2015 Schedule

April 11th 2015 Finals
Dinner Entertainment:
– 6:00PM – 6:15PM: Cameron vonCreigern
– 6:15PM – 6:45 AM: Jamie Spurvey

Final Performers:
7:00 PM 7:15 PM Intros
7:15 PM 7:30 PM Equipment set-up
7:30 PM 7:45 PM Jamie Stever
7:45 PM 8:00 PM Equipment set-up
8:00 PM 8:15 PM The James Barker Band
8:15 PM 8:30 PM Equipment set-up
8:30 PM 8:45 PM Guest performer Jessica Wedden
8:45 PM 9:00 PM Equipment set-up
9:00 PM 9:15 PM Kaitlin Kozell
9:15 PM 9:30 PM Equipment set-up
9:30 PM 9:45 PM Henry Norwood
9:45 PM 10:00 PM Equipment set-up
10:00 PM 10:15 PM Instant Rivalry
10:15 PM 10:30 PM Equipment set-up
10:30 PM 10:45 PM Kansas Stone
10:45 PM 11:15 PM Door prizes etc
11:15 PM 11:45 PM Winners Announced
11:45 PM 12:00 AM Equipment set-up
12:00 AM 12:30 AM Winners’ Performances

April 4th, 2015 Semi Finals
7:00 PM 7:15 PM Brooke & Ben
7:15 PM 7:25 PM Equipment turn over
7:25 PM 7:40 PM Matt Williams & Alyssa Morrisey
7:40 PM 7:50 PM Equipment turn over
7:50 PM 8:05 PM Gloria Digby
8:05 PM 8:15 PM Equipment turn over
8:15 PM 8:30 PM Jamie Stever
8:30 PM 8:45 PM Equipment turn over
8:45 PM 9:00 PM Instant Rivalry
9:00 PM 9:10 PM Equipment turn over
9:10 PM 9:25 PM Henry Norwood
9:25 PM 9:40 PM Equipment turn over
9:40 PM 9:55 PM Augusta Campoli
9:55 PM 10:05 PM Equipment turn over
10:05 PM 10:20 PM Kaitlin Kozell
10:20 PM 10:30 PM Equipment turn over
10:30 PM 10:45 PM The James Barker Band
10:45 PM 11:00 PM Equipment turn over
11:00 PM 11:15 PM Kansas Stone

Premature predictions can be precarious. Especially when trying to figure out who will be the grand winner of The Next Country Music Star Talent Search.

Nine semi-finalists delivered an evening of songs filled with grit, attitude, joy, haunting soulfulness, originality, toe-tapping energy and top quality performances. The judges were challenged, but ready to respond.

A new panel of judges were present for the semi-finals, replacing Jen Goheen, Bruce Sutton and Chad Kalbfleisch and Guest Judges Cindy Sutch, Kim Stoneburg and Jamie Spurvey. 10 Semi-finalists had been selected from over 30 contestants during the preliminary rounds and everyone knew that it was going to be even tougher to advance to the finals.

The Semi-Final judges were: Heather Ostertag of Heather Ostertag & Associates, Bob Spencer of Metalworks Productions, Russell deCarle of Prairie Oyster, and Brandon Scott of Cold Creek County. With a panel so skilled in marketing, stage & sound production and live performances, it was the judges who set the bar for the night.

For the performers, it was an impromptu classroom on how to make a great impression in the Country Music industry. Every aspect of their showmanship was critiqued by the judges: from preparedness, engagement with the audience, song selection, musical performance, to promotion. Every judge stressed the need for each performer to present themselves well in social media, taking the time to review the quality of video performances that are uploaded and viewed. They noted that every live performance should reflect their best every time: with complete band members, attention to song selections, and professional decorum on and off stage.

