Local talent represents Strathmore at provincials

By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor

Last week, as Anthony Laycock stood on the biggest stage on which he’s ever performed, he caught his mother’s eye and mouthed, “I can’t do this, I’m not doing this.”
His mother, local music director Loralee Laycock, thought her son might not perform after all. But the 11-year-old changed his mind, faced his fears and performed in the Musical Theatre Up-Tempo 12 & Under category at the 2018 Alberta Provincial Music Festival. His decision to take to the stage really paid off when he tied for second place – an accomplishment also achieved by two other Strathmore locals taught by Laycock.
Every year, several of Laycock’s students have been successful in impressing the adjudicators and securing a spot at provincials. This year was no exception, with three musical theatre students, one vocal solo student and two choirs competing against hopefuls from across the province.
Rayanne Laycock, Anthony Laycock, Shelby Laycock and Parker Riou, all from Strathmore, performed at the festival in Edmonton from May 27 to June 2.
“I’m pretty proud of all four of them; they’ve worked really hard and they’re really talented kids, and they’re all unique and have their own talents. It’s fun to get to see them find songs that showcase their abilities, be able to perform them and get recognized for that,” said Laycock.
“There’re a lot of kids that go to the festival from all over the province and that, I think, is the best experience of going to provincials. They get a chance to see other kids who are doing what they do from other places that they wouldn’t see in their local festival.”
Sixteen-year-old Rayanne performed a song from Wicked in the Musical Theatre Up-Tempo 16 & Under category, which she says contributed to her success at this year’s competition. She said her green make up helped her stand out against 26 other participants and secure a second-place tie.
“I’ve been multiple times before, but this was one of the more successful times so that was exciting,” she said. “I felt more confident this year than I have in past years and I was looking forward to being the oldest in my class. I had more experience than I had in previous years, and my face was green – that definitely helped me stand out.”
Parker Riou also qualified for provincials, which took the 11-year-old by surprise. Placing second, he felt the event wasn’t about winning but rather about the experience.
“It was really exciting when I got my name called for provincials,” he said. “You’re there to have fun and try and see how you do. If you go on next year you try to beat your score and your overall mark.”
The Encore Choir and the Finale Choir also competed at the event, with the Finale Choir placing second in the Provincial Choral Class 19 & Under category.
Yet these individuals weren’t the only ones representing Strathmore on the provincial level. The École Brentwood Elementary School Senior Choir also competed in the Grade 4-6 School Choir Class among 12 other Alberta choirs. The choir didn’t place but were awarded a superior rating and a mark of 90 per cent. Three piano students – Janet Ying, David Klassen and Julian Wiley – also competed at the provincials representing Drumheller and District Music Festival, while Susanne Sevcik, who studies in Calgary with teacher Rolf Bertsch, competed in Piano 19 Year & Under.