By Dale Bass
Ruby Bruce acknowledges her nerves were a bit on edge as she waited to take the stage.
After all, she’d already gone through a couple of rounds of auditions to make it to the finals – one of six who would take the stage at the Abbotsford Agrifair, hoping to win the Valley Voices Vocal Competition.
Once she took the stage, however, the nerves were gone as she launched into covers of Piano by Ariana Grande and On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons.
It was a big moment for the then-11-year-old and, even though she didn’t win, making it to the last stage was encouraging.
Ruby, who lives in the North Shuswap, now has her sights set on growing her talent in Los Angeles at VocalizeU Summer Artist Intensive, 10 days working with songwriters, performance experts, voice trainers and other professionals. She’s working to raise $4,220 – with $1,250 already donated at her crowd-sourcing online site at gofundme.com.
Ruby’s already developed a following in the area, having won the 2013 Shuswap Idol competition – where she performed The Cave by Mumford and Sons, State of Grace by Taylor Swift and Turn Off the Lights by Nelly Furtado.
She’s performed at the Celista Coffeehouse and at Friday Night Live at the Scotch Creek Centre – where she was the main performer and filled a 45-minute set.
More recently, she did a gig at The Art We Are, but music wasn’t her first love. Ruby started dance lessons when she was about three and continues to study many genres, except tap, and she plays the trumpet in her school band. Sister Claire plays piano.
Ruby has always loved to sing, but, around the age of eight, that part of her artistic side started to become more dominant.
Add in a guitar and shape it all through musical influences ranging from Swift to Florence and the Machine and you end up with a poised, polished young girl who is comfortable on stage and wants to add depth to her music, eventually moving into writing songs of her own.
That’s why she’s so keen to attend the California program – with mom Nicole travelling with her – an educational opportunity designed for artists 13 and older, where the days are filled with sessions on the business of music, learning to write songs, auditioning for musical theatre and growing one’s voice, where mentors will provide feedback as well as instruction and where the days end with relaxation, collaboration and jamming.
Anyone interested in helping Ruby can donate online at gofundme.com/pz36dg.