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Barrie girl sings her heart out at provincial competition, earns top honours

'I like to perform lots of different kinds of music. I like to sing fast and happy songs where I can use lots of expressions,' says Cadence Aube

Cadence Aube might only be nine years old, but she’s already proving her love of singing can take her to the top.

The young Barrie girl recently competed in the Barrie Music Festival for the first time this past spring, and while she has always loved to sing, she only started taking voice lessons a year ago. 

The music festival, says music teacher Janelle Scott, was the first time Cadence had ever competed and despite the difficulty of taking music lessons online during the recent lockdown, her hard work, dedication and skill were recognized when she placed first and best of class in the Ontario Music Festival Association (OMFA) Provincial Competition.

“Cadence sings to inspire and uplift others. She has sung for family and friends, at her church, and participated in Dynamic Discoveries Music Studio's fundraiser to raise funds for SickKids Hospital this June. Her family and (I) love both her beautiful heart and voice, and are so proud of her success in OMFA this year,” says Scott. 

Cadence told BarrieToday that although she only started lessons last year, she’s been singing for fun since she was “really little."

“I have sung at my church, Heritage Baptist Church,” she says.

Cadence loves singing because it is “fun” and she enjoys learning new songs. She said she decided to start taking lessons as a way to improve and grow her love of music. 

“I really liked singing before I took lessons, and my lessons help me sing even better and learn more songs. Ms. Janelle has helped me use sad, or happy, or surprised expressions while I sing my songs. She teaches me to open my mouth wide when I sing and say my words more clearly,” the youngster says. 

Her teacher and her mom encouraged her to participate in the music competition as a way to not only improve her vocals, but also as a way to help bring her out of her shell.

“Ms. Janelle and my mom said that it was a good idea. … And It helps me be not as shy and a better performer,” Cadence says, adding she was both excited and a little nervous leading up to her performance. “I felt happy with how my song went and that I was done.”

Cadence’s personal taste in music varies, she admits.

“I like to listen to classical music, songs from musicals like The Greatest Showman, songs from Disney Princess movies and Christian songs about Jesus,” she says. “I like to perform lots of different kinds of music. I like to sing fast and happy songs where I can use lots of expressions. I like to sing songs about Jesus at church.”

Mom Lisa Aube told BarrieToday it has been great seeing her daughter’s love for singing and her musicality develop through her voice lessons over the last year. Cadence also recently completed her Level 1 exam with the Royal Conservatory of Music and received a grade of 90, which Aube noted was also a great experience for Cadence.

“She enjoys her lessons so much even though they’ve been over Zoom for the most part. She’s definitely looking forward to hopefully having lessons in person soon (and) her confidence has grown so much in her singing as she performs more, both in festivals and at church,” Lisa says.

“We were both so happy and surprised when she placed first and best of class in the provincials. Her dad and I are both so proud of her.”