My name is Cara Muise. I grew up in Sydney, NS but moved to Halifax for school. I’m pursuing a undergraduate degree in linguistic analysis. It’s an inter-university program, so you can find me bouncing back and forth between Dal, SMU and MSVU. When I’m not busy pouring coffee, I’m either running with my dog or curled up on my sofa with a book. I became interested in the Haliwards while chatting with the project’s director, Alex Maine, via Twitter. After reading about previous award winners and how they contributed to their communities, I was 100% sold. I try to volunteer as much as I possibly can (with groups like the Canadian Cancer Society, tutoring children/my peers, teaching religious education classes, helping palliative care patients and their families) so I understand how much time and effort the nominees are putting into their communities. More importantly, I understand the need to thank them, to tell them that their work hasn’t gone unnoticed, and remind them that they’re contributing to a better and brighter Halifax. As we at the Haliwards like to say, it’s time to say thank you! Here’s looking forward to an incredible 2011!

Hi everyone, I’m Maeghan Murphy. I’ve got a passion for two things: my studies and my city. Working with the Haliwards, I get the opportunity to pair both of these and I couldn’t be happier. Two years ago, I moved to Halifax to study Public Relations at Mount Saint Vincent University. I’ve been in awe of the perfect balance Halifax has – a big, beautiful city with a small town feel. Growing up in the booming metropolis of Sydney, Cape Breton, I definitely appreciate the small town feel. I became involved with the Haliwards after receiving the newsletter and reading that Alex was looking for board members. I crossed my fingers and hoped no one had already claimed the PR role. Luck was on my side – bring on the press releases! What really drew me into the project was the lack of rules that go along with nominations. As long as it’s extraordinary – it’s Haliwards approved. Behind every strong community is its people – here in Halifax, our people are of elite quality.

Let’s get celebrating!

My name is Alanna Langille and I was not only born, but also raised in Halifax. In my spare time, when I have “me time”, you can find me with my camera in hand. I love photography and it has become one of my favourite hobbies. I have recently graduated from Halifax West High School, class of 2010, and will be attending Dalhousie for Nursing in the fall. While in high school, I was an active member of Student Government and volunteered with various events as well as organized my own events which got the school and community actively involved. I was nominated and awarded a Haliward in 2010. The experience was amazing because not only did it make me realize what I had done had made a difference, but also that it did not go unnoticed by the community. The feeling that was behind being nominated for such a prestigious award was incredible. Being on the board this year for Haliwards is an honour and I look forward to giving back to my community.

Hi, my name is Angela Espejo, and I am a new nursing graduate of the University of Alberta. I grew up in Fort McMurray, AB, and currently work for Capital Health Halifax in acute care Psychiatric-Mental Health. At twenty-three years, I convocated with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and decided to move to a new region of Canada to kick off my healthcare career! I moved to nurse in Halifax largely because my employer offers a transition program for new nurses; indeed, I’ve always found Atlantic Canada intriguing, and this area in particular. Now I’m here to discover Halifax firsthand! What better way to make Halifax home than to volunteer with an organization that is committed to the community, and gives citizens the opportunity to say thank you?! I believe that embracing and participating in the community truly enriches the lived experience of its members, and when I heard about the Haliwards, I just knew I had to get involved.  I love to shop local, cook for friends, practice yoga, and sing. I feel so blessed to join a community that celebrates its members. As such, I’d like to extend a thank you for the warm welcome to Halifax, and an invitation for you to give back by recognizing those who make a difference in your community.

Hello everyone, I’m Megan Thain. I was born and raised here in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and have lived here for all 19 years of my life. I am currently enrolled in the Tourism Management program at the Nova Scotia Community College and I will be going into my second year of the program this upcoming fall. I am currently working two jobs. I work at the Empire Theatres in Dartmouth Crossing and have been working there since the building opening in June 2007! I am also currently working at the Delta Barrington Hotel in the House Keeping Dept. I have to do this job for my co op which is part of my course requirement for school but I am enjoying it. I really enjoy just being around people; It doesn’t take much to make me have fun. I’m often the type of person that people come to with their problems because people put a lot of trust in me and know that I’m always here to listen. Part of the reason I was interested in volunteering for the Haliwards project was because I’m one of those people that is always doing whatever I can to help out, and putting others before myself and I know how good it feels to have your hard work recognized and I want the people of Halifax to know that they are making a difference and that we all really appreciate their efforts.

