Two rising stars from Okotoks will entertain the crowds at the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Singer/songwriters Tanya Ryan and Michela Sheedy have been chosen to perform on the Calgary Stampede’s Nashville North stage among other young talent and familiar favourites this month.
Ryan will perform as a special guest from July 8 to 12, while Sheedy is among 10 talented singers in the Nashville North Star competition.
“It’s my favourite show of the year,” said Ryan. “It’s a good time. You get this nice fresh energy and everyone is in a good mood, having a good time. It’s a great show to be at.”
A fresh face in the Canadian country music scene, Ryan auditioned for the Nashville North Star competition in 2011, finishing in the top six before winning the competition the following year in 2012. This year is Ryan’s fourth as a Nashville North special guest.
“We will play four shows a day,” she said. “It’s a really big set. About 70 per cent is cover and 30 per cent is originals.”
The exposure Ryan has received on the Nashville North stage helped to further propel her career, including opening for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band last year.
“It gives you a little bit more credibility,” she said. “They are pretty choosy about their acts and I’m really lucky to be in there. When someone is that particular about finding the right person and they have you back four years in a row you feel like you are doing something right.”
Ryan has served as a mentor to other local rising stars, such as Sheedy - who Ryan is ecstatic to see compete in the Nashville North Star competition. Sheedy placed in the stop six in last year’s contest.
“I got top six my first year and then next year won it,” Ryan said. “I’m hoping she will do the same thing. I wish her all the best.”
Nashville North Star gives 10 aspiring artists a chance to showcase their talent, and Sheedy is ecstatic to be among them again this year.
“I’m super thankful I get to do it again,” she said. “Some of my friends have performed on that stage.”
More than 80 Alberta country music singers submitted a one-minute entry video between May 30 and June 20 for the chance to perform in front of thousands, including Okotoks’ Chelsey Cherkas, Andrew Lewis and Emily Gryba.
Following two days of online voting, the judges selected the finalists and announced the 10 singers on June 24.
Sheedy, the only Okotoks contestant selected, automatically accelerated to the top 10 position after obtaining the most votes at 1,159.
“This year I made sure I got a spot because it really means a lot to me to get on that stage,” she said. “I rallied together a bunch of my friends and family to help promote for me and get as many people as I could to go out there and vote.”
Before the voting began, Sheedy contacted her friends at Ryle’s Cattle Barn Cookhouse and Saloon and In Cahoots in Okotoks, as well as Ranchmans in Calgary, requesting their support in her pursuit to obtain the most votes.
“They happily agreed and were promoting my video, along with my family and friends,” she said. “It was super humbling. I had no clue it was going to reach as high a number as it did because last year the voting was seven days instead of two and I only got around 300 to 400 votes.”
The contestants step onto the Nashville North stage to sing one song each on July 9 at 5 p.m. Six finalists are then selected and sing two songs each on July 11 at 8 p.m.
The winner performs for 30 minutes on July 16 at 8 p.m., and will receive more than $10,000 in prizes.
Sheedy is excited to reconnect with friends like Ryan and Trinity Bradshaw while at Nashville North next month.
“It’s going to be really fun to be able to hang out with them and my other friends in the industry back stage,” she said. “It’s going to be an amazing experience.”
In the meantime, Sheedy is rehearsing as much as possible. Although she won’t reveal publicly which song she chose to sing on July 9, she said she got positive feedback from friends and family about her choice.
“I’ve been thinking about this competition ever since I did it last year and I’m going to try to showcase all aspects of my talent,” she said.
