Berridale singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Gabi Forman, has donned her cowgirl hat and boots to hit the road to represent the Cooma-based Australian National Busking Championships at the prestigious Gympie Music Muster in Queensland this weekend.

Forman, 19, who was named ANBC ambassador in recognition of her busking success over a number of years, will perform her collection of original songs and bluegrass covers on the Kombi Keg Bush Bar stage on Sunday, 31 August.

The performance spearheads a busy month for the former Snowy Mountains Grammar School student. Forman will appear with a hand-picked band in the Canberra semi-final of the Listen Up The Songwriting Contest at Gang Gang Café on Wednesday, 17 September. Here, she will play her original song, The Girl.

Further performances are scheduled for the Yass Celtic and Folk Festival, 19-21 September, and a solo gig as the opening act for Golden Guitar winning duo Wicker Suite at Michelago Hall on Friday, 26 September.

Forman recently returned from Tamworth where she played four shows with Tamworth Songwriters’ Association at Hats Off to Country Festival.

In October, she will perform at Dorrigo Golf Club as the Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival opens 23 October and then set her sights set on the Tamworth Country Music Festival and a potential spot in the prestigious Country Music Association of Australia Senior Academy in January.

Forman said she is looking forward to a busy few months as she continues to showcase her talents nationwide.

“I think my gap year from school to pursue music is being extended to two years,” she said.

“I am really excited about what is coming up and somewhat in shock as well. It’s going crazy.

“Being able to play a main stage at Gympie is like the crème de la crème for a country musician, apart from Tamworth and I am very grateful to Allan Spencer and the ANBC for supporting me to make the long trip, towing our caravan north, possible.

“I just was named as Ambassador for the Baxter Boots Dolly Boot as well, which raises money for the Dolly Foundation, so I am proudly wearing my awesome Dolly Boots to Gympie, along with my ANBC logo shirt.”

Forman said she was just digesting news about the Yass, Canberra and Dorrigo gigs and two ambassadorships, when she was named as the support act for folk bluegrass duo Wicker Suite, for their local Michelago show. The show is part of their The Way It Was Tour of regional areas and is headed for Michelago Hall on Friday, 26 September.

“Gabi Louise of Wicker Suite is a former CMAA Academy graduate as well and an amazing fiddle player and she has been the only Australian band member for Keith Urban’s current Australian tour, so being able to support her and Liam, whom I met at the CMMA’s Junior Academy last year, is beyond my wildest dreams,” Forman said.

“Added to all this, my anti bullying song The Girl, which I released on 9 May for Do It For Dolly Day at a fundraising concert I organised, was named in first the top 150, then top 100 of the Listen Up Songwriter Prize 2025.

“I get to perform it live, plus another of my new originals, Kiandra, at the Canberra semi final at Gang Gang Café on Wednesday, 17 September and apparently tickets have sold out.”

With organisers urging the six finalists to produce the same sound or better as in their original recordings, Forman has hand-picked a world class band to accompany her on the night.

“I have my own guitar teacher, also a renowned singer/songwriter and music teacher, Simon Grace of Berridale on guitar, so I can play the mandolin, along with the brilliant Gus Olding from Bibbenluke on fiddle and Arch Brown on double bass,” she said.

“Gus wrote the fiddle lines for The Girl and played on the recording for the EP and single so it is super special to have him playing live with me on the night.

“Gus played with me when I supported Amber Lawrence at Nimmitabel Show earlier in the year.”

As well, fellow CMAA Junior Academy graduate and Australian National Busking Championships Bombala and Bradden prize-winner, Ruby Holden, from Queanbeyan, will be on hand to sing harmonies.

“This semi final is one of nine around Australia but it is the only one where competitors will perform two songs, so I am super excited to perform my new song Kiandra, which is a bluegrassy ballad about a forgotten town in my own backyard, with this pop-up band,” Forman said.

“It will be recorded with CMAA president and Bushwackers front man Roger Corbett on the Central Coast in October and released for the Tamworth Country Music Festival.”