• • My name is Heather Shay and I am currently attending NSCC(Nova Scotia Community College) taking Tourism and Hospitality Management. This course has opened up many opportunities; one of them being the Haliwards. Haliwards recongizes the people that make a difference in their communities. Haliwards acknowledges everyday people that dedicate time and effort to making their community a better place. It also provides everyone a chance to say thank you. I volunteered last year not knowing what I was getting my self into! Alex and his team were steadily working to make Haliwards a reality. Fourtunely,I was able to be a part of the ceremony presenting 2 awards. I am excited to be on the board this year continuing to give thanks to everyone who deserves it.

    My name is Jess Wishart. I was born in Halifax, and despite having done a fair bit of travelling, somehow I always end up coming back. It must be something about the atmosphere and the people, that indefinable appeal that makes this city and the people that live here so unique. I became involved with Haliwards as it seemed to me like a fantastic way to start characterizing that something special, starting with appreciating Haligonians for all the great things they do for others in work and play. I graduated from the University of King’s College and I currently work for the Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health as the Youth Engagement Coordinator. I can’t wait to start reading your nominations and learning more about all of the people that help make this city great!

  Hi, my name is Cassy Ellis-Browne, and I live here in Halifax. I was born in England, and moved here when I was six to be closer to our family here in Canada. I am a Tourism Management student at NSCC, my main focus being Food & Beverage. I heard about the Haliwards when an instructor of mine sent out an email asking for volunteers to help with Haliwards. I was really intrigued by the project and really wanted to be involved. I met up with Alex a few days later. It started out that I would just be helping with the planning, but I ended up presenting awards at the ceremony! It was really nervewracking, but seeing all the people accepting their awards and hearing all of the amazing things these people in our own community had done really inspired me. It was one of the best experiences I’ve had here in Halifax and I am glad to have met all the people working on this project. I believe the awards are so unique because as you may have heard “they have no boundaries”. It really is just for the people and it’s my honour to be a part of it.

Hello all! My name is Katie Radchuck and I was born and raised in Halifax. I traveled alot during my highschool years at the Halifax Grammar School since I was playing for the Junior Canadian National Soccer team. I moved to the USA to go to university at the University of Connecticut where I continued to play soccer as well as get my science degree in Physioneurobiology. I loved my time there but was excited to come back to Halifax where I have my family and many lifelong friends. I currently work as a mental health researcher for the SunLife Financial mental health team for the IWK. I also spend alot of my spare time volunteering for organizations and events I feel worthwhile to our community and the people who are a part of it. I was happy to be included as a track and field coach for the Special Olympics as well as spend my time as a committee member for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation helping create events to spread awareness and raise money. I am a proud Canadian and a very proud Haligonian. This is a phenomenal city to live in and I love the idea of the Haliwards as a way to celebrate anyone or anything! : ) in our community that make this such a wonderful place. Take a few seconds and recognize the people that have made a difference to you!

Ah the morning after. Some would say it’s not the best time to write a follow up post to an event but that’s what I’m doing, so if parts don’t make sense, that’s because I’m tired! Where to begin.. Well we kicked off shortly after 7:30. Surprisingly there were a handful of free seats due to some organisations buying large numbers and then not using them, but it didn’t really affect us. It’s a shame though because I know lots of you wanted to come but we were pleased that we had half a dozen or so pay on the door.

The ceremony kicked off with the Nova Scotia Mass Choir who were extremely impressive. They started the ceremony with “We are Family”, a very fitting song. By the time the choir has reached their acapella chorus the audience was clapping along. It was a great atmosphere. Once they had made their way to the upper seating on the balcony I welcomed our guests and award winners and we were on our way.

First up was our first artist. Jenny Macdonald. Her performance had a certain rustic feel to it which was very fresh and entertaining. Sadly Jenny didn’t get to hang around as she headed off to another gig.

