Young singer on track for stardom
July 09, 2003
By Michael Hilborn

    If big things come in small packages, then there’s a giant on the shores of Rainy Lake.
    No, not the Great Beaver, but a nine-year-old dynamo who has big plans for a career in show business . And based on the results of the Emo Grandstand Jam, those plans are right on track.
    Within moments of taking the stage at the Emo racetrack on Canada Day, Katelyn Shortreed of Watten Township served notice she was a force to reckoned with in the not-too-distant future as she delivered her own rendition of “Miss Independent,” by Kelly Clarkson to a wildly enthusiastic crowd and a quartet of judges.
    By the time she was finished, there was little doubt who the winner in the junior category (age 8-13) would be.
    Even though she was the second youngest performer in the competition, she came through with a degree of poise and pizzaz that belied her tender years.
    Of course, Katelyn is hardly new to the spotlight. In fact, that performance was just another show for her.
    “I’ve been singing around the house since I was three,” she explained. “I started singing lessons with Rita Moorehouse when I was six,” she added, as though that was such a long time ago.
    Perhaps for her, it was. That same year she entered the Rainy River Arts Festival and has been in it ever since. She also attended Renée Martin’s music camp last year, but decided to forego that experience this year so she could participate in other things.
    The Grandstand Jam was her first opportunity to perform with a live band and although she admitted to being a bit nervous, that certainly wasn’t apparent to those in attendance. She said the band, a Fort Frances-based trio called Thinking of Pinky, made it easy for her to relax.
    “They were really cool,” she said of Cliff Pidlubny, Dan Jones and Scott Downs—who arranged and played for all the performers in addition to playing their own selections during breaks in the entertainment.
    Katelyn was pretty cool herself. Although some of the other performers were plagued by nerves to some degree, she sailed through her number like a seasoned pro. As a reward, she has been invited to perform two selections on an upcoming CD being put out by the Rainy River Agricultural Society to promote and finance next year’s jam.
    She has already made her selections for that.
    “I really like Michelle Branch’s ‘Are You Happy Now’ and I want to do ‘Miss Independent’ again,” she explained.
    Singing isn’t the only thing in Katelyn’s life, however. She also plays the piano and is a fairly accomplished artist, with numerous pencil sketches in her repertoire. Her favourite subject seems to be the cartoon character Scooby-Doo since she has a book full of his likenesses.
    A year ago, she began to take dance lessons and she feels dance will remain a large part of her life. The flexibility, discipline, and breath control she learned from dance are already paying off in her singing.
    But there’s more to this girl than arts. She is still a typical northern Ontario kid with typical interests.
    “I like outdoor stuff too—fishing, swimming and riding my bike,” she said. “I really like the Gameshow Network on TV too,” she added. And, of course, she is a huge fan of the Simpsons.
    Does anything bother this cool customer? Yes, some things apparently do.
    “I hate dock spiders,” she admitted. “I found one down by the lake and didn’t want to go into the water.” She also hates thunderstorms and getting up in the morning.
    “I’m definitely a night person,” she acknowledged.
    Since she will be entering Grade 5 at Robert Moore School in September, there isn’t much she can do about those early mornings and after that, there will be important choices to make. Katelyn has already given the future some thought and she is sure what she loves to do now will continue to be a part of her life at some level.
    “I’d like to be a singer and a dancer,” she said. “I’ve already taken my first Royal Conservatory exam.”
    She has also caught the eye of people across the river. Music teachers Genny and Jackie Guimond of International Falls have shown an interest in her since her performance in the Broadway on the Border production at the Baccus Auditorium earlier this year and she was a guest soloist at the Calvary Tabernacle here in Fort Frances.

Grandstand Jam fine showcase for budding talent
July 09, 2003
By Michael Hilborn

    There were plenty of activities to keep people busy on Canada Day, but perhaps one of the most fun and, and perhaps overlooked, was the second-annual Grandstand Jam in Emo.
    Over 200 adults and 50 children filed into the Emo Speedway grandstand to sample the talents of 15 young people from across Rainy River District and International Falls. The jam featured performers in two age categories all vying for a shot at getting their talent recorded for future reference, and in this case, the recording session will be almost an ensemble.
    The four judges—Emo Reeve Russ Fortier, Tony Marinaro of Emo, Alyson Booth of Fort Frances and Donna Frederickson of International Falls—found it necessary to vote a tie for second place in each category, with the result that eight young people will be laying down tracks with Inside Out Productions in Fort Frances later this year.
    “The way it goes is the first-place winners get to record two songs, while second and third do one,” explained event organizer Candy Greengrass. “This year, we have eight singers.”
    The jam consisted of two age categories—8-13 and 14-19. Nine hopefuls signed up for the junior category and six for the seniors. Each performer sang one song, accompanied by Fort Frances-base trio, Thinking of Pinky. The selections ran the gamut from contemporary pop to classic country and when it was over, Cara Coran of Fort Frances took the senior honours for her presentation of the Nancy Sinatra hit, “These Boots are Made for Walkin’” while nine-year-old Katelyn Shortreed topped all juniors with a rousing rendition of “Miss Independent.”
    Newcomer Anthony Labbe, of Emo, tied with last year’s winner Sarah Hebert for second place in the senior category while Shauna McInery of Rainy River took third.
    Chelsea Carlson of Fort Frances tied with Elysia Huitikka of Fort Frances for second while eight-year-old Jaryd Elias of Emo took third place.
    The quality of talent was as diverse as the song selections. Some, like Hebert, McInery and Coran showed the polish of seasoned pros while others found themselves encumbered to some degree with an attack of nerves.
    One who did not was Shortreed, who appeared completely relaxed and in complete control, while Labbe—who was appearing on-stage for the first time —had the carefree demeanor of someone who feels he has nothing to lose.
    On this night, all the performers were winners, although organizers were somewhat disappointed at the turnout. Greengrass said she had hoped to see at least 500 people, but considering the timing of the event, things went about as well as could be expected. Even the weather co-operated.
    “Last year, we held it during the (Emo) fall fair and it was so wet and windy, we almost wanted to call it off,” Greengrass recalled.
    “This time, we all the activities in Fort Frances, it was difficult to get as many people as we would have liked.”
    Greengrass says plans are in the works to find a new, permanent date for the Jam so it does not conflict with other events in the district.
    “Hopefully, we can get a weekend when there’s nothing else going on,” she said. “Friday night would be best,” she suggested.
    The Grandstand Jam was sponsored by the Rainy River Valley Agricultural Society, who will be releasing the CD of this year’s winners. Proceeds from the sale of the disk will be used to sponsor next year’s event.