2nd place winner (2016),
1st place winner (2018)
Rachel’s life has always revolved around music from her early beginnings as a baby and toddler in Kindermusik and continues today. She has been singing and dancing with KW Glee for 9 terms at multiple venues including Centre in the Square, Hamilton Family Theatre, and the Humanities Theatre. She also performs regularly at school in coffee houses and fundraisers, as well as being one of the leads in her school’s 2018 musical (Sister Act) as Mother Superior. Her love of the arts prompted her to be actively involved with the Arts Council at St. David’s.
In 2016 Rachel entered Wellesley Idol to gain more confidence and won second place. The experience inspired her to continue to learn and grow and she entered Kiwanis Music Festival for voice and piano. She gained experience and confidence with Kiwanis and won numerous 1st place awards, First Class Honours with Distinction in both piano and vocal, and won the “Pop Voice Award”.
In 2017 Rachel represented Stratford as part of their provincial team at the OMFA competition for classical piano. She was also selected to perform at the “Festival of Stars” in Stratford as well as perform at ceremonies for Canada’s 150th anniversary.
2018 was another busy year in music as Rachel continued to enter Kiwanis competitions where she received the Miriam Haines Root Proficiency Trophy for best aggregate score of two disciplines: classical piano and musical theatre. She continues to perform with KW Glee and has performed with Singer’s Theatre, Groove Machine, and the Youth Jazz Ensemble at the Sunlife Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival.
Rachel decided to enter the 2018 Wellesley Idol competition again in the Spring of 2018. She remembered everything that she learned from the judges two years before and implemented all of their suggestions. The judges commented on how much she had grown and improved as a performer. After 3 rounds of competition Rachel won Wellesley Idol 2018 one day after her 16th birthday. She commented that it was the best birthday gift she could have ever received!
“I first auditioned for Wellesley Idol when I was 13 years old and I was very shy. I had thought about entering Wellesley Idol for a while as I had seen friends in it, but I didn’t quite have enough confidence. In 2016 I decided to go for it and I was very happy I did. All of the judges, staff, and volunteers were very welcoming. The judges provided valuable advice not only for my voice, but for how to entertain and have stage presence. After 3 rounds I won second place. Since I was not allowed to enter again for two years after winning 2nd, I used the time to continue growing and gaining experience in both piano and voice. I worked very hard and entered competitions to push myself.
“I entered Wellesley Idol again in 2018. The judges gave me even more feedback but commented on how much I had grown as a performer after the 2 years. After coming back with so much more confidence and experience I won 1st place in 2018.
“Wellesley Idol has been a great experience that helped me to grow as a performer and a person. I would definitely recommend entering Wellesley Idol. The Organizers help you to feel comfortable and guide you through the whole process. The judges are very encouraging and offer excellent coaching on how to improve and develop. It is a place where everyone is very positive and cares about developing you as a performer. I would say just go for it! You will be happy you did.”