The Recording Studio

There are 3 acts this week on The Recording Studio: a Ukelele group, a song for a baby son and another for a girlfriend ahead of a wedding.

Ukestras
Husband and wife team, Jane and Mark, run ukulele community groups in and around Newcastle, NSW. Eight times a week their Ukestras (Ukulele Orchestras) meet up to play the Ukulele. They are from all walks of life and up to as many as 200 people attend each fun group event. Ukestras is a celebration of community, collaboration and the humble ukulele. The group want to sing ‘My Girl' as a tribute to their children, and to celebrate their community. Producer Matt Fell, a long-time appreciator of the ukulele, and music director Scott Aplin bring together this group for their musical gift in a colourful, unique recording.

Kate Begbie
Kate is a married mother of three and is recording a song for her eldest child, Elio, as a special gift. Elio who is seven-years-old, has an undiagnosed illness which has stopped his development. He's unable to walk or talk and he's not mobile and non-verbal. He needs care 100% per cent of the time. While it's been tough on the whole family, one bright spot in their lives is music and how much Elio loves his music sessions. ‘Beautiful Boy' by John Lennon is a song mum Kate has been singing to Elio since he was born. It's a song for good days and bad days and for Kate but seeing Elio react to her singing is one of her greatest pleasures. Unable to watch her son riding a bike or jumping on a trampoline, Kate wants to record her musical gift for Elio so he has something special that is just his. In this emotional story, music producer Shane Nicholson helps Kate find her groove and relax into a very special recording for Elio.

Adam Bowes
Adam is a double amputee who had to have parts of his legs removed when he was two-years-old, as he was born without tibia bones from his knees to ankles. Adam now walks on prosthetics and lives an incredibly active life. He holds numerous Para-Olympic records for swimming. Adam, with the help of iconic pop producer Charles Fisher records the Ed Sheeran's hit ‘Perfect' for his high school sweetheart Sarah, for the first dance at their wedding happening in 2019.

Stepping up to The Recording Studio microphone this week are young vocalists both using music to express themselves and respond to bullying.

Anna and Lucinda
Lucinda, 19 and Anna, 21, are two best friends who absolutely love music. The girls are huge fans of Taylor Swift and want to sing ‘Shake it off' as it's their favourite song to sing together and celebrates not caring about what people say about you and enjoying life.

Anna has Down Syndrome and she met Lucinda in high school. They have been best friends ever since, supporting each other through the ups and downs of the teenage years. With the help of ‘the song doctor' Charles Fisher, this recording celebrates friendship and fun and fulfils Anna's dream of recording a song together with her best mate Lucinda.

James Emmanuel
James grew up in Orange but now lives in the Blue Mountains. He has always excelled at music and has been rapping and playing the saxophone for eight years.

Creative and musical, James hated the rugby culture at his high school, and found he didn't fit in. He was bullied relentlessly for both his race and his sexuality.

Now firmly on his own path and comfortable in his own skin, he wants to thank his high school mentor/teacher who helped him deal with bullies at school, encouraged his musical talents and accepted his sexuality and diversity.

He wants teacher, Mr Tink, to know that he's never forgotten him and he's grateful for how supportive and understanding he was during that tough time. The Recording Studio welcomes Sydney hip hop duo Horrorshow to the studio to produce James's original recording ‘Radiate'.

In the penultimate Recording Studio are a mother & daughter duo and a Red Cross Choir singing for an 81 year old blood donor.

Victoria (41) & Celeste (18)
Mother and daughter Victoria and Celeste want to record a song for their Navy XO husband and father to listen to while he's away at sea. A gift to show him how much they love and miss him.Navy man Scott spends nine months of every year away at sea. The girls want to record Scott's favourite song, ‘Run', a song celebrating thinking of loved ones while they are away. Pop producer Charles Fisher helps the women reimagine this pop song as a musical ‘I love you' for Scott and brings in a full session band. Victoria and Charles then surprise Scott and Celeste in the studio when they bring Scott in for the final record.

Blood Donor Choir
This unique choir made up of parents and Red Cross workers have come together to record a surprise thank you gift for life-long blood donor James Harrison, 81 who has just retired. James has donated 800ml of blood every week for the last 60 years (over 1100 donations) and in May 2018, had to retire as a donor due to his age. Nicknamed The Man with the Golden Arm' James has received numerous awards for his generosity, including the Medal of Order of Australia.

James's rare blood antibodies have saved 2.4 million unborn babies around Australia from Rhesus disease. James is no longer of an age that he can donate so producer Mark Opitz has pulled together this choir to record a song for this music loving Aussie hero. James hasn't met many of the people whose lives he's helped, but they are part of this choir and he will meet them for the first time on the day of the recording.

Victim of bullying, Chezahn creates an anthem to inspire other victims. Rural firefighting volunteer Sam gets nominated to record a song by his community. And special needs teacher Josh uses the power of music to heal (Season final).