Performance highlights never let up: Brooke & Ben’s on-stage charm, Gloria Digby’s vocal originality, Jamie Stever & Cory Apolcer’s up-beat stage energy, Instant Rivalry’s musicality , the one-two punch of Kansas Stone, Henry Norwood’s ethereal old-soul voice, Augusta and her band’s flawless performance, The James Barker Band’s crowd-pleasing comfort on stage, and the judges’ comments, kept the evening interesting from start to finish.

The judges deliberated for a while before coming to decision.
In the end, six finalists advance to the next level, the Finals, being held on April 11th:

The James Barker Band
Henry Norwood
Instant Rivalry
Kaitlin Kozell
Kansas Stone
Jamie Stever

The Finals on April 11th begin at 7:30 pm at The Ranch Resort.
Judges for the Final evening are:

Tony Tarleton, General Manager of MapleMusic Recordings/Fontana North
Mike Denney, President MDM Recordings
Trevor Lamas, National Promotions Manager, Sony Music Entertainment
Bruce Good, The Good Brothers

Special guest performers for the evening are:

Cameron vonCriegern
Jessica Wedden
Jamie Spurvey

Check out www.thenextcountrymusicstar.com or Facebook: The Next Country Music Star for bios on all the performers in this series.

Audience tickets are available for $5 by reservation only.

Dinner & show reservations are also available for $20 by calling 705-277-1942.

March 28th, 2015 Performance Schedule
7:00 PM 7:30 PM Kristen Hawley
7:30PM 7:40 PM change over
7:40PM 8:10PM TC Witteman
8:10PM 8:20PM change over
8:20PM 8:50 PM Augusta Campoli
8:50 PM 9:05 PM change over
9:05 PM 9:35 PM James Barker Band
9:35 PM 9:45 PM change over
9:45 PM 10:15 PM Ambre Foley
10:15 PM 10:25 PM change over
10:25 PM 10:55 PM Anne Finlay
10:55 PM 11:10 PM change over
11:10 PM 11:40 PM Northern Roads

Guest Judge: Michael Wyman

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l to r: Northern Roads, TC Witteman, Anne Finlay, Augusta, Kristen Hawley, Ambre Foley .The James Barker Band

The March lion roared at The Ranch Resort with lively music in front of a sold-out audience on March 28th. The country music talent presented in that last week of preliminary round auditions maintained the standard that has pegged The Next Country Music Star Talent Search as a premier event showcasing the next generation of Canadian Country Music Stars.

Kristen Hawley, from Stratford Ontario, started the musical entertainment for the evening. It wasn’t difficult to appreciate why she has the distinction of beating out Justin Beiber when they both competed in the 2007 Stratford Star. The judges were very much impressed with her clear delivery, flawless earthy sounding vocals and original songwriting.

TC Witteman, travelled from Kitchener, Ontario to deliver a mixed set of traditional and modern country covers and original songs. The judges respected not only his baritone voice that could reach falsetto heights but also appreciated that he looked like country singer with his boots, jeans, shirt and hat.

16 year old Torontonian Augusta Campoli stepped on stage next. She quickly proved why she has recently been honored as the 2015 North America Country Music Association Youth New Country Songwriter of the Year and Youth Country Rising Star. The judges commented after her engaging and energetic set that she had set the bar for the rest of the night.

The James Barker Band raised the bar just a bit higher, being the first group in all the weeks of the preliminary round to receive an immediate encore request from judges and audience. Their original song “Living The Dream” earned high praise from the judges who declared it radio-ready, their skills as musicians were extolled, with the drummer being described as a “human metronome”, and they won the house over by incorporating unexpected technical problems into their set, playing without a pause until they were fixed.
Northumberland County’s Ambre Foley delivered a set that showcased her talent as a story-telling singer. A tiny singer, with a powerful voice, Ambre impressed the judges with her song choices.

Anne Finlay stepped up on stage next and belted out a set that had the audience eating out of her hand. She called up audience volunteers on stage a couple of times to slap, beat and rattle various noisemakers. The judges were impressed with her beautiful, powerful vocals and fun stage presence, particularly enjoying hearing her sing her original “Convoy for the Cure”. Even the MC couldn’t help offering a opinion by saying: “If I had your voice I’d sing all day.”