Our first award went to Lindsay Allain who has been fundraising for the IWK. In 2005 Lindsay’s sister was diagnosed with HSP which developed into Berger’s Disease. While her sister Anika spent time in the IWK, the two of them would play in the crafts rooms and Lindsay noticed that the rooms were a little bare and this was the beginning of ‘Crafts for Kids’. Lindsay has been fundraising for the crafts rooms for five years. This year she raised $4000. Thanks to Tillie Cox, of the Child Life team at the IWK for sharing a few words.

Our second award went to Irvine Carvery. Irvine has been living in Halifax for 58 years. He is currently the President of the Africville Genealogy Scoiety, Chair of the Halifax Regional School Board and a community basketball coach. Irvine said some very kind words about me at the ceremony and I am very thankful for that. Irvine is one amazing man.

The third award went to Q104 for their fundraising efforts and commitment to their community. Most recently they were raising money for Haiti disaster. We were lucky enough to have Dan Bedell come say a few words. Dan is the Director of Public Affairs for Atlantic Canadian Red Cross. My joke about our researches getting distracted by Q104’s thong of the day gallery went down quite well too.

Then we moved on to Adriana Afford, owner of the Argyle Fine Art. Adriana is your community super star. The gallery as she describes it is a gallery by day and a community hall by night. She embraces all types of visual arts at the gallery. Examples of this are the many music nights, wine events, hair shows, book launches, weddings and obviously art collections.

Four awards down, we took a short break. During the interval the guests wondered the lower galleries looking at the museum’s collections. We also ran some photographs on the projector from previous projects that were accompanied by random facts about our previous award ceremonies.

After the break the Nova Scotia Mass Choir moved back in to share their next song with us, “Love Train” It was another truly awesome performance. You should certainly check it out. This was quickly followed by a performance from our Second Artist, Kristina Trites. She was singing one of her new creations which was titled “Nova Scotia”. Very fitting!

Then it was on to our final 3 awards. We began with the IWK and the QE2 for their awesome work in organising Bust a Move. Bill Bean head of the QE2 foundation shared some great words with the guests. For those of you who don’t know, Bust a Move for Breast Health was a massive project undertaken by both foundations. On January 30th over 750 participants took part in a huge fitness fundraiser at the Halifax Metro Center led by some local celebs and Richard Simmons.

—and finally on to our last two which had an overlap. We received a nomination for four students at Halifax West High School. I could write about Alanna Langille, Patrick O’Connor, Morgan Patzelt & Chan Kim all day. They students are incredible. They raised thousands for the cancer society at Run for a Cure and 15k more at their recent “Head for a Cure” event which I was able to attend this week. There is much more to these students so check out the ceremony video for full details.

We then presented an award to Sandra who is the teacher who has guided these four amazing students and she is just as amazing. Sandra Starratt runs the school government at Halifax West. The government has 13 sub committees and the students we have been talking about make up the volunteerism committee. We had speeches from Lyn Moulton, Vice Principal at the West and a representative from Run for a Cure. As you can see it was a packed night.. but it wasn’t over just yet. Our Third artists of the evening Mary Stewart brought the ceremony to a beautiful close. She is extremely gifted and has such a unique quality to her voice. I was very thankful she was able to join us.

Then it was time for some serious points to be made. I shared my disappointment with City Hall and their lack of support. We never asked for money, all we wanted was a thumbs up from the City to show they supported us. I also expressed my hope that they will be less hesitant about my work in the future. At some stage soon we will be posting that speech so you can all watch it.

—and while we are on the subject, I encourage you all to check out the video and photographs of the ceremony. You can pre-order your copy on the Haliwards website.

I would like to express my thanks to everyone who attended the ceremony, the staff and to our award winners. You guys know who you are!

The Haliwards is where the Somerset County Awards was several years ago. This project was far from perfect. Not only was it a new angle for me, it was new territory. I feel that we have created the foundations we need to make this an annual project that one day everyone in HRM will know of. It feels appropriate to end with the lines that I used at the ceremony last night.

