It may have simply been an add-on to the 2010 Bragg Creek Musical Festival, but Youthtopia and the young musicians it features have proven worthy of head billing.
The second annual Youthtopia will be held at the Bragg Creek Community Centre on March 4 and will showcase some impressive young talent including Airdrie’s Storm, Calgary singer/songwriter Melissa Papp, guitar phenom Callum Graham from High River and a pair of hometown talents in Bragg Creek’s own Robert MacLaine and Sarah Troy Clark.
Brenda Bone of the Bragg Creek Performing Arts said the popularity of the inaugural Youthtopia festival convinced organizers to continue the event on an annual basis.
“We had well over 200 people attend the concert last year,” said Bone. “We just didn’t know what to expect, but we had such a good response.”
Bone said they are excited to host the event because it gives them an opportunity to provide a showcase for some of the top young talent in southern Alberta.
“These young people do not have a lot of opportunity to perform,” said Bone. “They are just as good as professional artists we have had on our stage. This will give them some insight on what they are in for and what they need to do to go on to professional careers.”
However, for some of the musicians who will be performing on March 4 they are already professionals.
Sarah Troy Clark has been performing since she was 12 years old and now 16 she just released her fourth independent album called “A Dozen Hearts.”
In fact, Clark is not only a musician but she is becoming an accomplished promoter as she and her mother Deb spearheaded the inaugural Youthtopia and are once again the driving force behind this year’s event.
Clark said she is devoted to providing a venue for local, young performers who are starving for an opportunity to showcase their talents.
“Many youths don’t have a place to perform because it is not ideal to go to the bar scene,” said Clark. “So I thought we could gather some musicians together to get some more experience.”
Gauging by the response to Youthtopia’s debut last summer audiences are also eager to hear the music of these aspiring singer/songwriters.
“It was crazy,” said Clark of the inaugural Youthtopia. “We were shocked. We had such an incredible response from the community. It was such a hug success.”
Clark said it was heartening to see such a large crowd come out last year to not only support her — a Bragg Creek native — but also the other musicians who participated in the festival.
She said the feedback she received from those who attended the festival was also encouraging as the audience was pleasantly surprised with the level of talent on stage at the Bragg Creek Community Centre.
“A lot of people think when young musicians are playing they are just doing it for fun, but after the concert people were surprised how devoted were. They all love music and they want to make it a career.”
In order to scratch out a career as a musician Clark said it is imperative singer/songwriters get that valuable experience which only comes from performing their own music in front of a live audience.
“Probably one of the most important things is to gain experience,” said Clark. “A lot of being a successful musician is confidence. You gain confidence by sharing your gift in front of a large audience.”
The musicians who will be performing at Youthtopia are indeed talented artists. Youthtopia is not a talent show nor is it a karaoke contest.
For all of the performers, including Clark, they are looking at their music as a career.
Clark said she is committed to making her music a career and participating in events such as Youthtopia will further her goal.
She admitted she respects top 40 artists for writing hit music, but it is not her style. She prefers alternative rock, acoustic music and some more obscure artists. These diverse influences are apparent on her recent release.
Her fourth album showcases her strong voice and her pop/contemporary music influences with splashes of jazz and blues and she will be singing selections from “A Dozen Hearts” at Youthtopia.
Youthtopia will be held at the Bragg Creek Community Centre on March 4 at 7 p.m. and tickets are $15. For more information visit www.braggcreekperformingarts.com/peryouthtopia11.shtml