The evening ended with Northern Roads delivering a well-rehearsed, toe-tapping, up-and-dancing, crowd pleasing act. Their harmonic vocals were extraordinarily tight, demonstrating why they have been selected to perform at Canadian Music Week this May. As the judges left to deliberate, Northern Roads agreed to play an encore song to an appreciative audience.

The James Barker Band were declared the night’s winner, with Augusta Campoli earning the Wild Card draw. Both advance to the semi-finals being held April 4th at The Ranch Resort.

The preliminary round of evenings has showcased 28 extremely talented emerging Canadian Country Music performers/groups. Judges Jan Goheen, Chad Kalbfleisch, Bruce Sutton, and Guest Judges Jamie Spurvey, Cindy Sutch and Kim Stoneburg have done an excellent job providing constructive feedback, and have had the most difficult task selecting eleven contestants who proceed to the semi-finals:

Instant Rivalry
Gloria Digby
John Ross & Emerson Ireland
Jamie Stever
Kansas Stone
Brooke & Ben
Matt Williams & Melissa Morrisey
Henry Norwood
Kaitlin Kozell
The James Barker Band
Augusta Campoli

The Semi-Finals on April 4th begin at 7pm at The Ranch Resort.
Judges for the semi-finals are:

Heather Ostertag of Heather Ostertag & Associates
Bob Spencer , President of Metalworks Production
Russell deCarle of Prairie Oyster
Brandon Scott of Cold Creek County

Check out www.thenextcountrymusicstar.com or Facebook: The Next Country Music Star for bios of the semifinal performers and judges as well as the April 4th line-up.

Audience tickets are available for $5 by reservation only.
Dinner & show reservations are also available for $20 by calling 705-277-1942.

March 21st, 2015 Performance Schedule
7:15 PM 7:45 PM Jessica Wedden
7:45 PM 8:00 PM change over
8:00 PM 8:30 PM Glenn Code
8:30 PM 8:45 PM change over
8:45 PM 9:15 PM Kaitlin Kozell
9:15 PM 9:30 PM change over
9:30 PM 10:00PM Victoria Powell
10:00 PM 10:15 PM change over
10:15PM 10:45 PM Stacey Bannon
10:45 PM 11:00 PM change over
11:00 PM 11:30 PM Henry Norwood
11:30PM 12:00PM Judges’ Decision

Guest Judge: Jamie Spurvey

March21

l to r: Glenn Code, Stacey Bannon, Victoria Powell, Kaitlin Kozell, Henry Norwood. Missing: Jessica Wedden

The musical strength of the performers at The Next Country Music Star Talent Search on March 21st at The Ranch Resort in Bethany left no doubt in anyone’s mind that Canadian Country music will continue to flourish for a long time. Every style of country music, from traditional to contemporary, was heard from competitors of all ages on Saturday evening.

12 year old Jessica Wedden opened the evening, thoroughly amazing everyone with her unique step dancing and acrobatic trick fiddling style. A talented fiddle player, Jessica electrified the crowd with Celtic and traditional Canadian fiddle music, delivered in her own unique style. Jessica let it be known to both the judges and the audience that she is indeed one of Canada’s rising music stars.

Imagine a vocal fusion of Dwight Yoakum and Elvis and you have a close match to Glenn Code’s great tone and voice. His original songs impressed the judges, especially “Set The Bed on Fire”, and his engaging stage presence captivated the crowd.

Kaitlin Kozell delivered a flawless performance with a perfect blend of covers and original songs, a tight back-up band and pitch perfect vocals. One judge, upon hearing that she occasionally sang the national anthem at The Leafs home games, commented that The Leafs should open for her.

The next contestant, 17 year old Victoria Powell, amazed the judges with her vocal and songwriting skills. She demonstrated quite easily why she has been awarded a songwriting scholarship in Nashville, and also proved that the future of Canadian Country music is in good hands.

