If you’ve been enjoying following the progress of the Cowichan Valley’s young performers in Duncan Has Talent every summer, there’s good news.
The crowd-pleasing series is back at Charles Hoey Park stage, as part of The 39 Days of July.
According to Longevity John Falkner, “Our working template came from the idea that there is so much young hidden talent in our community that sure could use some encouragement to continue. The Duncan Has Talent ‘competition’ comes with a mentorship component. After each song a panel of mentors/judges give kudos where deserved and advice as to where to improve.
“It is that acceptance of the mentorship that dictates who moves on in the attempt to win the prize money contributed for four years now by the Lions Club of Duncan. The prizes offered are: $300 first, $200 second, $100 third in each category
“There is only room for nine contestants in each category so make sure if you want in that you make contact with the festival as soon as possible. But do check in right up to event time in case of cancellations,” he said.
The mentorship given by the enthusiastic and devoted volunteers who come out to do it makes a huge difference in the event, ensuring that the quality of the performances improves every night while helping the competitors forget those jitters and enjoy their time on stage.
Entrants must be 19 years old or under and are asked to have two pieces prepared to perform. It is also necessary to sign in with the tech crew or mentors by 4:45 p.m. each competition day at the latest.
Everything starts at 5 p.m. nightly and is usually over by 6 p.m.
Duncan Has Talent starts with the highly popular dance category. For that event, the preliminary nights are July 4-5 with the finals taking place on Friday, July 6.
Competition in cover tunes/show tunes starts July 11-12 with the finals on Friday, July 13.
For those brave performers who write and sing their own songs, the originals competition is held July 25-26, with the finals on July 27.
Finally, the instrumental competition takes place Aug. 1-2, with the finals held starting at 5 p.m. on Aug. 3.
According to Falkner, there is open mic rehearsal time available at 4 p.m. on July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31. Contact longevityjohn@shaw.ca for more info.
