Stephanie Bullock, 2016 Ottawa Idol winner, said if it wasn’t because of the competition, she wouldn’t be pursuing her music today.
Because of Ottawa Idol, Bullock, 23, was offered lead singer in local rock band, Smashboxx, and played with them for a short time. Now, she is the lead singer of her own four-piece band, Highway Four Seventeen. She said its genre of music is mostly pop and R&B.
Ottawa Idol, formerly known as Kiwanis Idol, is a local singing competition held every summer to allow youth and young adults, ages 13 to 21, to perform in front of a set of experienced judges. Winners of the contest receive a management and agent agreement and recording studio time.
Throughout the year between competitions, a Christmas concert is held in which the top 10 perform a traditional holiday song, and one of their choice. This year’s Christmas event was held on Dec. 16.
Victoria Rose, winner of the 2018 competition, won the first time she went through the process. However, others came to win with improvement.
Bullock said the year she won Ottawa Idol was not the first time she auditioned. Previously, she auditioned twice and only made it to the top 10 round her second time auditioning.
“When I was 16, I auditioned for the first time for Ottawa Idol . . . I made it to the top 20,” Bullock said. “The next year, I went back and made it into the top 10. Then, I took a year off to find a new vocal coach and train a little bit.”
The year Bullock came back after her break, in 2016, she won Ottawa Idol.
Lindsay White, winner of the 2013 competition, said she has also had many opportunities after her win. She said her time with Ottawa Idol is the reason for her successes within her music career.
“If I hadn’t done Ottawa Idol, I don’t think I’d have pretty much anything of what I’m doing,” White said. “In Ottawa Idol, I met the guitar player who was actually the guy who asked me to join the band that I’m currently in. So if it hadn’t been for Ottawa Idol, I never would have met him, and I would never have been in a band, and I probably wouldn’t be as confident in my music.”
Another winner, Kira Isabella, has found stardom beyond Ottawa in the country music scene. She won Kiwanis Idol in 2007, and years later, in 2013, won female artist of the year at the Canadian Country Music Awards.
Diane Marie, judge for the past four years, said a lot goes into picking the winner each year. She added they follow a score sheet to determine who makes it and who doesn’t.
“It’s how (the contestants) perform on stage, and how they dress, and that they’re dressing appropriately for the song and for the audition, and they’re picking a song that’s age appropriate,” Marie said.
Marie added the process of Ottawa Idol is not only to judge contestants, but to “make sure they’re supported in this journey.”
Eldon Fox, who founded Ottawa Idol in 2012, said the reason for the competition is to bring confidence to youth and young adults who want to pursue their music.
“I see what it does for the kids. It gives them a chance. So many are still in the business, making a living out of it now . . . it gets them out and gets them to do what they love,” Fox said.
Fox said the competition costs about $10,000 each year, and it becomes more difficult as time goes on to raise money. He added they usually only raise about $5,000 with $25 admission fees for auditioning and $40 tickets for their Christmas and red carpet concerts.
“It’s very hard to keep it going. Before I retired, it was easy, I put my own money when I needed to pay for venues, and sound people,” Fox said. “We’re in the hole all the time.”
Marie said she sees the amount of work Fox puts into this competition, and will support him for as long as he asks her to come back and judge.
“I think because the fees are so low for contestants to participate, that Eldon is always seeking sponsors,” Marie said. “It’s tough for him because often he’s going to be out-of-pocket for events.”
Fox said he’ll keep the competition going for as long as he can, however added it’s getting harder as he gets older.