Tillsonburg kids got talent

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Tillsonburg and area kids recently competed in the first Tillsonburg Kids Got Talent Show at Sammy Krenshaw’s.

Nine acts performed, ages 13-and-under, from Tillsonburg and area, starting with St. Thomas sisters Danyka Satterly, singing Shallow by Lady Gaga & and Bradley Cooper, then Cici Satterly singing Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys.

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Tillsonburg’s Carly Kennedy followed with her cover of My Church by Maren Morris.

Logan Staley rocked out Neil Young’s Rockin’ in the Free World, singing and playing electric guitar.

Judy Janzen, 14, accompanied her younger sister Elizabeth Janzen singing Riptide by Vance Joy.

“A few years back their grandparents lost their barn to a big fire,” said Keith Beres of Sammy Krenshaw’s, MC for the first Tillsonburg Kids Got Talent show, “and these girls took up singing to raise money to help the family. So that’s where they got started, and three years later they’re here on our stage.”

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Tillsonburg’s Reyna Carrington followed singing Bruno Mars’ song When I Was Your Man.

“One of my favourite people on earth,” said Beres, who first met 13-year-old Carrington three or four years ago. “She is going to be doing a duet with Bruno Mars tonight. Now Bruno couldn’t be here, but he’ll be in the background doing a little backup.”

Sidney Barnabi from Tillsonburg sang a mashup combining Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues and Dolly Parton’s Jolene, while playing ukelele.

“When I got the audition tape, it was a Louis Armstrong song,” said Beres, a huge Louis Armstong fan, while introducing Barnabi.

“I was expecting to hear that,” Beres smiled, “but she’s doing a mashup – a pretty creative mashup – so I’m really, really looking forward to this presentation.”

Cayleah Tan from London sang If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys, and Tillsonburg’s Breanna Samways concluded the evening’s entertainment with her cover of Rainbow by Kacey Musgraves.

“I thought it suited my voice,” said Samways, answering questions from judge Jaclyn VanHappen.

The judges – VanHappen, a local singer, songwriter and musician; Rayburn Lansdell, vocalist and YFC Satellite Director; Mark Renaud, Executive Director of the Tillsonburg BIA; Tillsonburg News reporter Chris Abbott; and LeeAnne Young – compiled their scores and after a brief discussion selected the Top 3.

Beres announced the first, second and third place winners. Prizes included, for first, a professional studio recording for the ability to audition for Mini Pop Kids. Second place received $50 cash and third place $50 in gift certificates.

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“This is the hardest part of the night, I think,” said Beres.

“First, I have to say, seriously, there are no losers here tonight – not a single one of you. It’s unfortunate that we can’t give everybody first place because you’re all incredible. Some of the stories were inspiring, and some of the stuff you pulled off on stage… I inspire to be like that, and I’m 43 years old, so good for you guys.”

Beres outlined what the judges were looking for in the contest – confidence on stage, stage presence, interaction with the crowd – how the crowd reacted, choice of music, and the ‘wow’ factor.

“Just that wow factor,” said Beres. “Flamboyancy, stage presence, that’s all a big thing to audition for Mini Pops.

“And the overall performance, and then a category for ‘other’… and there was lots of others.

“We also had somebody walking amongst the crowd, LeeAnne. LeeAnne was our secret spy for the night – she was walking around looking for contestants who were interacting with other contestants. Were you cheering them along? Were you a supporter? And you all were, it was really good.

“So the choices were really hard and we narrowed it down to the top three. It was a tie for third, and we considered having them come up and do a second song each, but it’s getting late in the night… so in third place is Karly Kennedy and Logan Staley.

“In second place we have Sidney (Barnabi) and her ukelele. And in first place tonight… we’ve got Cayleah from the Philippines.

“Congratulations everybody, and we will probably have to… not probably, we have to do this again in the future,” Beres concluded. “A big round of applause for everybody here.”

cabbott@postmedia.com