," Melbourne-based singer Kane Vincent said.

But there will be an encore after the graduation.

The students will come together one last time as part of the country music festival's opening concert at Bicentennial Park on Friday, January 19.

"I'm really looking forward to taking it all in. There's so much great music. There's more music here than I've ever seen in one place anywhere in the world, so I'm just looking forward to being a part of it all," Mr Vincent said.