Sydney Delong

Nineteen year old Sydney Delong is a double nominee for the 2015 Toronto Independent Music Awards -- in the categories of Best Singer-Songwriter and Best Young Songwriter. The winners will be announced on October 23, 2015.

SEE BELOW FOR THE TIMA PRESS RELEASE AND LINK TO NOMINEES
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CELEBRATING 11 YEARS OF THE TORONTO INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS AT REVIVAL; NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

TIMA 2015 will celebrate over a decade of supporting Canadian independent music by bringing together Canada's music community on October 23 at Revival in Toronto, Ontario.

TORONTO, ON, October 6, 2015 ‐‐ On October 23, 2015 the Toronto Independent Music Awards (TIMA) will host a Festival and Award Gala celebrating 11 years of supporting Canadian independent music with nominees and winners in 17 categories at Revival in Toronto, Ontario.

Performances will include JoJo Worthington, the TIMA 2014 grand prize winner who recently received a publishing deal from Universal, country artist Dani Strong who's songwriting will charm even the the most cynical Nashville critic, hidden-gem rap group OSIYM, the big-tasty hooks of Jutes, and indie rock group The Nursery who you may have heard recently on the television series Schitt's Creek. If that isn't enough to rattle College Street, TIMA will announce the winners of TIMA 2015 live!

TIMA 2015 winners will be selected by a Grand Jury of industry professionals including: Alan Cross, Hill Kourkoutis, Ari Kaplan, and Andreas Kalongiannides, Full list: http://torontoima.com/awards/grand-jury/

Industry‐sponsored prizes are designed to give winners tools to further their careers. TIMA 2015 prizes are tailored to each category and include: a national radio distribution from Yangaroo powered by DMDS, a 3-song EP, 2-months of radio promotion, prize packages from SAC, Subscriptions to music associations, TIMA catalog placement, 1-year of music business advice, and much more:

What: TIMA 2015 - Toronto Independent Music Awards Festival and Award Gala

When: October 23, 2015


Where: Revival

Tickets: $10 in advance this event will sell-out. http://www.ticketscene.ca/events/13582/

Nominees: http://torontoima.com/awards/2015-nominees/

About The Toronto Independent Music Awards

In 2004, Dani Oliva founded the awards platform to recognize independent artists and help them attain tools for success. The show has built an impressive following and is supported enthusiastically by a strong network of industry partners who lend their time and expertise to help new artists navigate the quickly‐evolving music arena.

For more information about TIMA 2015 and for media RSVP, contact:

Toronto Independent Music Awards

info [AT] torontoima.com

http://www.torontoima.com - Toronto Independent Music Awards

Starting her professional music career at only 16 years old, Sydney Delong, now 19, had the opportunity to take her folk-fueled sound to Canadian Music Week, one of North America's biggest music industry events that books 300 of its acts through Sonicbids. Similar to CMJ or SXSW, performers put on shows at venues all over Toronto for four days in front of over 3,000 top industry professionals, which, as we'll see below, proved to be a particularly special experience for Sydney.

She knew how grand the opportunity was, and she didn't waste a second of her experience there. CMW is a tough festival to get selected for, so we caught up with Sydney to find out what she did to stand out among the competition at such a young, inexperienced age, and the unexpected opportunities that resulted from it all.

Through Sonicbids, you were selected to perform at Canadian Music Week, which is a huge success! Tell us about the application process and how you think your EPK stood out.

For a huge festival like CMW, I know they've got their big-name headliners and then all the hot indie bands, and then they've got lots of spots to fill with up-and-coming acts who play the spots before 11:00 p.m. So I know that's my target. My EPK focuses on the fact that I'm just barely legal [in Canada], but at the same time, it shows I've done tons of other big-name festivals so the organizers know they can take a chance on me. Before I submitted my EPK, I made sure I was up to date in my bio, my shows, my videos, and my press.

[5 Ways to Make Your Sonicbids EPK Stand Out From the Crowd]
What was the biggest lesson you learned from performing at such a large, renowned festival?

I'm a young performer, so when I play these huge festivals, I know that I'm getting an early slot and I may be performing before the venue fills up. But the lesson I've learned is to not let that bother me. I was so pumped to just do the best show of my life, no matter how full or empty the venue was! I was lucky that lots of people I know came to the show, and I talked to everyone before I performed and right after I performed to thank them.
What challenges did you run into at CMW as such a young, new artist? How did you make your performance stand out?

