The students were selected from more than 1500 competitors in the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME), which showcases a generation of talented indigenous youth.

Loreto College Ballarat vocal students Cara Malone, Keeley Hasleoff, Madeline Wills and Tobi Sam-Morris are hoping their performance of the traditional Torres Strait Islander song Taba Naba will be enough to get them through to the top 10.

For Tobi, who learnt the song from her mother, the competition has been an opportunity to deepen her connection with her culture and share part of her people’s story with her peers.

“It made me feel special, being able to share my culture with these guys and with my school,” she said.

“And now being able to share it with thousands of people through this competition, that’s like, ‘wow’.”

Solo performer Nathanial McCulloch, who has been playing the trumpet since year 8, stole the hearts of judges with his instrumental version of Old French Song.

He said he never expected to be selected as one of the 45 finalists. “I was a bit shocked; once it sunk in it felt good,” he said.

“I didn’t look at it as a competition, it was more just a bit of fun.”

If the students receive enough votes to reach the top 10 in the online competition, they will perform on stage in Sydney and record the offi cial AIME anthem for 2014.

AIME chief executive offi cer Jack Manning Bancroft said AIME’s Got Game was a chance to get behind the new generation of indigenous youth and help create a brighter vision for Australia.

“These kids are breaking down every mould that was cast for them, lighting up our imagination, and leading the nation as we dance to the beat of indigenous success,” he said.

The AIME program aims to support indigenous students to finish high school and transition to university, employment and further education at the same rate as all Australian students.

To vote head to www.aimesgotgame.com, voting closes on November 7.