Students at R.F. Staples School will have the rare privilege this Wednesday to see and hear an up-and-coming Canadian country music star.
Westlock is one of many stops on Grande Prairie recording artist Tenille’s Play it Forward tour, which she embarked on to help get her name out there and to encourage positive leadership in youth.
“This tour is so important to me,” she said. “Schools are my favourite audiences. They are so absorbent and so reflective and honest and just amazing to be able to sing to and to tell a message to.”
This is not the first public outreach work the 18-year-old singer/songwriter has done — she founded the charity Big Hearts for Big Kids to raise money for a youth emergency shelter in Grande Prairie.
The $194,000 raised to date has helped keep that facility’s doors open, and her efforts earned her a Slate Music Humanitarian Award.
“In the past I’ve so enjoyed watching Johnny Reid, George Canyon and Gord Bamford receive this award,” she said.
“To follow in those footsteps, I was so honoured.”
She also followed in the footsteps of some prominent female country singers when she was nominated for female artist of the year at the 2011 Canadian Country Music Awards — putting her in league with the likes of Terri Clarke, Westlock’s Carolyn Dawn Johnson, and Tenille’s musical inspiration, Shania Twain.
Tenille credits Twain with getting her started in the music industry — when she was nine years old she saw the award-winning artist at a concert in Edmonton, carrying a sign that said “Shania, can I please sing with you?”
The answer turned out to be yes, as Twain pulled Tenille up onto the stage.
“It was such a dream, singing and standing next to my idol in what I later learned was 18,000 people,” she said.
“I just knew in that moment this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
Tenille describes her music as modern country, but still reflecting the music’s roots.
“I love the fiddle and I love the steel guitar, and I hope my music reflects both the tradition and the new feel of country music,” she said.
Students at R.F. Staples can expect to hear some motivational speaking, as well as so me musical performances including a pre-release called Starts With You, from an album she’s currently working on.
A few students will also be pre-selected for recognition for the leadership qualities they’ve displayed in school — and at the end of the tour those students will be entered in a draw to win $10,000 for a charity of their choice.
“I just want to be able to recognize positive leadership within these schools, and tell them stories and give them messages and bring them inspiration,” Tenille said.
