The Wyndham Rising Star competition is up and running. Sean A’Hearn was there to see and hear the first auditions and will report regularly on the quest for Star Weekly
Do you have what it takes to be Wyndham’s Rising Star?
The Universal School of Music, in partnership with Wyndham council and Hotel 520, is giving emerging young artists and singers the chance to showcase their talents and compete for prizes and a professional music scholarship valued at $25,000.
Each fortnight, Star Weekly will publish wrap-ups of the auditions and follow the successful hopefuls all the way to the finals.
Diversity was on the menu this week as nine singers of wide-ranging ages and backgrounds auditioned.
The first five singers featured a mother, two teenagers, an Indian singing Bollywood and a final-12 contestant from 2010’s X‐Factor.
Singing in Hindi, Manisha Rawal added a traditional Indian song to the cultural melting pot, but it was 16-year-old Somer Smith who blew audiences away with her powerhouse rendition of Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You.
Tugging at the heartstrings of all and sundry, Somer broke down in tears while being quizzed by the judges, clearly showing what a singing career would mean to her.
In the second half, former waitress Casey Freeman knocked the audience’s socks off with her raw originals, while Monique Gheri concluded the night on the strongest of notes after battling through some vocal troubles to bring the house down with her beautiful voice.
After audience votes were counted, Monique was third with 17 votes, Casey was second with 21 and Somer topped the night with a whopping 35 votes.
The Rising Star auditions are open to singers aged 16 to 35. To enter, email audition@universalschoolofmusic.com.au.