Stacey Bannon brought energy, talent and showmanship to the stage that drew strong reactions from the crowd. Her vocal tone, sweet drawl and passionate delivery earned praise from the judges.

Henry Norwood was the final performer of the evening. Playing traditional country style covers and originals, accompanied only with his acoustic guitar this 16 year old performer from Perth, Ontario mesmerized everyone.“ Your voice flows like pure honey” declared one judge, while another judge commented: ‘Your voice lasts forever” Yet another judge questioned if he really wasn’t 36 years old, especially because of his ability to write such haunting lyrics as, “ Dancing the one dance that might change the rest of my life.”

The magical, musical treats weren’t quite over yet. While the judges were deliberating on who the evening’s winner was to be, the audience persuaded Brooke & Ben, Wild Card contenders and crowd favorites from March 14th, to perform a song on stage. Thoroughly surprised by being recognized and completely unprepared, they rose to the occasion with a borrowed guitar player and drummer and led the crowd in a good-feeling rendition of Wagon Wheel.

After much discussion the judges acknowledged Henry Norwood as the March 21st winner.
Kaitlin Kozell was awarded a Wild Card spot in the semi-finals and Brooke & Ben were also officially given their Wild Card ticket too. Three Wild Card positions are still open for the semi-finals on April 4th.

Sandy Quenneville was this week’s winner of The Moosehead patio umbrella, and Mike Brown was the Grand Prize winner of this week’s set of day passes to the 2015 Havelock Country Jamboree.

March 28th performers, starting at 7:00 pm, are:

Kristen Hawley
TC Witteman
Augusta Campoli
The James Barker Band
Ambre Foley
Anne Finlay
Northern Roads

Preliminary auditions of The Next Country Music Star Talent Search continue every Saturday up to March 28th at The Ranch Resort, Bethany. Semi-Finals are on April 4th and the Final is scheduled for April 11th.

Check out www.thenextcountrymusicstar.com or Facebook: The Next Country Music Star for bios of preliminary performers and the weekly line-ups.

Audience tickets are available for $5 at the door.
Dinner & show reservations are available for $20 by calling 705-277-1942.

March 14th, 2015 Performance Schedule
7:30 PM 8:00 PM Sara Silver
8:00 PM 8:15 PM change over
8:15 PM 8:45 PM Matt Williams & Alyssa Morrissey
8:45 PM 9:00 PM change over
9:00 PM 9:30 PM Train Wreck
9:30 PM 9:45 PM change over
9:45 PM 10:15 PM Brooke & Ben
10:15 PM 10:30 PM change over
10:30 PM 11:00 PM Kansas Stone
11:00 PM 11:30 PM Judges decision
Audience Votes ballots collected and counted

Guest Judge:

Advancing to the Semi-Finals:
Winner:

march17

March 7th, 2015 Performance Schedule
7:30 PM 8:00 PM Cameron von Criegern
8:00 PM 8:15 PM change over
8:15 PM 8:45 PM Josh Thompson
8:45 PM 9:00 PM change over
9:00 PM 9:30 PM Jesse Slack Band
9:30 PM 9:45 PM change over
9:45 PM 10:15 PM John Ross&Emerson Ireland
10:15 PM 10:30 PM change over
10:30 PM 11:00 PM Jamie Stever
11:00 PM 11:30 PM Judges decision
Audience Votes ballots collected and counted

Guest Judge: Cindy Sutch, Catherine Faint Entertainment

Advancing to the Semi-Finals:
Winner: John Ross & Emerson Ireland
Wild Card: Jamie Stever

March 7th: The Next Country Music Star Talent Search
March 7
l to r:Cameron von Creigern, Emerson Ireland, Cory Alpocer, John Ross, Josh Thompson, The Jesse Slack Band, Jamie Stever (2nd from right)

March roared in like a lion at The Ranch Resort on Saturday March 7th, bringing talent from all directions: south from Nashville, north from Peterborough, east from Belleville, west from Oshawa and delivering a perfect storm of great music and great times.