The best thing about this year's CMW was that, based on my profile on the CMW site, an Australian music mag found me ahead of time and picked me as one of their top 15 acts not to miss at CMW. I've never had unsolicited buzz before a show like that, except within my own social media and hometown newspaper. So it was exciting, but I felt like it added to the pressure. So I rehearsed a ton, wore my best kick-ass performing outfit (which was a see-through wedding dress I found at a vintage store), and sang like hell.
Did any other opportunities open up as a direct result of your CMW performance?

A couple of really great things happened because of playing CMW. The first is that I got the best review I ever had from that show – it was like the kind of review you dream about getting when you are unsigned and trying to stand out. I have used quotes from that interview in my EPK, my website, and my promo cards because I think it would make people want to see my shows.

The second is that a journalist at the show ended up doing an interview that was published online about me that I thought was very real and allowed me to explain my music and my aspirations. After CMW, thanks to my EPK, I got picked for another festival where I performed right before Neil Young's sister, and then I got a gig via Sonicbids at Toronto's Hard Rock Café, which was another great show.

Apply to CMW early
You started using Sonicbids when you were 16. With a resume that extends from NXNE to Indie Week Canada to the Folk Alliance Conference, it's no mystery that you're already rocking it. Now at 19 with all of those accomplishments to your name, what's still on your music career bucket list?

My bucket list is pretty simple – I'd love to play all those festivals again, but be seen as enough of a draw to get to perform after 11 or 12 when the venue is packed and the crowd is pumped. I'd also love to tour around Ontario, into Quebec, maybe out west, and then eventually do a show or two in New York. Of course, after doing NXNE, I've set my sights on someday doing SXSW!
If you could give one piece of advice to an independent musician looking to be selected for an event like CMW, what would it be?

I have found that a lot of young artists don't go after festivals because they don't pay. I think playing festivals is a great way to build credibility and recognition. The best advice is to realize that festivals need to fill seats over tons of venues over as long as a week, so you have to make it easy for them to pick you for a slot that may not be the same as a headliner, but it gives you a chance to network and take advance of the PR work that the festival does. That's worth more than getting paid for the show. Your EPK has to show how you're unique so you stand out, but not so different that the festival people don’t know where you fit in. - Sonicbids Blog

At 19-years-old, Sydney Delong is like many people her age. She’s tired of school after her freshman year studying psychology at Ryerson University, she works part time at The Body Shop, and she is trying to find individuality on her own path. What sets her apart is her voice, which allowed her to preform in internationally recognized music festivals Canadian Music Week and NXNE.

From a petite body Delong projects a deep, resounding, giantess voice – soused in sadness and bereft of immaturity. Her indie, folky, acoustic sound is supplemented with honest and personal lyrics. Her charisma is gravitational, and her overwhelming passion for all things is powerful. Delong’s powerhouse voice and her unique ability to manipulate it makes this Oakville-native’s dream of international recognition a looming reality.

We sat down with Delong with a Vital Protein smoothie on Spadina (she follows a compassionate diet) to talk about finding herself and the music that followed.

Where is your favourite place?
The Loblaws on Church and Carleton. Sexiest looking produce. Mmn.

Where did you get your enormous voice?
I took a lot of serious vocal lessons with Mitch Seekins. He’s the kind of guy that industry people call and say, “this person either needs to get surgery or you have to fix their technique.” Before I met him, I was starting to experience fatigue, or pain. If I were to have continued I would have gotten vocal nodes. He was very strict and I cried sometimes, but I thank him for what my voice is today.

Like Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) in Whiplash?
Yes! I had very high expectations for myself. I learn very fast. Seekins told me, “you’re going to do this because you want to be that good.” He understood that I want to be internationally recognized as an amazing vocalist.

When did you realize you wanted to be internationally recognized?
If I could be recognized even in Toronto, that would be cool. I’ve always sung. I wanted to be a Broadway star, which is where I got my theatrics. Then I got bored from singing classic stuff, I didn’t want to sing French and German, so I picked up a guitar and started writing. I had always tried to write poetry, pathetically. Then I did The Next Star on YTV when I was 15. I made the Top 16 out of 2000 contestants. They didn’t pick me because I was just the ‘indie token.’

