Ali Milner has already recorded two albums, competed on a reality TV show and performed in the United Kingdom, the United States and Asia. And she’s only 22.
“I have had kind of a random, wonderful career,” the singer songwriter said from her home in Vancouver.
Milner will be the subject of Musically Speaking at the McMillan Arts Centre Saturday, April 13 from 2-3 p.m. and then will bring her R&B pop, old soul-jazz and rock ‘n’ roll music to the Errinton Hall that night at 8 p.m.
Milner was born in Toronto and moved to Whistler when she was five years old. At age nine, she decided to audition for a local choir.
“It was a show choir with Disney songs and sparkly vests. All my friends were auditioning so I was like ‘I want to audition’, not due to singing but just for fun,” she said. “And the rest is history.”
At 11 she joined the prestigious Vancouver Children’s choir, and took vocal and piano lessons. By 15 she was hired to perform at Whistler’s Four Seasons hotel singing in the lounge once or twice a week.
In 2005 she recorded her self titled album and in 2009 she recorded I Dare You. That year she also performed at Vancouver’s JunoFest and in 2010 she sang the national anthem at the closing ceremonies for the Paralympic Games. In the summer, she played Lilith Fair alongside icons like Sarah McLachlan and Sheryl Crowe, among many other performances.
In 2011, Milner competed with her band on the CBC reality TV show Cover Me Canada and placed third. She said that experience was pretty unique.
“I never thought that would happen — that was cool,” she said.
Milner is currently working on an EP — which will feature Ryan Guldemond from Vancouver’s Mother Mother — set to come out next fall.
This will be Milner’s first time performing at the Errington Hall.
This is the third and final Musically Speaking presentation for the season, where a lively hour of music and conversation will be hosted by David Malek. Doors open at 1:30 and admission is $10.
Tickets for the show in Errington are $20 and can be found at the Errington Store, Cranky Dog Music in Parksville and Heaven on Earth in Qualicum Beach. Ages 5 to 12 are $5 at the door and children under five are free. For more on Ali Milner visit www.alimilner.com.
