Tuesday 4th October 2011 - Published by Lara Page - Account Manager
Tamworth Talent Wins Prestigious Music Comp
A Tamworth resident is celebrating, after becoming the first singer to win at a top, local music competition.
Nick Clarke, 36, won the Musician of the Year title at this year’s Solihull Music Festival competition. Organised by the Rotary Club of Solihull, Nick decided to participate as a way of conquering stage fright.
"I had to do this for my son. I remember overhearing my 9-year-old boy sing with a lovely natural vibrato. I thought, with a talent like that, he could grow up to perform. It then hit me that he may never commit to singing if he develops stage fright like his Dad."
Nick performed at the annual music festival in front of 300 spectators and a panel of experts from the music industry. He opened with Josh Groban's ‘Per Te,’ and chose ‘Bring Him Home’ from Les Miserables as his second song.
"I was like a rabbit in headlights. The first song was in Italian and I thought I'd forget the words. I started to shake." Nick continued. "I'm a big fan of Les Miserables and find the musical very emotional. During my performance of Bring Him Home, I looked at my son and started to choke. After the song the judges praised me for my emotion, which they thought I'd acted. The passion was genuine as I fought back the tears throughout the whole performance."
Nick was announced the winner after a unanimous decision by the panel. The performance was described by one judge as 'outstanding,' with Nick receiving 91% - a score rarely awarded.
“I was told I have an amazing range and a beautiful tone to my voice. I wouldn’t describe the performance as enjoyable – I was too nervous to enjoy it, but it will help with my confidence and enable me to enjoy any future performances a bit more as the nerves dissipate.”
“I’ve been asked to perform again by various people and I will sing again, but in my own time. I need to beat this before it beats me. People have been persuading me to go on the X Factor, but I won’t be doing that.”
“Being an ex-journalist and the Operations Manager at pr2go, people are surprised when I tell them I’m scared of performing. I definitely don’t lack confidence. Just the thought of standing on the stage makes my nerves jangle.”
Nick is now hoping to professionally record a few songs, and will return to next year’s event to perform and present the Helen Willies Trophy to the winner of the 2012 festival.
The competition was held at Alderbrook School, Solihull on 17 September 2011.
Nick has the X-Factor - a pr2go story
