The starry lights of Los Angeles are beckoning for three Canterbury residents selected to compete in a world talent showcase.
Singer Nicole Schaap, 29, and musical theatre performers Conrad Goddard, 16, and Bella Newcombe, 18, will be among up to 20 New Zealanders at the annual World Championships of Performing Arts, in order to be held at Disneyland in July next year.
“When I found out, I was super-stoked, ” said Schaap, who is a drum teacher and musician at Rolleston.
Auditions are currently under way around the world for the championships, where entertainment professionals will judge, award industry medals plus scholarships, deliver seminars and may even sign up talent.
Schaap is lead singer and drummer for Rolleston-based alternative rock plus soul band Moonflower, exactly where she performs alongside her husband and bass player Josh Fairless and guitarist and singer Hamish Ellis.
She said she would be getting out there of the girl comfort zone at the championships, as she would be leaving her drumkit behind.
“It’s a little bit different for me, because I’m used to having my drumkit in front of me, ” she stated.
But she was looking forward to showcasing the girl ability to deliver “big belting vocals. ”
Schaap said her idols were Aretha Franklin and Ann Wilson from Heart, plus they had been also the two singers people often told her she sounded like.
She planned in order to sing at least one of the girl original songs at the particular championships, as well because It’s the Man’s Man’s Man’s World by James Brown and River by Bishop Briggs.
She was hoping to come back with a medal in at least one of the song categories and make music business contacts.
The girl plans to take her mum with her and will be fundraising towards airfares and accommodation.
Goddard is a year 12 student in Lincoln High School.
Last 12 months he won the best actor award in the Canterbury Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival, while he has played main roles in the junior music theatre CentreStage Rolleston productions of Legally Blonde plus High School Musical .
Last month he came fifth within the world within the international Chinese Water Cube Cup singing competition.
Goddard mentioned he liked both acting and singing, and has been taking dance classes as well.
As he looks ahead to tertiary education, he is torn between pursuing his love of physics and languages, and his love associated with acting and singing.
But he would be drawn to the latter, if he has been successful in the championships in being awarded a scholarship to attend an American academy of performing arts.
“I’m just really happy to become going, it’s such an amazing opportunity, ” Goddard said.
Bella Newcombe is a student at Rolleston College. She has enjoyed performing in musical theatre shows ever since she began singing lessons in yr 9, having starred within productions from her school and with Kirwee Players.
She was especially looking towards meeting fellow artists around the world with the competition.
She might be travelling with the girl singing instructor Jacquie Soper who was the particular one who had suggested she audition in the first place.
“It had been surreal (to be selected), ” Newcombe said.
“I was sitting in my car then I saw the email, We clicked on it and I just remember crying plus running inside and saying: ‘Mum I actually got in’. ”
The lady expected to be out and about busking in Selwyn since she fundraised towards a good approximate $8500 goal with regard to expenses such as airfares and accommodation.
WCOPA New Zealand spokeswoman Dina Janse van Rensburg said 39 individuals had so far auditioned around the country, 19 of whom had qualified. Fourteen of these had up to now confirmed they would attend. The selection process was still ongoing.
“We estimate that the particular team will certainly consist of between 15 plus 20 contestants after auditions are done. Year after year team New Zealand bring home numerous medals and scholarships, ” Janse vehicle Rensburg stated.
