Who’s the best young singer in Burbank? This contest aims to find out
There may be a lot of talented young singers out in Burbank, but in order for them to win an upcoming competition, one judge said they are going to have to do a bit more than just sing.
At Luther Burbank Middle School on April 9 , the Burbank Noon Kiwanis Club and local music school the Music Junction will host the second annual Burbank Singing Star contest, in which 35 children between the ages of 5 and 14 will compete to decide who’s the most talented singer among them. While the competition was held in October last year, organizers decided to move it up to the spring this year because they think it’s a better time of year for it.
Peggi Blu, who was one of the judges during last year’s competition, said she was not surprised at all by the number of talented singers who performed back in October. However, she noted that the kids are going to have to be more than just a good singer.
“In Burbank Singing Star, the operative word here is ‘star,’” she said. “If you want to be one, you will be willing to do the work, put it forth and let it shine.”
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Blu, who is best known for being a “Star Search” grand champion and one of the vocal coaches on “American Idol,” said that to be a successful singer in the music industry, one must be dedicated to perfecting their craft but also be a great performer.
“You need to be able to do more than just one thing, because otherwise, you’re pretty boring,” she said.
There are a few changes to the competition this time around. Instead of having one contest for all the children, the competition will be broken up into two categories — 5- to 9-year-olds and 10- to 14-year-olds, said Charissa Wheeler, founder of Burbank Singing Star.
“We wanted to get more contestants involved so that we can build the Burbank Singing Star community and having a wider impact,” she said.
Additionally, the show will be an all-day affair instead of just a singing competition. By moving the event to Luther Burbank Middle School, organizers will be able to create an outdoor family festival with food trucks, face painting, dance performances and martial-arts demonstrations, Wheeler said.
Though the festival will be free for the public, those who want to watch the singing contests will have to purchase a ticket, either $20 for one show or $30 for both competitions.
Like the last contest, the money collected during the event will go toward a charitable cause. The previous recipient was the Kiwanis Club and the Burbank Community YMCA’s “Learn, Grow, Thrive” program.
This year, Burbank Singing Star will be donating proceeds to the Burbank Unified School District.
“The money is going to be earmarked for music programs for BUSD, for elementary and junior high,” Wheeler said. “We’re really focusing on that age group because the high schools already have a lot of activities going on musically, but kids aren’t getting a lot of music training at the beginning.”
To purchase tickets for Burbank Singing Star, visit themusicjunction.com/bss.
anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
