The annual YMCA Rep Your Region talent competition is well underway across all YMCA GTA locations. We chatted with 2013 winner Sai Jay, to get an inside look at the event!
Y: Hi Sai, congratulations on your big win! How did you hear about Rep Your Region?
Sai: Well actually, it’s all thanks to my mom who saw a flyer online, and told me I should go for it. I hoped I would get some exposure in the community, and people might begin to recognize me once my talent was showcased.
Y: What made you decide to enter?
Sai: The more I thought about it the better of an idea it seemed to be. I mean, what harm could it do? It not only gave me an opportunity to show people my voice, but it allowed me to strive for the chance to experience what a real artist feels like record an original song in a professional studio and shoot an official music video. What did I have to lose really? It seemed like the perfect shot for me to break out.
Y: What song(s) did you sing at the competition?
Sai: I sang two of my original songs, "I Have a Dream" during the first round and "Believe in You" during the finale. I thought it would be a better idea to showcase what I was really about with my original pieces. I figured if people liked what I could do at this stage of my singing/songwriting career then I had a real shot at making this something I could get serious about.
Y: Definitely a great opportunity to showcase your original pieces! How did you feel when you won?
Sai: It's actually a funny story! When the MC announced my name at the finale, I thought I had come in third. I was giddy with excitement that I’d gotten that far, but then I saw my parents jumping up and down and crying. I knew they'd be proud of me but I couldn't understand why they were that excited! It took me a second, but that's when it finally clicked that I had won the whole thing. Then the waterworks started -I was pretty shocked, but thankful and ecstatic at the same time!
Y: Amazing! What did you win?
Sai: I won the chance to have my original song recorded, mastered and produced in a professional studio, and to make a music video to correspond with it. I had my song recorded in November of 2013 and had the final copy released in December. I also got the opportunity to shoot my music video with DTK Productions in April of this year.
Y: What advice would you give people who are competing this year?
Sai: The biggest thing I would recommend for any and all participants is to just be yourself. Show the judges and the audience who you really are! If you know who you are, don't be afraid to show everyone else what you can do!
Y: What are your next steps?
Sai: As a first year student at the University of Toronto this September, my goal is to make more connections with recording companies and producers and work towards sharing my music to inspire people.
The 2014 Rep Your Region finale will be taking place on September 6 at the Central YMCA. Good luck to all contestants!
