Editor’s note: Kalamalka secondary school graduate Aniko Forgo returns with her Q&As with local artists/musicians.
This week, The Morning Star presents her interview with Dayton Ricketts, a 23- year-old singer/songwriter from Lumby. He had the experience of participating in the ACUVUE 1-Day Contest in 2012.
Q: How has growing up in a small town influenced you and your music?
A: “Relationships in a small town are much more defined. You become incredibly close with everyone’s mom, grandma or little brother. Lumby is an extremely tight-knit community. Everyone knows everything about you, all your flaws all your strengths, but I like it that way because it’s motivated me to be a better person every day. When you can’t hide or run away and start over, it pushes you to have strong genuine morals and even though people make mistakes in life, a small town has its ways of picking the weeds out of your relationships through experience. A genuine person will not throw away the relationships that are a lifetime in the making so the relationships that matter grow stronger as others fall away, teaching you good life lessons about trust and respect. I take pride in developing those relationships even in times of struggle where others may run. Because of the strong core I have constructed over the years with my relationships I am able to do music and be creative and not be afraid to step outside of my comfort zone because I have the support. Growing up in a small town is not just influencing me, it’s creating me.”
Q: Can you tell us about your experience doing the ACUVUE 1-Day Contest? Who did you work with?
A: “Wow, I worked with many amazing people! There were producers, engineers and choreographers that have all worked with crazy names! I got to kind of get a crash course from each one of them about what it takes. I got to go to the Teen Choice Awards and walk the red carpet for the first time with all the big names brushing shoulders with me. It was insane!
“Acuvue is still helping me accomplish my one-day dream to be a successful music and video artist. They have me down to L.A. on a regular basis to experience new things and do interviews, etc. It’s unreal! I recently got to go on stage in front of 28,000 people at a Demi Lovato concert in Nashville. I talked about my experience and how everyone should enter the ACUVUE 1-Day Contest to tell us about their one-day dream. This year’s prizes included a celebrity mentorship with Demi Lovato, Shay Mitchell, Keke Palmer or Danielle Bradbery.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your “Give a shirt” campaign?
A: “Over the past two years I have teamed up with my aunt to create an organization from the ground up called Give A Shirt. I volunteered my time and skill to construct a website for the organization to increase awareness and make donations easier. Last year the organization filled a 20-foot shipping container with used clothing and has raised almost $20,000 to go towards clean running water, shelter and nutritious food for the kids in Deak Kum Pa orphanage in Laos. To get involved, visit giveashirt.ca for more info. and see what the goal is this year.”
Q: How was it recording your song Do it for the love? Do you have any new music out?
A: “Do it for the love is my most recent project. I got to work with a great group of local dancers for the video from Silhouette Dance Studio in Vernon. I recorded the song with a friend of mine, Steven Bunter, and a local guy named Brody Jones helped me film the video for it. It was great! There are some super talented people in our valley. All my new music can be found on VEVO.com and on iTunes. Just search Dayton Ricketts and you will find me.”
Q: What can we expect from you this year?
A: “I plan to release a few new songs this year so follow and subscribe to all my social networks to get the latest. I want to get on the radio with a good solid dance track and put out at least one unreal video this summer. I have some cool stuff planned but you will have to wait and see.”
Q: What has been the coolest experience you’ve had so far?
A: “I have been fortunate enough to travel many places in the world so far at my young age. I love traveling to different places and experiencing different cultures. Coolest experience I have under my belt so far would be my most recent trip to Laos with Give a shirt. It really puts life into perspective when you visit a place with such poverty. Yet it’s also refreshing because you learn that many of our problems here in Canada are in fact not problems at all. We’re very fortunate to live where we do and have what we have and I won’t ever forget that. You can watch the videos of our experience on our charity website giveashirt.ca.”
