A younger singer takes center stage during the 15th annual Canadian Tire Aspiring singers take the stage at 15th annual Search For The Stars showcase on Jan. 15, 2023. (Logan Lehmann/paNOW staff)

By Logan Lehmann

the next star

Aspiring singers take the stage at annual Search for the Stars

Jan 15, 2023 | 7:00 PM

The 15^th annual Canadian Tire Search for the Stars was this past weekend which saw youth as young as seven years old take the stage to perform in front of a live audience at the EA Rawlinson Centre for the Arts.

Auditions for the show were back in November where 22 acts aged seven to 18 came to test their skills and to impress the judges. Of those 22 auditions, 16 were selected to undergo a series of musical workshops with the judges, who are all industry professionals.

“It’s one of the highlights of our calendar. All local talent, everyone just comes out for the fun of being able to perform on stage and learning something new,” said Cara Stelmaschuk with the EA Rawlinson Centre for the Arts.

Those workshops, which took place on Saturday, included music lessons, voice lessons, and even one-on-one time with one of the judges.

“The value of that knowledge at your fingertips to ask questions and have them guide you on what it takes to perform and be a professional musician, it’s invaluable,” said Stelmaschuk.

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For many of the performers, it’s not just a step outside of their comfort zone, but a giant leap. A majority of the acts have only performed with a backtrack, meaning they sing the lyrics on top of a pre-recorded track similar to karaoke. The showcase, though, helped to push the performers a step further and introduced them to a live setting, with professional guitarists, a pianist, and a drummer helping them take their young careers to the next level.

“It’s a growing experience and from year to year to year, they develop so much that when they leave, we just wait for them to come back and get booked to be on our stage because they are amazingly talented,” said Stelmaschuk.

After the show, the judges handed out awards to those they thought were the best performers of their respective age groups.

The groups were categorized as junior (seven to nine), intermediate (10 to 14), and senior (15 to 18) and included their own rewards, which was a cash prize varying on age and a trophy.

However, Stelmaschuk said there was no one who entered the singer/songwriter category this year and she’s hoping those who performed this year can see the benefits of songwriting.

“This is where it starts, this is where they develop that love for the performing arts and the more we can foster it, as it grows, the better off Prince Albert’s cultural landscape is.”

Auditions for the 16^th Search For The Stars will be announced at a later date as the judges will soon be lined up.

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logan.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @lloganlehmann