Kelmscott Idol will take place at the Kelmscott Show on October 17 and 18, following the success of the inaugural 2013 event.
Classic Sounds School of Music manager Katherine John, who is involved in the organisation of Kelmscott Idol, said there was great value in the singing competition in terms of the opportunity it presented to boost the profile of the region, as well as contributing a new dimension of entertainment to the Kelmscott Show.
‘There are never enough opportunities for young people to take their music-making to the next level and by extending their comfort zone, it has positive effects on self confidence as well as moulding the performers of tomorrow,’ she said.
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READ NOW‘In 2013, our students found the Kelmscott Idol to not only be a well organised event, but also a positive and encouraging opportunity for youth to build their confidence and find a way to develop their skills in appearing in public.’
Auditions are held at the Classic Sounds studio on Railway Avenue, Kelmscott, in a comfortable performance atmosphere, and all singers receive written feedback from the judges.
There will be a junior division (aged 8-12) and senior division (aged 13-17).
Judges base their scores on pitch, diction, presentation, confidence, audience appeal and overall performance.
Last year, contestants came from as far away as Bunbury and across the Perth metropolitan area to compete, with the winners coming from Canning Vale, Thornlie, Serpentine, Armadale, Lynwood and Mt Lawley.
Classic Sounds student Tobi Muhafidin (15), from Maddington, took out the senior Kelmscott Idol title last year and Isobel Wiltshire (17), from Armadale, also a Classic Sounds student, was runner-up.
They will be performing with the Classic Sounds Performance Troupe as the Idol Entertainment for this year’s event.
Kelmscott Idol has also given Tobi’s music career a head start.
In January, he will travel to Los Angeles to participate in the industry showcase, iPop.
Isobel has been accepted into WAAPA and has also completed her training to become a junior teacher at Classic Sounds School of Music.
The winner of Kelmscott Idol’s senior division will receive $500 and the two runners-up receive $200 each.
The junior winner receives $300 and runners-up $150 each.
Classic Sounds is a major sponsor of the Kelmscott Show.