Nine-year-old muso Lochlann Veint has been belting out rock tunes on his guitar to raise money for charity.
He strummed up $170 busking in downtown Ashburton.
The money, destined for Dear Effie Charitable Trust, was an extra contribution to his family’s efforts ahead of the Southern Cross Round the Bays event this Sunday in Christchurch.
It was not the first time Lochlann had taken to the streets to busk.
The last time it was in front of the Ballantynes store in Christchurch. He made $150 in 20 minutes.
Lochlann, a pupil at Tinwald School, said he preferred the rock and heavy metal music genre.
He listed Home Again by Shihad, and Nothing Else Matters by Metallica among his favourite songs.
He has been learning music for the past two years with tutor Barbara Thomas of Allenton and had lessons in the past with Dan Hitchens of Monster Music in Christchurch.
As part of fundraising efforts, he wanted to use his talents to woo shoppers.
He parked up at the River Crossing retail complex in Ashburton and played for about 45 minutes.
‘‘I raised some money for the Dear Effie charity. I busked by Kmart,’’ he said.
The Veint Family – made up of Lochlann’s parents Lisa and Will, sister Lucy, 7, and six-month-old Hadley – were close friends of the late-Effie and her family.
The charity connects children and families in Canterbury with mental health resources to support them through challenges after losing a loved one.
‘‘We as a family are running around the bays next weekend. Even though he made $170 busking, he and (Lucy) have raised nearly $500 for the Dr Effie Charitable Trust, for Round the Bays,’’ Lisa said.
‘‘It’s a very special charity to our family, Effie was a close friend of Lochlann and Lucy,’’ she said.
The event encouraged participants to run, jog, walk or roll an 8.4km course from the estuary to the pier and raise money for their own charity causes. More than 110 charities are listed.
Lisa said, despite herself and husband Will not having a musical ear, Lochlann had proven to be a very good musician.
‘‘We don’t know how to play any music, it’s all been him,’’ she said, of Lochlann.
‘‘He’s very, very good at guitar. He sleeps with the guitar in his bed sometimes, He has an electric guitar, two acoustics already – yes, he loves music.’’
‘‘We’re just really proud of Lochlann that he went and put himself out there to raise the money for that charity,’’ she said.
‘‘He’s very good at what he does, it’s his real passion.’’