“Ladies and gentleman, alas we are out of time, and apparently out of words. It’s been a pleasure. Goodnight.” PS. Thanks for the standing ovation.

The year was 2005. It was a funny year because as the summer approached I was just rounding off a project called the Somerset Variety Performance and had plans on running a similar project but on a bigger scale. My original plan was to go as far as including a few more counties and renaming it the SWVP (South West Variety Performance). Being me I decided to make some major leaps and went with a national variety show. This move made me one of the youngest Managing Directors of a national organisation in the country. The National Variety Performance ended up being a range of projects instead of one main show and part of which was an awards project that we planned to role out across different counties. The original awards project was named the Somerset Charity Awards. We were planning on seeking out those in our communities that had raised money for various local and national charities but we broadened things out more than planned and in the end went with the Somerset County Awards. This way we could award the “pride” of the community not just fundraisers.

The Somerset County Awards

Our first award ceremony was very different to the ones we run today. It was completely new territory to me and the team. At the time of the launch of this project the National Variety was going through some changes. I was saying goodbye to some staff and saying hello to some new faces. The transition from old to new came with its problems but at the same time solved a few too. I had huge visions for the National variety Performance and it was only right to let go of the ones that were holding the organisation back.

Nowadays for most projects we ask the public to nominate people for awards but back in the early days it was me, the team and enough newspapers to open a recycling plant. We visited community centers, workshops, schools and many other public places trying to find our award winners. I contacted people i had worked with on variety shows in the past and called in a few performers for the event. The awards were very traditional. Something you would expect at any award ceremony. To be honest the award ceremony was very traditional too but it didn’t really matter because it was a complete success.

After great feedback from the community we started work on a ceremony for the following year. 2007 was an extremely busy year for the National Variety Performance so the ceremony that year was non-existent. We just couldn’t fit it in. Instead we surprised people with their awards at unexpected times. Some people we visited at home and at work and others half way through their own events. We called it the ‘Winter Edition’. It was a shame that we didn’t have time for a full blown ceremony but i was committed to the NVP and other commitments to uphold. Over the next two years i was back and forth from Weymouth and London working on projects for the NVP and the awards was purely a sideline but we kept it up as best as we could.

The Pride of Central Somerset

Towards the end of 2008 the Somerset County awards had not seen a ceremony in a while so i wanted to think how we could improve what we already had. I wanted to make the project bigger and better. By this time the National Variety Performance was just a fond memory. It had been very successful that it became something bigger than i could have ever imagined but i am kind of restricted by an NDA so I’ll leave it at that. In November 2008 i contacted Mid Somerset News and Media and started to build a partnership with them. It makes sense to work with the people who distribute directly to the people you want at the ceremony. Now that we had a lot more access to press coverage in the local area we opened up nominations to the public and asked people to nominate those special individuals in their lives.

The Pride of Central Somerset was a turning point for me. The project had really evolved from its earlier counterpart. The planning was much more precise and the ceremony was grand and refreshing. I knew that after i finished this project i was heading to Canada for what could be the best part of a few years and i was worried that the project may not continue so some of the 2009 team are already on standby for this years awards project which will really kick in after nominations close in the summer.

This video is a clip that was taken at the ceremony during the interval.

We presented more awards in 2009 than any other year. It was the first year we introduced a category which normally goes against our rules but we felt that sporting achievements were being left in the dark hence the introduction of the sports category.

A few days after the ceremony i packed by bags and headed back to Nova Scotia.

The Haliwards

The Haliwards was never planned. I had no intentions on branching out in Canada until i knew where me and Tara were going to settle on a permanent basis but as time passed by i got rather bored. During the summer of 2009 i had worked with the Blue Nose Marathon and was preparing to work with the Tall Ships. This is when i met Haligonia. Haligonia is a small media group focusing on news and events across HRM. I agreed to do a video interview with them for their website about my previous work and why I was in Nova Scotia. A few weeks before I met with Haligonia I started to do some research on running an event in Halifax and I was thinking about running an event similar to the Pride of Central Somerset. I was slightly worried that I wouldn’t be able to get enough exposure so I discussed my ideas with the guys at Haligonia.