Five unique performers and groups challenged the judges to pick a winner for the evening.

17 yr. old Cameron von Criegern, the youngest contestant to date, started the evening with a mature country sound, amazing tone & phrasing. He charmed the audience and judges with his engaging presence.

Josh Thompson impressed the judges with his original songs and his Keith Urban style. A natural story teller, he entertained the audience with his intros & great songwriting skills.

The Jesse Slack Band raised the temperature, pleasing the judges and audience with their energetic stage presence, tight music and strong original songs. The judges commented that this is a band with longevity, with special praise for their originals “Hurts Me When You Cry “and “I Need A Truck”.

That March heat wave, which always takes us by surprise, was ushered in by John Ross & Emerson Ireland. Imagine Stompin’ Tom blended with an Old Country/ Rockabilly/Bluegrass style and it’s not hard to understand why the audience was up and dancing. Their sense of humour, great guitar playing and toe-tapping selection of original and cover songs led one judge to comment that they were the most fun all night.

Jamie Stever was not about to let the evening cool down. With Cory Apolcer playing stand-up percussions, Jamie delivered a tight performance which kept the audience focused on every note and every beat they played. The judges enjoyed the mix of covers and originals, appreciating that they were not only a well-rehearsed and tight duo, but also an appealing crowd pleaser.

It took a while for the judges to reach their decision. Even the audience votes were almost equally balanced among the performers.

John Ross & Emerson Ireland were declared the March 7th winners moving on to the semi-finals, and one of the coveted semi-final wild cards was awarded to Jamie Stever & Cory Apolcer.

The audience was also treated to a very special performance by The Bethany Hills Jubilation Sunshine Ukulele Band. Special thanks to Caroline, Amazing Grace and Rebecca who were picked from the audience to stage their inaugural (and sadly, farewell) performance as ukulele virtuosos after only 15 minutes of learning how to play this complex instrument.

Mike Lifford was this week’s winner of The Moosehead patio umbrella, and Cindy Fudge was the the grand prize winner of this week’s set of day passes to the 2015 Havelock Country Jamboree.

March 14th performers, starting at 7:30 pm, are:

Sara Silver
Matt Williams & Alyssa Morrissey
Train Wreck
Brooke & Ben
Kansas Stone

Preliminary auditions of The Next Country Music Star Talent Search continue every Saturday up to March 28th at The Ranch Resort, Bethany. Semi-Finals are on April 4th and the Final is scheduled for April 11th. Check out www.thenextcountrymusicstar.com or Facebook The Next Country Music Star for bios of preliminary performers and the weekly line-ups.

Audience tickets are available for $5 at the door.
Dinner & show reservations are available for $20 by calling 705-277-1942.

February 28, 2015 Performance Schedule
7:30 PM 8:00 PM Briannah Cotton
8:00 PM 8:15 PM change over
8:15 PM 8:45 PM Five Mile Turn
8:45 PM 9:00 PM change over
9:00 PM 9:30 PM Jamie Pounder
9:30 PM 9:45 PM change over
9:45 PM 10:15 PM David Byrski
10:15 PM 10:30 PM change over
10:30 PM 11:00 PM Gloria Digby
11:00 PM 11:30 PM Judges decision – ballots counted
Audience Votes Collected and counted
11:30 PM 12:00 AM Announce Semi Final Winner

February 28th The Next Country Music Star Talent Search
Results
Pictured l to r: David Byrski, Briannah Cotton, Gloria Digby, Jamie Pounder, Five Mile Turn: Ken Tuck& Jeanne Thompson

What a difference weather can make. There was no reason to stay home on February 28th so country music fans looking for a great evening of musical entertainment filled The Ranch Resort’s banquet room to capacity to hear the second group of participants compete at The Next Country Music Star Talent Search.

