When musicians' careers climb high enough, fans and trivia games always want to know where they got their start; for the Beatles it was the Cavern, for Bob Dylan it was Greenwich Village. The Georgian Bay Folk Society hopes that one day music fans will look back and say that their favourite act launched their career at the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival in Owen Sound. To make that dream come true, a handful of Summerfolk performance spots are reserved for up and coming musicians every year through a program affectionately named "Youth Discovery".
The 2016 Youth Discovery: Road to Summerfolk series begins on Sunday April 10th at 1pm in the Harmony Centre in Owen Sound. Twelve musical acts with performers between the ages of fourteen and twenty-two will play to impress a panel of judges and earn a spot at the finale. The judges will offer constructive feedback to help the performers hone their craft and sharpen their performances. While the judges deliberate, the performers will jam. On April 24th finalists from the two preliminary showcases – the second is April 17th at the Boathouse in Kitchener – will gather back at the Harmony Centre to try and play their way on to a Summerfolk stage.
The Youth Discovery series began in 2007 to give young musicians performance opportunities and help them improve as both artists and professionals. Almost ten years later, veterans of the program have won awards through Folk Music Ontario and launched musical careers that have seen them tour across the province and return to Summerfolk stages as full-fledged professionals.
All of the Youth Discovery events are open to the public with admission by donation. The Georgian Bay Folk Society invites music lovers of all ages to attend. It's a musical grab bag with new surprises and you might just find a new favourite song. For more information visit summerfolk.org/projects/youth-discovery-the-road-to-summerfolk/
Source: Media Release
