When Laurelle Vokey, 24, was about 10 years old she performed I Won’t Last a Day Without You, by the Carpenters at the Cochrane Youth Talent Festival. It was one of many performances she did as a kid, beginning at age six, though they were mostly for church gatherings at the Cochrane Alliance Church.
The memories are a blur now but what does stand out to Vokey is the chance she had during the Talent Festival to perform on her own for once.
“It’s one thing to use your music at church and would be a big group of people,” Vokey said. “It’s very different when you’re on your own you’re kind of running the show in that sense, all eyes on you.”
The Youth Talent Festival is gearing up for its 30th anniversary in February and Cyndie Baum, an organizer, said she is excited the event has become a community staple.
“That’s always pretty exciting when something has gone on in the community for that long,” Baum said.
“There aren’t a lot of places for children and young people to perform these days. When I grew up, there were, in my generation, a lot of the artists that are on the radio that got their start at small churches...
Nobody was critical of you and you just got up and sang your heart out and got better and better and better and got the confidence.”
Over the years, the talent festival has seen multiple artists go on to careers in the performance arts including Alanna Clarke who once wrote and sang her own song when she was nine and now is an up-and-coming country star living in Los Angeles.
“I remember being stunned by her and the fact that she felt safe enough to be able to do that,” Baum said.
Clarke one time even captured the attention of Keith Urban at his concert and was pulled on stage to perform a duet with him.
Baum said there are $10,000 worth of scholarships available for this year’s winning contestants.
“If you have a real need that comes under the umbrella of fine arts that you wouldn’t be able to get and yet this is a real passion in your heart, we want to be able to provide that for you,” she said.
“It’s an exciting chance for those who are confident to perform in a big, big setting with you know, 700 people (watching).”
The festival run from Feb. 3 to 5 at Cochrane Toyota and the grand finale will be Feb. 8 at Rock Pointe Church. The festival is need of volunteers to help with various duties.
For more information, or to register visit www.cochraneyouthtalent.ca.