After the show, I realized that I don’t suck. People other than my mother think I’m ok! Then I started writing more seriously. I continued to take theory and composition lessons with producer and friend Ryan Switzer at Massive Tank Studios. He really pushed my songwriting. He gave me the self-confidence to continue and worked very hard with me.

Where are you from?
I was living in Oakville, graduating from Iroquois Ridge High School. My mother was born and raised in Oakville. There’s a lot of money in that town, so it becomes something that people don’t really care for. It’s just there. My mom works very hard and my dad is stay at home. Oakville is very cookie cutter: the mom stays at home, the dad coaches the soccer team, and the son makes it to the OHL. In a sense there’s a lot of opportunity because there’s a lot of money in that town, but there’s not a lot of opportunity for someone like me. It was smothering creative me.

You seem to really know who ‘me’ is.
I’ve known for a long time but environmentally it didn’t work. I felt very trapped. The stereotype I had built around myself in that town didn’t fit with the career I wanted for myself. Individuality these days is classified as supporting yourself financially, but no one values actually knowing who me is. I am Sydney Delong and I am me because of these characteristics, because this is how I respect myself. I’ve still got a lot of life and lot of time to learn.

Your songs are really sad.
Dallas Green just knows me, he just knows. For me, it’s a different thing to listen to sad music than it is to write it. I’m a very open person but really, it’s a defense mechanism. There are things I don’t deal with at all, and that’s what my music is about. It’s about me being unable to deal. I cry to my music when I’m really sad. It’s like reliving that emotion. To sing a song that’s sad to me is heart breaking, but its sick and twisted because I also get a satisfaction from the buzz of singing it. It’s twisted that I get singing about my own sadness, my grief, my insecurities.

Do you have to write from a sad place?
Sadness is an emotion that is very familiar to me. The feeling I seem to be able to have the most words for. When I’m happy I’m so focused on other things, I’d rather not sit and write a song, I’d rather go be with that person. Like, I’ve had a massive transition with my parents. My mom worked a lot and it was hard to communicate with my dad. Now I have an awesome relationship with my parents. I tried to write a song about this but I’m not sad about it anymore. What troubled me before, I’m not sad about now.

What are you listening to right now?
I just bought the rest of the Al King record. I’m also listening to The Tallest Man on Earth. His new record is very cute. He’s a very talented guitarist.

Who is someone you look up to? Hang out with?
Mr. Richard Flohil. He is the king of folk music. He was the first guy to bring BB king to Toronto. We’d stalked him down to help me do PR. I like to hang out with people older than me. So that’s Richard. He’s 80. He’s my best friend. When we’re out at night I’m tell him “Richard there are some cute men over there, but they won’t come over because it looks like I’m out with my grandfather!” He’s cool.

Delong will play at The Old Nick on Danforth Ave. on June 8th.
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May 25, 2015 -- by Jenn Ko (antidotemag.com) - Antidote Magazine

I wasn’t sure what to expect on the way to Dakota Tavern. I knew most of the acts were singer songwriters but that was about it. By the time I got into the bar Sydney Delong was already halfway through her set and I’m still kicking myself for not getting their sooner. The nineteen year old singer was absolutely amazing, with the vocal range of an opera singer, the stage presence of a rock star, and the skill of artists twice her age, Delong was both incredible and inspiring. Joined on stage by a single acoustic guitar player, her set was intimate and inviting. You could feel her connection to each song and it was clear that music is clearly Delong’s passion. - antidotemag.com

Fresh faced Toronto based artist Sydney Delong has already impressed with two EPs and she's only just turned 19! The second EP, My Vow to You, came out last year and was a stunning release. It's no doubt only the start to the lifespan of a very talented artist...

Genre(s): Alternative Indie Pop
Official Showcase: Tuesday, May 05 - The Dakota Tavern- 8:00PM - The AU Review (Australia)

Hard to believe Sydney (Delong) has just turned 18, as she shows real vocal and musical maturity on her second EP, My Vow To You. "Widowed Danger" and the title track hint at Alanis, and all five original tunes are convincing. Nice arrrangements and sparse clean production from Ryan Switzer complete the package. She'll play small acoustic venues plus festivals over the summer and recently showcased at Folk Alliance. Clearly one to watch closely, as we predict a (de)long career.

by Kerry Doole - Newcanadianmusic.ca

"I’m completely hooked and enthralled by the story-telling ability this artist has," commented Toronto Independent Music Awards 2014 judges about Sydney Delong's song Cruel Adore from her 2014 EP, My Vow to You.

