Young singers, dancers, instrumentalists and musical theatre performers alike will take centre stage this weekend for the Cochrane Rotary Youth Talent Festival.
The Rotary Club's long-standing show of over 30 years draws around 200-400 participants and is supported by a number of sponsors and volunteers, including a panel of local celebrity judges and emcee, Sportstalk 770 radio host Jock Wilson.
"It's been said by people who go every year that this is Cochrane's best kept secret," said festival chair Cyndie Baum. "It is an amazing showcase of our local talent."
The event runs March 5-6 and culminates in a finale at RockPointe Church March 11, where a handful of finalists aged 4-18 are chosen to perform, an overall winner is crowned and the Illa Rumpel performing arts scholarship is awarded.
The scholarship, created by late Cochrane businessman Gordon Rumpel in memory of his music-loving wife, has helped families with the purchase of instruments and for the cost of tuition to performing arts schools through applicants with need and potential.
The Steinway piano used at the festival each year was also purchased by the couple. The Rempel family continues to support the $10,000 scholarship in perpetuity and it has thus far contributed $110,000 back to the community.
There's also $2,000 worth of cash prizes up for grabs to finale performers, Baum said.
The first two days of the event — unlike the finale — are not meant to be competitive, however. The stage is open up to all skill levels with the idea of encouraging youth to be unafraid to try something new.
"As a young child, I was incredibly shy," said Baum. "It was music that allowed me step up to being able to talk and be in front of people.
"I'm a teacher today because of it, and so I recognize the value of giving youth a chance to be in front of people, to risk, to fail, and to be able to get back up and do it again."
Past festival participant Alanna Clarke took to the stage at nine years old having never performed in front of anyone besides her family, said Baum.
"With just the tapping of her leg to keep beat, she sang a song that she wrote, and she performed in the festival every year after that."
Clarke won the contest twice and went on to record two albums.
"That's just one of the many stories of kids that have gone through the festival every single year of getting opportunities to perform, go on to music school or the performing arts in some way or another," said Baum.
Some of this year's sponsors include Cochrane Toyota, Spray Lake Sawmills, Green Drop, and the Rotary Club.
The festival runs from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. this weekend at Cochrane Toyota and is free to attend.
