A Bragg Creek musician’s eagerly anticipated return home will provide a real treat for those who attend an event that celebrates young Alberta performers.
The fourth annual YoUthtopia will be held May 25 at the Bragg Creek Community Centre, and Bragg Creek singer/songwriter and event founder Sarah Troy will once again host and perform at this showcase of young Alberta musical talent.
Troy, who is turning 19 in July, said YoUthtopia boosts talented established and up and coming Albertan musicians who range in age 16 to 19.
Edmonton musicians Trevor McNeely, Kayla Patrick, and the NEK Trio’s Ross Nicoll, Connor Ellinger and Dean Kheroufi, will join local artists Troy and Cole Hruska at YoUthopia this year.
“It’s going to be such a fun time and a really relaxed and diverse night with jazz, country and pop performances,” said Troy.
Last August, Troy performed at the Canmore Folk Festival where she met many of this years’ talented roster of performers who will be joining her at YoUthtopia.
“There is serious talent with these young adults and you should see them before they get scooped up,” she said. “The audience will see such intense raw talent and the evening will have a really positive vibe.”
Last June, Troy graduated from high school and left the hamlet of Bragg Creek to study for a Bachelor of Music at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Leaving home to study at a college far away was a smooth transition for Troy because she decided long ago that she would work hard to become a professional musician.
Troy, who describes her sound as pop/indie with jazz and blues influences, started writing songs at age five and released her first EP when she was only 10.
“I adore my career and it’s not a job to me,” said Troy. “That’s a gift and a blessing.”
YoUthopia will also serve as a launching pad for the next stage of Troy’s career, as she is releasing her fifth album Anoesis at the show, followed by her first tour this summer in Alberta and British Columbia with the group The Eerie Green.
Troy said her time at college helped her write and create her best album to date because she has better control of her voice and sound.
“My songs are intensely personal and the album is a lot more vulnerable,” said Troy. “I want to open up to my audience about my experiences and have that emotional connection with them.”
“I’m super psyched for people to hear this album and I’m proud of the work I’ve done,” she said. “I thought more about the lyrical content and put much more thought into the details of the songs.”
Though studying at college has helped Troy become an even better musician, she has already achieved industry recognition in her young and blossoming career.
In 2012, she was awarded a Calgary Youth of Distinction award in the Arts and Culture Category, and she has opened for Juno and Genie award winner Ron Sexsmith, singer/songwriter Barney Bentall and folk singer/songwriter Connie Caldor.
Troy is ambitious and though she wants to succeed, she does not want sacrifice time spent with her family or having close personal relationships in order to make it big.
“You have to find your own definition of success,” said Troy. “There comes a point where you have to decide where you are going to be happiest.”
“I just want to share my music and connect with people.”
YoUthtopia will be held May 25 at the Bragg Creek Community Centre. Doors open at 6:15 pm and performances start at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased in advance from the participating musicians, at the Bragg Creek Community Centre and online at youthtopia.ca.
Tickets can also be purchased at the door.
The proceeds from the concert are split between all the musicians and local charity Easter Seals Camp Horizon.
For more information about Sarah Troy visit sarahtroy.com.
