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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1998-10-14, Page 11Crossroads Pt 41. 017 Sf C`I10N Exeter Times-Ativuratr Wednesday, October 14, 1998 Singer Giselle Durand hopes a demo CD she completed in the summer can help: increase her exposure and get her voice heard by recording studios; record e;om- • paniesaand songwriters: She points out Celine Dion as someone for whom she . has particular admiration. By Scott Nixon .. '1'1ME:S ADVOCATE S:[AFI hAYFItiLD Giselle t)urand_ wants to - be it star.. The l 7 -year -obi Grade 12 student at St. Anne's Catholic. Secondary School in Clinton hopes the hard hours she has- beett-puttiug in over the last few years working on her singing voice will pay orf. Durand has been singing fur approxi- mately four years and 'perturnts at wed- dings, competitions and concerts. She has also appeared in the quarter finals for Western. hair's youth talent search three years in a rink. The Walkerton Music• i•estival is another frequent- stop. lir Durand, who has perforiited there for_ •the last four years- and won four first place prizes. While she has_ high. ambitions -for the future. Durand started singing for the fiur of it. - "1 liked singing as a child.:1 started siugt(tg in the chinch choir when i was about eight years old and then. when 1 was in Grade -8 I decided to start, taking void' lessons." . - 't'hose lessons continued until •Durand completed her Grade 8 vocal exam. to August. Durand said she will still see her -vocal instructor froiu tie'. to • tittle but won't. he taking; regular lessens. The Pursuing a dream lut;hertt level for 'cingtut; tr,. Grt(.ut i (r. hut Durant[ suit' she won't pursue her Grade I(t ,l►ecausi• she's not interested iti music . hlsu►r} .:tltr stntplt -wants to Shit; and get • lien voice- heard Durand also hits her Gr'adr h in 'guano but she d-uesu attend to pursue her 'piano jtluyiut;. she says. explaining that the PRIMO t5 ~!clip!! it tuul - to help ht'r • learn songs. . . Because she's ht+itn singing, at tiittn} different events. 1►uratid has had to le:urtt all ditkir- I - etch styles of singing.. She soon- hopes to uarro>v. herr "1 sing almost -anything, c hitt nt tile futurt' 1'd like to sing 'puptitar music but right taw. I sing popular Music:. Broadway, . coUn- - try church rnuslt:, at lust depends what 1'nt singing for ': • . t'upular sutputg. She says.' best suits her • voice anti tt is popular singers such us Cehut• Ditut that Durno t aduur't's.tuust. . • "1 tltutk that SILL' Pas an incredible- voice."' i.►uruud says of Dion addit►g mitt the Quebec -born - Diutt has had, to over - it great deal to her cur'tft:r. cru:itul- - tug t,arriu:r "1 thutk. tha' popular singers have a lot o1' taient in their voila and tin';v•re: not • ..lust Ilk( sortie bands' will just yell Singing, for Durand. -has court natural - "I don't lint) singing -hard at all, 1 can usuaily-pitik things up really fast " . While singing brings her personal plea- sure, Durand says she enjoys .pleasing • others with her voice: • "It makes int Itappy. that .1 can short• my talent with other people and that I can tin something- that .utlltter people • (1(03.' And unlike many .perlOriners: Durand duestr't suflirr trine stage fright. Slit -says the only brie. she telt nervous iu front of -art audience wtis bellow her first singing competition... Now. audiences don't both- er her at all.: -`lie bigger tht' better,': site says. • explaining that she tilt,, limn in .front of 'audiences exceeding it few hundred .poo- - it's hart. for Durand to pinpoint a single- . highlight •in her career -so tar. . "Every time -1 sing is a favourite nioluetit." skit' says- • - She considers. her performance in Guuspel. :- -rsical put on `by her high .school whit( ,nt 4t'as in Grade 1(1. a par ticularfsp('! .), rn(triit•nt t)0(41 USE' ttta1 ryas her firs; appearance Ina rrttis►e:al Int Addition, t(, pierf(irrrtirt 1'uratrd cont _ pitted .a de•tno (:1 at th(• s::rnm('r •Shf- tt(kiJeS Ntif rrt('r:ea Se her exposure 1tec:orded at a studio outside, of lihvth..the. • demo• contains ttir-tei songs. that Darand recorded in one •night. She intends tc, make cdpies•of -the CU to send to varto;.ts record companies. recording studios arid v songwriters - to increase- her _t•xpo- • sure. tibcause she doesn't write her own materi- al. Durand said she eventually- wants •to get together vttth a . band .U111 1.11 songwriter and record a full- ieugth CLU of material That. she hopes. will lead to videos and a surf.essfu! sitlgirlg career -taut v'htie'she dreams of stardom Durand reunion; grounded. realtztrtg the -.business is tough - •Soutetltne`, tt is intimidating because it r do big and I know there is i tut (...orn- - petttiutt -QUI there . . Lt►ter+: 5 albVayS tt(e concern that 1 worr't make'it but •gurnt; to 1.0 AtryWay. " 1n addition to Iter singing. Durand keeps herself" busy at scttuul, juggling her • - tltnt' on studtettt 1:ouueid arid several orgy: nttatiurtel committees-. And she +bakes sure tier singing doesn't hurt her grades or prevent her frurn having .free brie with her friends. ,As must. of her singing engagements ere- on weekends. 1)urand • cats separate her Singing front her. • school. - Whilte her success so tar has been. the result of personal discipline. Durand also gives credit to her parents. Dan and- - Mic:hetle, for- constantly supporting. her. .Michelle says she and Dati are "very proud" of Giselle and adds they hope she fulti:tls her. dreams.. Michelle says that - while she knows the music business ca.t3 - .be tough, she thinks Giselle }las the abili- ty to tuakt' it. Dau adds that it's also important for (Giselle to finish srhuoi, which site _intends to do at the I. niversity of \A atttrlou or Wilfrid Laurier vviteere she hilitis to study to:counting or civil engi- (uteruig: Officers installed at the Pride of Huron Rebekah Lodge on Oct. 7 were: front row from left, Grace Ballantyne, trea• - surer; Barbara Tiedeman. financial sec- retary;Beverley Campbell, junior past noble grand; jean Hodgert, noble grand;Audrey MacGregor, vice grand; Gloria McFalls, recording secretary; Helen Coates, chaplain; middle row from left, Hazel Corbett, left supporter of the vice grand; Lois Mcfalls, right supporter of the junior past noble grand; jean,Noels, outside guardian; Iva Blair, right supporter of the chaplain; Luella Taylor, Rebekah; Ruth Skinner, Naomi; back row from left, Joyce Morgan, colour. bearer; Elaine Skinner, musician; Leona Hern, right supporter of the chaplain; Mavis Atthill, left sup- porter of the noble Grand;Aldeen Skinner, conductor; Evaline McAllister, inside guardian; jean johns, left sup- - porter of the chaplain; and Mary Fisher, warden. .