Thirteen-year-old Dylan Kennerell-Walters won this year’s Stone Music Festival busking competition, beating many more seasoned performers to take the crown.
And his seniors should beware – Dylan intends to defend his title in 2014!
The busking competition took place on Festival Saturday (13th July) – and the judges were impressed by Dylan’s ukulele playing and vocal talents!
Dylan, who has just left Walton Priory Middle School, said: “I entered the busking competition because it seemed like a great opportunity to show my passion for music to the local community. I definitely didn’t expect to win – it was really just for the experience and to build up my confidence performing in front of people.
“When I got there I realised the competition were all experienced and talented acts and I was so nervous. When they announced the third and second places, I thought another act had won and I was really surprised to hear my name. When I got on stage I was totally unprepared for the questions and I hadn’t prepared any songs to perform either! I didn’t even have my music! But once I got singing I felt more comfortable on the stage and started to enjoy it.
“The crowd’s reaction and the feedback I got afterwards gave me much more confidence for my performance in the afternoon with Interjam and the yung musicians’ showcase and I will definitely be busking again if I get the chance!
“I am going to spend the £70 prize money on an electric ukelele and I will definitely be back to compete again next year!”
You can see a little bit of Dylan’s performance in this great video round-up of the festival…
Dylan is part of the Interjam project at Stone Youth Club on Monday nights, where he met Stone singer-songwriter Ben Owen earlier this year (there’s more information about Interjam on the Little Bit of Stone business and community directory HERE).
Dylan’s proud mum Sarah said: “Dylan was given a ukulele for Christmas in 2011 and it soon became a permanent attachment to his arm! He is entirely self-taught, spending hours on the computer, teaching himself chords and learning to read tab.
“Ben has helped Dylan tremendously. In June, he invited him to perform, for the very first time, at The Crown in Stone as part of his Young Musicians’ Showcase.
“Following a very successful ‘first gig’, Dylan built up the confidence to enter the Stone Music Festival busking competition. He was certainly not expecting to win!
“Dylan was also lucky enough to be invited by Ben to perform in the Young Musicians’ Showcase on Saturday afternoon. I still can’t believe how small, yet completely at ease, he looked on the stage and as we sat down to prepare his 15-minute set from a selection of over 30 songs, I suddenly realised just how far he’d come, in such a short space of time.
“I really hope he continues to develop his musical talent and manages to balance it with his studies and his other passion in life -rugby! I know plans are afoot to set up a backing band and after Saturday’s performance he was offered the opportunity to do some recording. We are very aware that opportunities for success are few and far between and Dylan has his feet firmly on the ground but who knows what the future might hold – watch this space!”
All photographs by Joshua Cope
