Endeavour Foundation Battle of the Bands helps celebrate 70th anniversary

This week marks Endeavour Foundation’s 70th anniversary, and to help celebrate more than 100 performers took part virtually in their annual Battle of the Bands.

Celebrating 70 years of helping people with a disability to live fulfilling lives, this week’s Endeavour Foundation Battle of the Bands couldn’t have come at a better time.

More than 100 performers with a disability across 16 acts took part in this year’s virtual Battle of the Bands, premiering across 50 locations on Tuesday, to celebrate the occasion.

Claiming top honours in the competition, now in its eighth year, was self-taught musician Cameron Fetter, who is legally blind, who performed with his band the K Springers.

Describing himself as a natural-born performer, Mr Fetter learnt to play the piano by ear from the age of four.

“I don’t read music, I play by ear,” he said.

“I have been playing since I was a baby and I taught myself. I just did scales and then I heard a song on the radio and thought ‘oh wow I should play Happy Birthday’, so I played it.

“Ever since I’ve been playing instruments.”

The K Springers members (from left) Travis Boundy, Michele Erbacher, Cameron Fetter, Wayne Pugh and Jessy Anderson during a performance at the Endeavour Foundation, Picture: Kevin Farmer

Cameron said he had never let his vision impairment hold him back, and credited Endeavour Foundation with providing opportunities to enjoy life to its fullest.

“I’ve never let (my vision) hold me back,” he said.

“I’ve even performed at places, and I’m also in a band and I’m also in the Rainbow Choir as well.

“Endeavour Foundation has provided everything in my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the Endeavour Foundation’s help.”

Endeavour Foundation executive general manager information and communication technology Brendan Klasen talks about Endeavour Foundation 70th anniversary celebrations. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Endeavour Foundation executive general manager of information, communication and technology Brendan Klasen said the 70th anniversary was a celebration of how far the foundation had come, and motivation to do more for people living with a disability in the future.

“We started out in 1951 and that was at a time when children with a disability were not accepted and not able to get into mainstream state schools, and a number of parents said that it wasn’t good enough,” he said.

“They took it upon themselves to start their own school on the front veranda of a house in Brisbane and the organisation has grown from there.

“The Battle of the Bands is a good example of how we can focus on ability. We had a number of our customers come to us and say that they’d love the opportunity to perform on stage live in front of an audience and we made that happen.

“The first couple of years we ran it in person but because of Covid we had to run it as a virtual event the last couple of years, but the advantage of that is that we found it gave us a much broader reach.

“Our future is very bright and we have a big program of investment across a number of areas.”

The K Springers members (from left) Travis Boundy, Wayne Pugh, Cameron Fetter, Michele Erbacher and Jessy Anderson were in a Battle of the Bands as part of Endeavour Foundation 70th anniversary celebrations. Picture: Kevin Farmer