Rachel Scheibel dreams of one day performing a role in one of Disney’s staged musicals.
“I really like musical theatre because it really tells a story and it puts all of your emotions into it,” she said. “I like the acting side of it too, while singing.”
The 20-year-old Nanaimo resident has been surrounded by music since she was a child.
She’s the niece of blues guitarist David Gogo. And her father would sing and play piano when she was little.
Scheibel was shy growing up. It wasn’t until five years ago that she started breaking out of her shell.
“My mom encouraged me to sing,” she said.
She started with musicals at school and has also performed with the Nanaimo Theatre Group.
“I started theatre and really fell in love with it,” said Scheibel. “I overcame that shyness and it really made me more confident.”
Three years ago, she started voice lessons at the Andrea Bertram Studio. Scheibel said Bertram has taught her classical voice and other techniques to control her voice.
Scheibel competed as an Upper Island Musical Festival representative at the Performing Arts B.C. Provincial Festival, which was held May 28 to June 1 in Kamloops.
At the event, Scheibel placed first in the National Musical Theatre Category.
The win qualified her to compete in the National Music Festival held in Edmonton Aug. 11-13.
“I’m excited to go and just experience it all,” she said.
She will perform five musical numbers during the national competition.
To raise money to attend the national festival, she is hosting the Rachel Scheibel and Friends fundraising concert Saturday (Aug. 6) from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, located at 4235 Departure Bay Rd.
She’ll be joined onstage by Kate Krynowsky, Raymond Salgado, Ben Loyst and Daniel Knapp.
The performers will be accompanied on piano by Chelsea Peckett and Sharon Wishart.
Admission is by donation.
For more information, check out the Facebook page http://bit.ly/2ay1fCd.
Other Upper Island Musical Festival competitors at the provincials also won their categories.
Juliana Cook won intermediate classical voice, Salgado won senior classical voice and Jamie Jepson was the vocal variety winner for national classical voice.
Max Sander was the scholarship winner for intermediate string violin and Nanaimo Youth Choir won its choral class.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com