What most people don’t know is in the early project plan it was a joint project between me and the Haligonia group. As the Tall Ships approached Haligonia were very busy with the event as they were the New Media Sponsor so we went our separate ways. I had no plans on dropping the project so I tweaked the project plan and submitted it to City Hall.

After nearly a 6 month wait we finally got word from City Hall who rejected the plan until further notice as they were working on a new volunteer strategy.  I really believe they just didn’t look at the plan properly or maybe not even at all. After taking a knock back from City Hall I ploughed on and we received hundreds of nominations.  We are now only weeks away from the ceremony with barely a ticket left and a set of amazing award winners. What can i say.. i know what works!

What’s Next

The Haliwards is in full swing so it’s only a matter of time before we know how successful it will  be but what was meant to be a low key pilot project is turning into quite an event. No complaints though! The Pride of Central Somerset 2010 is already in production and i am working with some members of last years team to put together the first steps.  We are currently taking nominations.

Click here for Part Two

This article is part of a series of posts that will be published during the month of March to celebrate 5 years of award ceremonies directed by Alex Maine. Stay tuned for the next post

On behalf of the students of Halifax West High School, we, the volunteerism committee, are looking for support for our fight against cancer. Each year Halifax West holds a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society: Head for a Cure.

On April 14 2010, we will be hosting our 7th annual Head for a Cure, in our school gymnasium. This is where students, teachers and community members will donate their hair to make wigs and collect pledges to raise money for cancer research. The entire school will be present to cheer on the participants who put forth their efforts to raise as much money as possible for the fight against cancer.

In the past two years, Head for a Cure has raised an outstanding $20,000: more than any other high school in Nova Scotia. We would like to exceed expectations and reach our goal of 15,000 but ultimately we want to give hope to those affected by cancer. To do this, we need your help…

If you would like to make a donation to help us in our cause, the link below will lead you to our online donations website.

http://bit.ly/cPhwyW

We on behalf of Halifax West thank you in advance for your consideration.

The students have produced a video in aid of the project. Please give generously.

I have wanted to say this ever since i raised a glass to toast the success of 2009; the nominations for the Pride of Central Somerset 2010 are now open. Last year POCS was a resounding success and i hope with the help of some dedicated colleagues we will be able to do even better this year. I hope this post will either be something new and exciting to you or a refreshing look at what we have changed to make this year more of a success.

The Pride of Central Somerset is looking for those who are special in our lives. Those who make our community an incredible place to live in. Anyone may make a nomination and anyone may nominate anybody with one simple rule, they must be extraordinary. The Pride of Central Somerset covers Glastonbury, Street, Wells and the surrounding villages. We know that there was a bit of confusion about Wells last year but we want to make it very clear that Wells is included. We should also make you aware that this year we have decided to once again go this alone which means that we will not be working in partnership with Mid Somerset News and Media but we wish them every success with their ongoing projects.

Nominations will work in the same manner as last time. Once we receive all the nominations we will personally look at each one and decide who we feel deserves it the most. Some of you may have noticed that nominations have opened a little later than usual. This is because we didn’t receive many nominations in the past over the Christmas period so we have decided to push everything back by several months. The exact date of the ceremony will be announced a little later this year but nominations will be closing on the 28th February.

I am also very excited to announce that the Pride of Central Somerset now has a sister project running on the other side of the Atlantic. It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the Haliwards taking place in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Haliwards works exactly the same as POCS just in a different community. You can find out more about this project by visiting the home page.

Lastly I want to mention how POCS is continuing to keep with the times and we welcome you to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

I wanted to share with you some of my most popular posts from 2009. My articles were by far the most popular taking up over 40% of my visits. Second to that were my reviews of local talent. This has given me a clear indication of what to write about this year. Thanks to everyone who has passed by my blog in 2009, i hope you will continue to visit and interact more using the new easy commenting system.