We were delighted to have Dave Lockwood & Hap from CKOL, Campbellford, launch the evening, select door prize winners and announce the evening’s winner.

It was a challenging night for the judges. Each of the groups delivered solid & strong performances. The audience even had a hard time choosing an overall hands down favorite.

Briannah Cotton began the evening and immediately raised the bar for all the other contestants. Only 18 years old, she delivered songs with experience way beyond her years. The judges loved her on-stage confidence and her rendition of classic country songs.

Five Mile Turn performed an all original set of songs. Their ‘70’s style, Jeanne Thompson’s confident, sultry voice and Ken Tuck’s remarkable guitar playing generated a huge audience response. The judges appreciated their unique blend of folk and country style.

Jamie Pounder showed his strength as a dedicated and skilled musician/singer/ songwriter. Imagine a high energy fusion of Buddy Holly and John Fogarty delivering original songs and interpretations of classics, and it’s no surprise that Jamie was an instant crowd pleaser.

Not to be outdone, David Byrski, won everyone’s hearts with his New Traditional voice and style. The judges were equally impressed with his songwriting skills, his mesmerizing voice and his charismatic stage presence.

Following four strong acts, 18 year old singer/songwriter Gloria Digby had no other choice than to deliver an audition that would captivate the whole building. Her energetic stage presence, her sweet charm and “Old Soul” voice made it be known that she was not going to be left behind.

After long deliberations by the judges, the overall winner of the evening, selected to the semi-final round, was Gloria Digby.

Very special thanks to our evening judges, Jen Goheen, Chad Kalbfleisch, Bruce Sutton, and guest judge Jamie Spurvey.
Extra special thanks to our audience who enthusiastically supported all the performers.

The Next Country Music Star Talent Search continues this Saturday March7th at The Ranch Resort, Bethany and runs every Saturday up to April 11th. Check out www.thenextcountrymusicstar.com or Facebook The Next Country Music Star for this week’s line-up.

Audience tickets are available for $5 at the door.

Dinner & show reservations are available for $20 by calling 705-277-1942.

February 21, 2015 Performance Schedule
7:30 PM 8:00 PM Becky Elliott
8:00 PM 8:15 PM change over
8:15 PM 8:45 PM Jesse Slack
8:45 PM 9:00 PM change over
9:00 PM 9:30 PM Gloria Digby
9:30 PM 9:45 PM change over
9:45 PM 10:15 PM Instant Rivalry
10:15 PM 10:30 PM change over
10:30 PM 11:00 PM TBA
11:00 PM 11:30 PM Judges decision – ballots counted
Audience Votes Collected and counted
11:30 PM 12:00 AM Announce Semi Final Winner

Summary of February 21st, The Next Country Music Star Talent Search

Neither bad weather nor bad roads could keep the music away from The Ranch Resort on February 21st for the opening night of The Next Country Music Star Talent Search.

Contestants, fans and judges made their way safely to Bethany and no one could have been disappointed with the evening of fine music, fine food and fine hospitality.

The night opened with Prince Edward County’s Becky Elliott charming the audience and judges with her flawless & natural country voice delivering her haunting original songs.

Jesse Slack, accompanied by Craig Fass on bass, impressed the judges with his punchy interpretations of country classics, as well as his original material and commanding stage presence.

Gloria Digby was re-scheduled to perform on February 28th.

The final act was reserved for Instant Rivalry, sister & brother duo Megan & Caleb Hutton. Their riveting performance is best summarized by one of the judges, who commented: “The next time I see you play, I’m going to have to pay.”

Very special thanks to our judges, Jen Goheen, Chad Kalbfleisch, Bruce Sutton, and guest judge Jamie Spurvey who unexpectedly thrilled the crowd with a 15 minute set at the end of the evening.
Extra special thanks to Jan Schoute as our guest performer.

The overall winner of the evening, advancing to the semi-final round, was Instant Rivalry