Washington High School junior Brooklynn Stanley won the People’s Choice Award in the Celebration of Music talent search competition.
Stanley grew up in Washington Court House. As a current student, she is actively involved in both band and choir, Rhythm and Blue Dance Team and student government. She also takes voice lessons outside of school.
Celebration of Music is a talent search group that gives talented singers, musicians, bands and dancers who are between the ages of 4 and 25 an opportunity to share that talent. Stanley was accepted into the competition after sending in an audition tape and being selected.
The concert where the two winners were announced was on Sunday night at the Lincoln Theatre in Columbus. It first began with a concert from Ethan Bortnick. Bortnick is a piano prodigy who is known for many positive achievements in his life (he was born in 2000). He inspired the Celebration of Music and hosts the PBS Celebration of Music Talent Search.
Stanley said Bortnick’s concert, “was amazing—he’s so talented.”
Winning the People’s Choice Award means she received the most votes out of the contestants. Stanley explained, “It was so cool—it was crazy though. [Bortnick] said how many votes I got, and I got over 26,000.”
The Producer’s choice award went to Elly Knapper.
As winners, Stanley and Knapper were able to sing live during the concert. Both of them will be going to Los Angeles in October to record an episode for the national PBS Celebration of Music talent search.
Stanley expressed a great amount of excitement. She admitted she is a little nervous as she doesn’t know what to expect, but she is happy to be going with Knapper who “is super-super nice.”
Stanley said, ”Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you, thank-you so much to everyone who voted for me! I really can’t say it enough. Thank-you a million times over.”
Reach Jennifer Woods at 740-313-0355 or on Twitter @kenanipel.
