Noah Robertson, a teenage musician from the Whitsunday Islands in Australia, is bringing his talents all the way to Great Barrington in July. His musical journey has already taken him to places others may only hope to visit over the course of a lifetime—all before being old enough to drive.
“I first picked up the guitar when I was eight years old in the Bahamas, barefoot on our boat,” said Robertson, now 13. Growing up on a sailboat, the singer-songwriter got his start while adventuring through the Mediterranean and Caribbean with his family. Once they docked back home in Australia, he took to busking at outdoor markets by the beach.
Robertson plays both acoustic and electric guitar, utilizing a pedalboard and looping to craft his unique sound. His skill took him not only to the Airlie Beach Festival of Music in 2022 but earned him a title in the 2022 Australian National Busking Championships.
“I just love the whole vibe of playing/busking on the street,” said Robertson. “I love the feeling as the crowd builds. It’s awesome when people start dancing, clapping, moving, and getting into it. Sometimes people make requests and I love when I can play a special song for them.”
While Robertson keeps a broad range of covers in his repertoire, he likes to mix in his original works as well: “I wrote a song recently called Green Lights. It’s about feeling the positive energy flow in life and trying to catch ‘Green Lights’ as we move forward. Sometimes we get stopped at a red light for a bit, but we have to pick ourselves up and go after the green!”
Busking continues to take Robertson around the world—from Australia’s Byron Bay Bluesfest, to a two-week stint in the UK before sailing stateside and playing Berkshire Busk! in Great Barrington on July 1.
Said Robertson on his trip to the Berkshires: “I’m so grateful to be invited to play at Berkshire Busk! as I’m coming from Australia and have never been to Great Barrington before. It will be great to be part of the festival and watch and meet other performers.
“My family and I will be in town that week to see the amazing Mr. James Taylor perform at Tanglewood. Mr. Taylor is a huge inspiration to me and my music. I’ve listened to all his songs over and over and actually learned to fingerpick on the guitar trying to replicate his style. Mr. Taylor is such a beautiful songwriter and just makes me want to write songs too … I can’t believe I am going to see him perform live! It will be so very special and I know the memory will stay with me for all my life.”