Tips for an A+ Singing Audition – May 19th, 2009: Nowadays most of the time you will have to fill in an application for an audition and in today’s world many of them ask you for your online profile links. This can be a make or break for you. If your like me and you have some rather… [READ MORE]

The Art of Self Promotion : Performers Guide – May 21st, 2009: Its true! We all have to start somewhere. Before i begin telling you my advice and lecturing you as some would say, i wanted to start by telling you a success story. About 4 years ago i was… [READ MORE]

HRM Talent is Not too Shabby – April 17th, 2009: Before i begin i would like to thank all those who have submitted a demo track or two over the past few weeks. If you have not already submitted your track then you still have some time. I wanted to take a little bit of time… [READ MORE]

Neptune is similar in composition to Uranus – April 25th, 2009: I meant that title. Literally. It has been an eventful week. The weather has been wonderful so i am starting to meet with some amazing people from the Halifax area. Though every now again something seems… [READ MORE]

Introducing: Brittany Wesley – December 11th, 2009: I have been sitting on this nest-egg for a while now, but i am very pleased to introduce you to Brittany Wesley. 18 year-old Brittany is currently studying Biology at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She has embraced music from… [READ MORE]

Pre-Mixer hits off the Blue Nose Week! – May 11th, 2009: Since 7am this morning I have been on the road. My day started off with a number of meetings in Dartmouth and Halifax and then myself and Tara headed to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic for the sound… [READ MORE]

RE: Wells Journal – February 25th, 2009: This post is in response to the article printed by the Wells Journal on the 26th February 2009. Last Thursday i presented a proposal to the City Council of Wells. I spoke to them about my plans for the Pride of Wells which… [READ MORE]

Haliwards – Advanced Preview – June 18th, 2009: Today is the day we release to you the Haliwards Advanced Preview. There has been a tremendous buzz about this project since i first mentioned it just over a week ago. Many of you have tweeted… [READ MORE]

Firstly i would like to begin by wishing you all a very Happy New Year. It seems hard to believe that its been ten years since the millennium. I guess the calendar isn’t lying so it must be true. I am very excited about 2010. It’s rare for me to go into a new year with a project already in motion but i am pleased that the Haliwards made an unexpected comeback in December. The public response to the Haliwards has been overwhelming and talks still continue between me and HRM. It also gives me great pleasure to launch the Pride of Central Somerset 2010 in the next few days. I hope that it will be as successful as last year which really took the project to a new level. It will be a first for me to have two similar projects running with one on either side of the Atlantic.

2010 is not only a year for recurring annual projects it’s also a year to spread by wings and to develop some new ideas. Over the past few months several projects have begun to take shape and are in there very early stages, so early that i have made no public announcements about them.

It’s not only a year for my projects either. I am very much looking forward to working with the Blue Nose Marathon this year. In 2009 i helped co-organize a pre-mixer at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and this year i hope to do the same as well as sit on the Board of Chairs for the Special Events Committee
Between all of this i hope to continue my work with local artists. 2009 introduced some very talented people, including Joe Buck, Adam Sterling and Brittany Wesley. It has been a pleasure listening to their music and i hope to receive more tracks from Haligonian hopefuls throughout the year.

Many of you know through 2009 i participated as a volunteer for many events in the HRM and while i have every intention of doing the same this year i hope that some of your projects may find me. If you have a project in mind and you’re looking for that extra boost in the right direction i would be more than happy to look over your project plan or hear your ideas and offer any ‘injection’ i can.

Best Wishes for 2010,

Alex Maine

I have taken some time to bring together some information for the festival that i have found. All this information is subject to change and was last updated on the last week of June. (Internet sources). Below is a map showing the locations of all the ships. I searched high and low for this so i hope it will bring some excitement to you if you are planning on attending this years festival.

Division of Classes A,B,C and D
A - All square-rigged vessels and all other vessels over 40m length overall (LOA).
B - Traditional-rigged vessels with a LOA of less than 40m and with a waterline length (LWL) of at least 9.14m.
C - Modern-rigged with a LOA of less than 40m and with a LWL of at least 9.14m, with no spinnaker-like sails.
D - Modern-rigged with a LOA of less than 40m and with a LWL of at least 9.14m, carrying spinnaker-like sails.

On this months edition of “Behind the Name” we are looking at the incredible achievements of Alex Maine local entrepreneur who has left Somerset for Nova Scotia, Canada. Obviously I wasn’t able to catch up with Alex in person but after several hours on the phone I am happy to say we have a great interview to share with you.

