Alanis Morissette watch out. Here comes Stephanie Formosa.
Stephanie, 20, won gold at Vancouver Island Music Business Conference’s (VIMBC) songwriting contest held in Comox, May 18 to 20.
“It was quite an experience for her,” said her father Steve Formosa who went along as chaperone.
Participants in the conference attended music business career development seminars and workshops covering all aspects of the music business—singing, songwriting, performing, music publishing, artist management, SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada), FACTOR (Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings), music law—to music production, marketing and promotion, distribution, music in film, TV, radio and advertising.
“Definitely a lot more happened than I expected,” said Stephanie. “I just wanted to go to meet Ryan Guldemond of Mother Mother, but I ended up recording with him.”
Key to the conference was the Great Canadian Song Race where participants were teamed up with other up-and-coming singer songwriters and were given a little over a day to write a song together. Stephanie was teamed up with 14-year-old Keisja Cox from Courtenay. Powell River’s Randal Drader also participated in the contest.
They had help from singers Dan Hill, Bill Henderson and producer Brian Howes and others throughout the process.
“We had to play our song in front of everyone participating in the race,” said Stephanie.
Songwriters then had to choose one of five producers they wanted to work with. If the choice was a match with the songwriters then they went ahead and recorded their song.
Although Stephanie does not have a lot of experience performing in front of audiences she had recorded songs before.
Three years ago, she recorded a song at Tom Dowding’s Music Room studio to enter it into a radio station contest to win passes for VIMBC. She won the contest and went to the conference when she was in grade 12.
“It was a shock,” she said. “I was more of a bedroom singer and it was the first time I had to perform in front of a crowd.”
Stephanie is for the most part a self-taught singer songwriter. She grew up with her father playing guitar and when she was 12 years old she picked it up and started strumming. She watches YouTube videos to teach herself songs.
After spending two years at the University of Victoria she decided to take a year off and has been working at Rockit Music on Alberni Street which helped to reignite her interest in music.
Stephanie and Keisja performed their song at Billy D’s pub in Courtney. “It was hard to remember all the lyrics and music,” she said.
“They wrote an awesome song and blew the whole room away,” said Steve.
Stephanie plans to go back to university in September, continue to write songs and find a few more stages to perform on. She will perform Saturday, June 1, at Powell River’s Spot Prawn Festival at the Wharf at Westview.
