Sitting alone on Sir George Simpson’s wooden stage, bare feet dangling over the lip, Kaylee Musolino-Pearson, 14 looked like a lost waif. The poignant tone in her power vocals only added to the forlorn image.
She sang two original compositions: I’m Not Coming Home touches on her brother moving away, and My One and Only reflects junior high romances. Whether a whisper or a belt, each nuanced phrase was packed with emotion.
It was only the thunderous applause of her peers sitting cross-legged on the packed gym floor that broke the magic spell she wove at Simpson’s Got Talent competition.
The Grade 8 student was not just simply a contender. The starry-eyed Musolino-Pearson won the top spot and a $1,000 recording contract.
The win, revealed on the school’s closed-circuit television this past Monday, stunned the young singer.
“I didn’t expect it. I was in shock and just thinking of all the things that could happen for me from getting a recording to getting a chance to put it on the radio.”
Over five years running, the Sir George Simpson talent show has encouraged student artists of every discipline to enter. But this year was the first time a big prize was awarded.
Michael Cathrea, 24, a former Simpson graduate, is president of north Edmonton’s Resonate Music School and Studio and he stepped up to offer the award.
“I look at it as a way of giving back to the community and to offer the substantial prize would heighten the experience. There’s so much more you can do with music than just taking lessons and practicing at home,” said Cathrea.
A self-taught businessman-musician, he first opened the studio in October 2012. With less than a year in business, he employs 17 teachers to instruct the nearly 400 music students.
Cathrea was the sole judge for the 16 acts.
“The quality was much higher than I anticipated. There were five or six who were so close. And it was much harder than I expected because there were so many talented acts. It came down to who could benefit and the most original level of talent. Kaylee wrote original songs and sang and that showed she had talent and creativity.”
With the higher than expected level of talent, Cathrea added two prizes. Second place recipients Cassandra Bachor and Cassidy Pare received a $150 recording credit and four free music lessons. Coming in third, Megan Wieler, Rebecca Johnston and Sara Holmes performed an interactive cup song. They were awarded a $150 recording credit.
Musolino-Pearson’s package allows her to work with producer Justin McDonough, a composer/multi-instrumentalist. She is entitled to record, mix and master a radio-ready song with full band.
Having given some thought to the recording process, she plans to sing My One and Only.
“That’s my favourite. A lot of songs I write are slow, but this is one of my more upbeat songs, and I can add a ton of instruments to make it interesting. And I find, it’s kind of a fun song.”