So for those of us who don’t know much about you, tell us a little bit about you?
Well it’s hard to no where to begin. I am 21, I was born in Yeovil in Somerset and grew up in Glastonbury. I attended school at Crispin in Street and then went on to Strode College. I started to pull away from my college work and did lots of work in the events industry since then.

How did you get into the events industry?
Well during my final year at school i decided to take part in Young Enterprise, its basically an opportunity to earn extra credit and to be placed within what is technically a real company. Acting as a business and trying to create a product that creates profit. Well in this case we were looking to fund our school prom and selling necklaces or painted pots was not going to pay for things that the girls had in mind! So i suggested we run an event at the local theatre Strode. Crispin School is connected to Strode College and Strode theatre (literally) so it meant that we were able to get the venue for free. It seemed like a great opportunity. So we ran a battle of the bands competition called Night of the Bands. To cut a long story short i fell out with many of the board members and things got difficult. By the end many of them had daggers for me… I guess they didn’t like my style. Personally i think i was too good. They certainly couldn’t argue with the outcome. It turned over thousands which paid for a manor house for the Prom in the little village of Shapwick. We also won a Young enterprise award for the event which was followed up in our local press.

So what was your first event that you did single handedly?
That would be the Somerset Variety Performance 2004. It took place in Glastonbury and it was about 6 months after the Night of the Bands. I didn’t have a penny to run the event so it was very difficult to do anything extravagant but still i prevailed and the event broke even. Not bad for a first shot i don’t think. The show was made up of performers from across mid somerset. Things like magicians and dancers. I even played piano. I have played piano at many of my events but recently i haven’t been because i have not had time to practice.

Whats the most embarrassing moment you have ever had at an event?
I didn’t ever want to think about this moment again. I guessed it would come back to haunt me at some point.It was during the Somerset County Awards. I was controlling the sound levels via the bluetooth connection in my phone. During a speech i  wanted control of the sound on the off chance people could not hear me clearly over the backing track. (Idea worked well) Though i made a grave mistake. Following my speech and award presentation. I sat at the piano to perform and placed the phone on top of the up right piano. During my performance the phone, due the vibrations made its way across the piano and dropped onto the keys and made a hell of a racket.. i remember pausing for about 2  or 3 seconds and it was pure silence. I believe i muttered the F bomb. I then looked up to the audience and said. “I beg your pardon”.. awful!

Any favourite moments?
To many to name. I guess off the top of my head i enjoyed most aspects of the National Variety Performance. The auditions were always fun. Nothing better than listening to someone who really thinks they can sing but really they are awful in every way. The award ceremonies are always great. I have had to hold in some tears on stage sometime because some of the stories are real tearjerkers. All part and parcel of my job.

How is Canada treating you?
So far its been treating me rather well. The visa is a stressful application but all other aspects are good. I have lots of things planned for Nova Scotia. Everyone will know my name when i am finished. Lets hope its for all the right reasons. Though thats not to say i will abandon the UK. I am still doing my best to keep up with all my annual projects too. Though i could always use a few more hands so if anyone in Somerset has some spare time then drop me an email.

How do you think you will portray to our readers?
Wow what a question! Well ummm.. they will probably think i am arrogant and a control freak. Well they wouldn’t be far wrong. Though thats what makes me.. me. I don’t do failure and i don’t do good I push myself as hard as i can because i want perfection in my work. I will never get perfection but i will keep trying for it. I am always aiming to better myself and my events. That’s what has made me successful but it has also made me many a rival. I’m certainly not a “Everyone loves Raymond” character, but if everyone loved me then what would be the point of getting up in the morning. I respect those who respect me. I work on a Ill scratch my back you scratch mine basis.

TIP 1 – YOUR BIO/APPLICATION: Nowadays most of the time you will have to fill in an application for an audition and in today’s world many of them ask you for your online profile links. This can be a make or break for you. If your like me and you have some rather embarrassing photos on your Facebook  or some other social network don’t include it. The last thing they want to do is say yes to a drunk bimbo who fell asleep on a bench. Keep some of your social networks ‘clean’. My Facebook is for my close friends and people who i want to share silly things with. My twitter is public so i restrain myself a little at times.

