Musicians strut their stuff at open audition for festival
Hopefuls lined up out the door Sunday as open auditions were held in Amherstburg for musicians to join the town's performance roster.
Local musicians with a variety of skills, from singers to pianists, duos to guitarists, showcased their talents Sunday during an open call at Musicland music store.
Each candidate was able to perform two songs of their choosing.
All genres of music were welcome, from folk to rock to jazz.
Landon Lenarduzzi of Windsor was one of the first to take the stage, belting out a couple of pop/ rock tunes for the small audience.
“I'm back in the scene,” said Lenarduzzi, who recently returned from 10 years in Calgary. “(I'm) enjoying it. Playing all around the city.”
A musician all his life, Lenarduzzi, 39, said he plays every style of music, new and old, and a lot of fan favourites and he can play pretty well any instrument he can get his hands on.
“It just becomes a party by the end of the show,” he said.
The folks judging the auditions had a lot to listen to.
“We have a full schedule from 3 to 8:30 (p.m.), every 15 minutes,” said Jen Ibrahim, manager of economic development and tourism for the town.
“We were pleasantly surprised. It just goes to show you how much talent is in Windsor/essex.
Ibrahim said they are looking to create “a sizable roster for our events in Amherstburg throughout the year.
“We know that there's a lot of talent in our community but maybe not all of them have been discovered or are familiar to us. We want to give them this opportunity.”
Local restaurateurs also scouted potential hires to bring live music to their establishments.