Hopes will be high among many of the Coast's young people as they head off to Vancouver's Metrotown this weekend to audition for Canadian Idol. Gibsons top nine Idol Sarah Loverock has been there and done that, reaching the first leg of competition in 2005, then cracking the top 10 in 2006 when her songs and tribute to her home in Gibsons could be heard across the nation.
Today, her future seems uncertain. "I'm coming to a crossroads," said the velvet-voiced vocalist, now 26. She has been doing a lot of song-writing lately rather than jamming with the band, which was taking up a lot of her time but not furthering her career. She likes song-writing in her own difficult-to-describe style.
"I lean towards funky sounding rock, but not hard hitting," she said. That's unusual for a musician who was raised on country and blues. She was last seen performing with her band at Sea Cavalcade in Gibsons last July to great enthusiasm from local audiences, and the group made a short demo disc intended for recording deals, which is still available for sale at $5 each. (For CD copies, contact [email protected].) Now, her band has broken up.
"Not all of them are as serious about music as I am," she said, adding she wants to move on and not put a lot of energy into developing a new band.
Currently, she is working full-time at a hair salon, a people job that she loves and that helps pay the mortgage. She is also a wife and a mother to two children - all of which keeps her busy. Another big decision is whether to leave home to test her talent in the recording industry centres of Vancouver and Toronto. She is unwilling.
"I was born and raised here," she said. "This is what I know." She acknowledges that if her path takes her there, she has an edge over other new performers. "If I phone a record company, and they hear my name as having been in the top nine, they are more likely to hear what I have to say. Those doors are still open for me," Loverock said.
The Idol experience gives a singer insight into the music industry, Loverock said. The experience is good, if you're ready for it. She asks contestants to remember that they are auditioning for a TV show, not a straight-up talent contest. "It's an entertainment show," she points out. "Sometimes the judges say things just for the shock value. Having judges say negative things didn't crush my dreams." Contestants should know that sometimes the judges have a certain person in mind that they want to promote. Those who get sent home early may be equally talented but may not fit the show. "That first year, my head was spinning with half the people they sent home before me," Loverock remembers. "Feel confident in yourself. Know who you are." Despite the good advice, she won't be trying out again. "I've had my shot," she said. "I'm proud of how I did."
CTV's sixth cross-country audition tour for this year has already kicked off in Edmonton and will reach Metropolis in Metrotown, Vancouver, this weekend, Feb. 9 and 10. Organizers will be using an audition registration system that means that hopefuls won't have to wait in line. Also this year, as in the past, instruments will be allowed at auditions.
Canadian Idol is open to Canadians aged 16 to 28. For more information about the show, registration forms or rules, visit the website at www.idol.CTV.ca. The popularity of the forthcoming season seems assured. CTV said that when last year's winner, Brian Melo, was chosen in the final minutes of last season, the show was tuned in by 2.75 million viewers across Canada.