TIP 2 – PICK YOUR SONG CAREFULLY: Whether your playing the song or singing it. Its really important to take some time and think about your choice. One thing that got very frustrating over time was hearing the same song over and over again. Bare in mind if the song is really popular the judges would have heard it a thousand times and they don’t want to hear it again. Don get carried away though! That doesn’t mean go and pick a song that no one has ever heard before unless you are really confident it will work in your favour. Pick something that is catchy but not over popular. Maybe pick a song by a popular artists just not the title track.

TIP 3 – APPEARANCE: This may sound obvious but you wouldn’t believe how some people turn up. One in five auditionee’s end up looking like a bag of spuds. Take some time and think about it. Some people seem to think that if they wear a low cut top then they stand a better chance.. its actually quite surprising how low these tops have gone. (Leave something to the imagination ladies)  and for the guys don’t turn up in a t-shirt looking like some reject out of high school musical. Grab a shirt something a little quirky. make sure you stand out but just not in the wrong way!

TIP 4 – DONT BRING THE FAMILY: This is crucial. When i say don’t bring the family i am not saying don’t bring them to the waiting room where they can give you moral support. That’s fine. Many people find this helps them prepare. What you don’t want to do is bring your mom and nan in with you. It so awful for a judge to have to sit there and then have a over protective parent or love sick grandparent hang over them expecting them to say how much grace you have. If you want an honest opinion and you want to show you can stand on your own two feet, keep them on the other side of the door.

TIP 5 – ARRIVE IN PLENTY OF TIME: If you have an audition make sure you arrive at least 20 minutes before,  and even longer if you have to sign in etc. They maybe behind or they maybe ahead and if you end up being early and they can move on to your audition straight away it will please them and they will know that you are reliable and allow for some extra time. Its always wise to bring some reading material with you too. It can get rather boring sitting around and your nerves will eat away at you eventually so keep your mind occupied. That’s why we have iPod’s people!

TIP 6 – CHIT CHAT: Its important that the judges like your singing but its even more important the judges like you! Don’t go in feeling scared just praying for it to be all over. Go in and smile, say hello and answer the questions confidently. You would be amazed how much i like the people who say to me “Good Morning Alex, how are you?”, but don’t take it to far, there is nothing worse than an ass licker. Show that you have respect for them and you are one step closer to that YES you want. Another thing to bare in mind is people like to know your history. If you have a life story chuck it in but keep it simple.

TIP 7 – SHOW YOUR RANGE: Once again this is a great thing to do but if you over do it then it destroys all your chances. Once you have that perfect song, try singing it just a little higher than normal. Show that your voice has range and what your capable of. Chuck in a trill if its appropriate but don’t over do it. Its all about technique and timing. This takes a good audition to a great audition.

TIP 8 – MOVE DAMN YOU, MOVE!: You have hips and arms for a reason. Keep your body free. For gods sake don’t tighten up or you will look really unnatural. Tap to the beat, show expression to the music that you are singing. Use your hands to emphasize words and meaning. This all round makes for a better performance. It’s a simple way to interact with your audience which in this case is the panel of judges.

TIP 9 – AFTERMATH: Once you have finished your audition and the last note has crossed your lips. Don’t take a sigh of relief, stand tall and sharp. Even if you think it could have been better, show that you are still confident and that was a breeze for you. The judges will be amazed by your ability and this could be the seal on the deal. If they think you found it hard work they may be concerned that you wont be able to handle a full performance.

TIP 10 – DONT BEG: If we succeeded all the time we would never learn anything, sometime we wont get the part we want but that doesn’t mean you should turn round after the judges have said no and beg them to reconsider. Don’t try and push another song in their face. Except it and move on. You never know that someone might have to drop out and they may have to call in a replacement. Who would you choose? The one that walked out with grace or the one who begged for a second chance like a whimpering child.

Many of you may read this and say.. “What does he know?”. Well you just try it. You can thank me later.