Brant Has What It Takes showcases ‘amazing’ local talent

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Brant Has What It Takes showcases amazing local talent

Published Jul 18, 2024 • Last updated 7 hours ago • 2 minute read

  1. Hilary Cowell, age 11 of Brantford performs Our Song by Taylor Swift.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor

  2. Brant Has What It Takes showcases 'amazing' local talent

    Johanna Atchison performs Blue Moon of Kentucky by Patsy Cline.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor

  3. Brant Has What It Takes showcases 'amazing' local talent

    Hannah Dyke, age 10 sings More Hearts Than Mine.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor

  4. Brant Has What It Takes showcases 'amazing' local talent

    Avery Kloetstra, age 9 performs a dance routine at the Brant Has What It takes talent contest on Wednesday.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor

  5. Brant Has What It Takes showcases 'amazing' local talent

    Ashley Finch, 31 of Brantford sings All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor

  6. Brant Has What It Takes showcases 'amazing' local talent

    Steve Doran of Brantford sings Rock This Town by the Stray Cats.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor

  7. Brant Has What It Takes showcases 'amazing' local talent

    Kyra Humpartzoomian, age 24 of Brantford sings Hopelessly Devoted To You from the musical Grease.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor

  8. Brant Has What It Takes showcases 'amazing' local talent

    Ashton Chambers, 19 of Burford sings Something In The Orange by Zach Bryan.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor

  9. Brant Has What It Takes showcases 'amazing' local talent

    Iris Mottershead, age 9 listens to judges’ critiques after performing Popular, a musical theater number from Wicked.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor

More than a dozen local people sang and danced their way into the hearts of judges and the audience at the first night of the Brant Has What It Takes talent contest.

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The inaugural edition of what’s to become an annual event was held at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Burford on Wednesday evening in conjunction with Joan Minnery Enterprises.

“I used to run the Brantford Idol and several other contests, and (Blessed Sacrament) asked if I’d be interested in putting this together,” Minnery said. “This is one of the best talent contests I’ve ever seen. Especially for auditions, it felt more like we were watching the finals.”

Hillary Cowell of Brantford led off the evening’s competition singing Our Song by Taylor Swift.

The 11-year-old has been singing for about three years and is one of Minnery’s students.

“I’d like to perform, like the Era’s tour how Taylor Swift does,” she said of her dreams, adding that she is currently learning to write songs.

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Hilary’s mother Heather Cowell, said she is grateful for Minnery’s efforts with the talent show and getting Hilary started in her singing.

“There’s so much talent here,” Cowell shared. “Hopefully we can see more stuff like this in the future. It’s a really neat experience.”

Ten-year-old Jo-Hannah Atchison of Brantford has been singing since the age of two and impressed the judges as she played guitar while singing Blue Moon of Kentucky by Patsy Kline.

“I’ve been singing before I could walk,” she said with a chuckle. “I love classic country music (from the) 1950s, and Dolly Parton. And I can yodell.”

The young vocalist, a student at W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind, said she created a TikTok mission by posting her singing a Dolly Parton song daily until she got the country music legend’s attention. But at 41,000 views the account was deleted because TikTok doesn’t allow 10-year-olds to have an account, despite it being in her mother’s name.

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Atchison is also a Disney Junior voice-over actress and can be found as Sadie O’Grady on CBC’s Dino Ranch.

Iris Mottershead, age 9, has been singing under Minnery’s tutelage for three years.

“I do Brantford Cabaret and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I like putting myself out there, singing and acting in front of a crowd,” the young vocalist shared. “I’m hoping I can be on TV shows, be a successful singer, and be in Broadway shows.”

At the end of the evening’s performances, Minnery announced that all contestants were being put through to the quarter-final round on August 7. Semi-finals are set for August 21, while the finals are on August 28.

Meantime, the next audition installment will take place July 31 and Minnery said they’d like to have more contestants. Interested people should contact Doreen Fader at 519-449-5143.

“It’s astonishing talent,” Minnery said of the contestants. “It’s going to be a really tough competition. I do not envy the judges.”

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