News Archives: Eleven-Year-Old Girl Grabs the First-Place Title in a Reimagined College Event
Wednesday, December 12th, 2018
For over a decade, second-year GPRC Business Marketing students have been running Peace Country Idol, an annual event looked forward to by the community each year. This year, Peace Country Idol has a new spin and a new name, Peace Country Rising Star.
Contestants traveled from all over the Peace Country Region to compete at this first annual talent show which the students believed allowed “people in the Grande Prairie and surrounding areas to shine and showcase their talents, instead of just limiting the event to singers”.
The grand finale was held at GPRC on Saturday, November 24 in the Douglas J. Cardinal Performing Arts Centre.
The 12 contestants who performed in Saturday’s event consisted of both dancers and singers ranging from age ten and up competing for the $1,000 grand prize.
Eleven-year-old Piper Robertson grabbed the first-place title and People’s Choice award after performing “I Know It’s Today” from Shrek: The Musical and ended her $1,000 winning performance with a standing ovation.
Piper, without hesitation, attributes her win to her mom, Jennifer Robertson.
“My mom gave me the courage to try out for this competition,” says the cheerful 11-year-old. “She always encourages me to try my best and to follow my heart and passions. She is my role model in theatre and singing and always make sure I have opportunities to be involved.”
Piper, who has been a part of Grande Prairie Live Theatre since she was 7-years-old and who began taking singing lessons at the GPRC Conservatory at age nine, is very pleased that she saw the Peace Country Rising Star audition poster hanging in her school hallway.
“This competition was so much fun. All of the contestants were very nice and so talented. I want to pursue a career in Theatre. I can’t remember ever not singing! My dad always jokes that he lives in a musical because my mom and I sing at home all the time.”
You can catch Piper at her next performance in Grande Prairie’s Live Theatre’s next production, ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’.
Second-place prize of $500 was won by Makéna Blais-Ventura and her seamless, technical, and powerful lyrical solo performance. The third-place prize of $250 was won by Kylie Kirscht for singing “Say Something” by Christina Aguilera while adding her own personal flair to the song.
The proceeds raised from the event are to be split between the Swan City Rotary Club and their Ethiopia Project, the Grande Prairie Regional College Mental Health Initiative, as well as the 2018-2019 GPRC Business Conference which is to be held next semester in March. The Swan City Rotary Club was chosen by the class to receive some of the proceeds raised, as they hold a vital position of helping birth the former event Peace Country Idol over a decade ago.
Congratulations to all our winners and a huge thank you to all our guest judges, sponsors and to the GPRC Business Marketing class for this incredible event. We’re looking forward to next year when another star will be born.
