Strathroy Hometown Festival

Karaoke Idol Contest Rules:

1) Entrants must be 18 years or older to compete in the Senior Idol Competition. THERE WILL BE A CUT IN SINGLES COMPETITION AFTER THE FIRST SONG DURING THE SUNDAY FINALS.
2) Singles category allowed ONLY
3) NO BURNT CD’S ARE ALLOWED - you must select a song from provided library
4) If the chosen song skips, the host will try again, only once. If it continues to skip, entrants will have the option of choosing a different song to sing.
5) Entrants will be judged on singing ability, stage presence and crowd appreciation
6) Entrants must remain until the judges have announced their decisions. If entrant is not present, the entrant placing directly below them in points will qualify instead. Absent entrants may re-enter at next available qualifying show.
7) At the discretion of the judges, a number of contestants will be selected from each qualifying night to go on to the Semi-Finals at the Strathroy Hometown Festival starting at 1 pm on the Saturday of the festival on the main stage.
8) If you do not qualify the first time, you may re-enter at any of the other available qualifying shows until you do qualify.
9) there are NO instruments allowed
10) JUDGES DECISIONS ARE FINAL. Remember, although this is a competition it is designed to be a fun event with no entry fee. The judges have volunteered their time to participate.
11) Contestants are encouraged to bring as many family, friends, and fan to the qualifying rounds as well as the finals’. Crowd appreciation is part of the scoring.
12) This is a family friendly contest – no foul language or questionable lyrics. Deductions in scoring will occur if such things happen.
13) This contest is for individuals only. No groups.
14) Costuming is strongly recommended
15) HAVE FUN

Welcome to our 2022 Karaoke Idol Staff

Rob Gee, Diane McGuire, Shelly Rastin, Andrea Sekerak, Yvonne Wegner, Randall Dibblee, and Chris Soares

Chris Soares

We welcome back myFM's Chris Soares our fantastic Host of the contest now in his 13th year with the event and we couldn't think of anyone better to Host one of the festival's most popular events. Chris has been with our local radio station for over 15 years, currently in the News Director position as well as the Host of The Wake Up Call weekday mornings, and The Man Cave sports talk show in Peterborough Sunday mornings. He is also the Voice of the North Middlesex Stars hockey team and does countless amounts of volunteering within the Community.... Welcome back Chris.

Diane McGuire

We welcome Diane McGuire, she is the Owner of The Music Spot in Strathroy who proudly is the lead sponsor for our Junior Idol Competition. Diane has been teaching music for 25 years and attending Windsor University for Music and Business. While in Windsor, she was an active band member in Matrix, Music Express and the Gemini Wind Ensemble. Before The Music Spot, Diane was the Education Specialist at Belle Air Music in Windsor and London. She is well involved in the Community including most recently directing the Strathroy-Caradoc Optimist Youth Band. She is also a Registered Holistic Nutritionist providing consultations through Damen Optimal Health.....Welcome Diane.

Rob Gee

We are very happy that Rob Gee will be returning to Idol for the 2022 Idol competition. Rob has been a Music Teacher with the Thames Valley District School Board for 27 years, teaching at Colborne PS, Adelaide WG MacDonald PS, Metcalfe PS and currently teaching at JS Buchanan PS. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from UWO. As a child, in Oakville, Rob was very involved musically in the Salvation Army Band and Choir as well as piano. Rob has done work with the Amabile Youth Choirs and enjoyed one season with the Strathroy Vocal Federation. We are very pleased to have Rob on the Idol team and we thank him for wanting to be involved with the competition.

Andrea Sekerak

As a past winner of the Karaoke idol competition, holding the first place title in 2018 and the second place title in 2016, I am thrilled to have the honor of assisting with the judging of this year's Karaoke Idol Competition. I have a rich musical past which has been a thrill every step of the way. As a child, I developed a love for singing at any early age and was given a karaoke machine as a birthday gift at the age of 9. Immediately I was in love! I soon developed the drive to practice 3-4 hours every evening in my humble garage. At the age of 14, I recorded my first collection of covers. By the time I was 16, I was performing the national anthems at Delaware Speedway and performing at various churches, weddings and charity events. I would also perform regularly on the geriatric ward at SMGH as a volunteer. I have also performed Christmas carols in various London shopping malls with a steel drum band "The Cardells", and have had vocal training with world renowned Opera singer and professor at UWO, Torin Chiles. Today, I continue to jam and collaborate with fellow musicians and enjoy performing with the fellow bandmates of "Juniper Blue". I feel incredibly lucky to know the exhilaration and joy that stage performance can deliver. I can't wait to see the scope of talent amongst this year's competitors!

Randy Dibblee

The Festival is pleased to welcome Randy Dibblee as one of our 2022 Karaoke Idol judges. Randall received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Western Ontario and has performed with orchestras in London, Sarnia, Kitchener, Windsor and Toronto. He is currently a music teacher in the London District Catholic School Board at Our Lady Immaculate School and is a member of the International Symphony Orchestra.

Shelly Rastin

This year we are very happy to welcome back Shelly Rastin as one of our judges for Karaoke Idol. Shelly grabbed the international spotlight as support for Keith Urban at a festival that swelled 20,000 fans, and again with Tim McGraw, Michelle Wright, Doc Walker and more. With Jason Barry, multi-CCMA award winner, at the producing reigns of Rastin’s sound, she has found herself to be a multi winner for Country Artist & Songwriter @ the London & Jack Richardson Music Awards along with nominations at Toronto’s Independent Music Awards. Rastin boasts co-writing and recording credits that include Randy Bachman, Jason Barry, Byron Hill, Randy Bordeaux, Steve Fox and more. With such strong industry collaborations, she made her mark in the country radio industry when her single “Born in a Barn” earned her a spot in the top 100 billboard music charts. With each radio release Shelly is consistently rated in the Top 20 Canadian Country female artist radio charts with “Born in a Barn”, Be True To You” and “Country Mile”, "Confused", "Taken", “High Class Trailer Trash” and 'Mexico State of Mind.' Rastin's accolades have earned her a spot in the top 10 Canadian artist to look out for!

Judy Von

We are so pleased to welcome back this year for Junior Karaoke Idol, Singer/Songwriter and performer, Judy Von, once shared the stage with Michelle Wright, Jamie Warren, Tammy Wynette and Billy Ray Cyrus. Before her retirement from the road, Von released multiple albums while performing on the circuit and writing in Nashville. Judy Von was one of the original judges during the inception of the Festival's Karaoke Idol contest and looks forward to being part of the judging table again for the Hometown Festival's Junior Idol Competition.