A TALENTED Weymouth girl and her band stole the show at the UK final of an international music competition.

Former Budmouth College pupil Elisha Bayliff, 17, and her band Eden Canvas won the UK final of the School Jam competition at The Garage in Islington, London.

School Jam, is the world’s biggest competition exclusive to schools and colleges aimed to give talented performers a platform to find a larger audience.

The band performed two songs written by Elisha, alongside seven other UK bands that were selected by submitting YouTube links.

They will now compete in the international final at Musik-messe in Frankfurt, the world’s leading music trade festival, next month.

Elisha and her band now stand the chance of winning musical equipment for Nexus Music College in Coventry which Elisha attends.

A judging panel was made up of Tech Music School, music press and some of the world’s leading music equipment manufacturers.

Elisha said: “The opportunity we’ve been given is amazing.

“We had never performed in such a large venue and to perform in London was so exciting.

“I’ve taken a gap year from Budmouth to chase my musical ambitions and now I will be performing in an international final, it really is all of my dreams come true.”

Elisha and her bandmates Danson Gichini, 20, Phil Hardwick, 20, Emar Van Rossum, 18 and Joel Stevens, 19, entered the competition two months ago after it arrived in the UK for the first time.

They are now preparing to write and perform several more new songs for the international final where they will perform in front of thousands.

Elisha’s mum Mary-Jane Wallace said: “Elisha has always wanted to perform since she was small, so the competition is really making her dreams come true.

“She has written all her own songs and is thoroughly enjoying it. They deserve to do well in the competition.”

Over the years she has been coached by staff at Budmouth Technology College including singing teacher Kerrie-Ann Neels, piano teachers Lyn Mullins and June Hornby and Quay Theatre Arts dance schools.

Well-wishers from Budmouth Sixth Form travelled to the performance in London along with many others with plans already under way to follow the band to the final in Germany.