Local country music talent gets chance to shine on big stage
Those with a knack for singing or songwriting will have the chance to show off their talent thanks to a newly created Ontario chapter of the North American Country Music Associations International. Chatham’s Cary Southpaw Templeman has taken on the role of president for Ontario Country Music Association International, which will be hosting preliminary competitions across Southwestern Ontario in the upcoming months. The North American association, based out of Pigeon Forge, Tenn., promotes country, bluegrass and gospel music. It aims to encourage the development of new talent and connect those within the group with industry and public resources.
After months of talks with the North American Country Music Associations International — and some resistance due to a fear of little interest — Templeman said the feedback and attention have been more significant than initially expected, with definite interest in Chatham, Belle River and Windsor. “I take on a lot of endeavours, and they don’t all stick to the wall,” said Templeman. “This has been shocking for me to see how much response there has been.” Templeman has upcoming dates planned for the preliminary competitions across the region, including Chatham, London, Sarnia and Windsor. The competition is open to a broad age group, with separate divisions for kids, teens, adults and seniors.
Contestants can perform solo, in a duo or as a band. For the competition, they must play two country songs, with guitar backing or backing tracks. Competitors will then be judged on vocals, performance, originality, style and song selection. From each qualifying event, four finalists are chosen, who will then go on to compete at provincial finals, which Southpaw expects will be held in London at the end of November.
The selected finalists will then travel to Pigeon Forge in March for the annual North American Country Music Associations International Hall of Fame show and awards, which Templeman called an incredible opportunity for small-town folks to get in front of industry professionals. “This is a great place to win some accolades and get your talents in front of people who have years of experience,” he said. Templeman said he is also eager to showcase the talent of Ontario on a national level while representing Canada with what he called “a certain amount of style.”
“I think we have an opportunity to showcase various talents and people in this genre and this is going to be bigger than I initially expected,” said Southpaw. “We have a lot of talent in the 519 area code.”