Snofest Idol winner competing at CNE
Kristin Taylor singing at CNE’s Rising Star Talent Competition
A former Snofest Idol winner is taking her talent to Toronto to compete at the Canadian National Exhibition.
Kristin Taylor is a contestant in the CNE’s Rising Star Talent Competition.
She’ll be competing in the youth division (ages 13 to 21) on Aug. 23. The top prize is $2,500.
And Taylor already has plans for the cash if she wins. She’s going to save it and put it towards recording and releasing her first EP.
The 21-year-old is no stranger to the stage.
She took second place in Snofest Idol in 2014, then won first place in 2016.
“It was a huge confidence builder,” Taylor said of the win.
After that, the Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School graduate was asked to be in some local musicals. In fact, she’ll be in The Music of Abba at Showplace Performance Centre in October.
The young artist isn’t afraid to take risks either.
Not too long ago she and her boyfriend drove to Cleveland, Ohio to audition for America’s Got Talent.
“I didn’t get in, but it was a really cool experience,” she said.
Taylor started singing when she was about five. She joined her church choir and visited seniors’ homes to perform.
Since graduating from Fleming College’s business program in June, Taylor has been working at guest services at the Holiday Inn Peterborough-Waterfront.
But her dream is to be a fulltime artist – and she’s hoping Rising Star will help get her there.
“That’s a huge opportunity to get your name and face out there.”
Taylor has her song picked out: Never Enough from the movie the Greatest Showman.
With several auditions and performances behind her, Taylor said she’s feeling pretty confident going into Rising Star.
It also doesn’t hurt that she doesn’t have a lick of stage fright.
“I absolutely love it – it feels like a second home to me,” she said of being on stage.