"The dynamics of these songs draws me in. I feel like my emotions are being lead on a very controlled roller coaster. The vocal tonality of this artist’s voice is absolutely beautiful." TIMA 2014

"She’s going to be a niche artist like Patti Smith or Fiona Apple with the occasional hit which will bring the audience to her – the audience that stays will understand the complexity of her music." TIMA 2014 - TIMA website, TIMA 2014 judge review and feedback

We were able to talk to Sydney Delong recently. A very talented young artist with a beautiful voice! Here’s a little bit about her.

Just 17 years old, 2013 CFMA Young Performer of the Year nominee Sydney Delong is hard at work representing Canada’s next generation of powerful female voices. She has earned national recognition as an “indie rock hopeful” with a “powerful voice” on a youth TV talent search show in 2011. This helped Sydney to rapidly develop an enthusiastic online fan base.

In 2012, Sydney released her first EP of original music — Rose Red, Black Stone. After a multi-round audition process, she won a spot as the youngest performer at Summerfolk Festival 2013. Sydney is proud to perform in support of non-profit organizations for fundraising and awareness building. She has performed to help raise funds for breast cancer research, and support local food banks as well as aids charities overseas.

Sydney’s second EP of original songs, My Vow To You, is expected to be released in January 2014. Click here for her full bio!

GMI - With your second EP “My Vow To You” slated to be released in January what can we expect to hear from this EP?

S.D. – “I released my first EP, Rose Red Black Stone, when I was 16 and it was pretty rooted in urban folk sounds and abstract metaphors. For my second EP,My Vow to You, I clung hard onto my passion and was way more willing to let it all out – my teenage angst, the power behind my voice, and new sounds for the guitar. So this is definitely going to be a more alternative, moody EP that will be hard to attach to a specific genre, but I think captures who I am right now.”

GMI - What inspired “Sweet Nothing”?

S.D. - ”Sweet Nothing is a song that represents the middle ground between the softer vocal and acoustic focus of my first EP and the aggressive alternative sounds of my new EP. It is my first love song, but that doesn’t make it a happy song – sometimes love is not good for you no matter how you feel.”
Sweet Nothing
Studio Version
PlayDownload

GMI - Of all the music festivals and performances you have done in that past few years, NXNE, Sound of Music Festival, KOI Music festival and Indie Week Canada, just to name a few, which venue did you enjoy performing in the most?

S.D. - ”I just did a small festival organized by Toronto City North and I was picked to showcase because they liked my stuff, not because of the novelty of my age. The crowd at The Central was great, I got great buzz out of the show, and I really felt like I was finding my place in the amazing Toronto music scene. Overall, I’m enjoying the shift from outdoor daylight festivals to late nightclub venues in the city.”

GMI - What was your reaction on the nomination for Canadian Folk 2013 Young Performer of the Year?

S.D. - ”Hanging around within the folk scene for the past few years, I’ve learned that the people in this genre have very high standards for the artists they like. So this nomination was a huge surprise and honor, especially since I know how incredibly talented the other nominees were.”

GMI - Being so young, what does it feel like accomplishing all that you have done so far?

S.D. - ”On one hand, I feel I have gained a lot of experience since I started recording and doing live shows when I was 16. I have learned how to handle disorganized events, bad sound, vocal strain, loss of back-up musicians, and empty seats! And on the other hand, I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of everything I need to do to accomplish all my goals. I’ve had some lucky breaks and I’ve got a great machine behind me – my family, my producer, promotional support, guitarists, loyal fans and lots of people in the business willing to give me advice. I want to go as far as I can, and if it takes me a few decades of hard work, I’m ready.“

Faint Heart
Play

GMI - You stopped playing a guitar when you perform – why?

S.D. - ”I still play the guitar every day, and write songs on my guitar, but playing the guitar was holding me back as a performing artist. I’m big about using proper technique when I sing, and I get so emotionally involved in my songs that I can’t focus on playing and singing. I think it works better for the audience – I’ve got some incredibly talented guitar players backing me up, and I’m giving a better performance with just a microphone in my hand.“

GMI - What do you want to accomplish in the next year?

S.D. - ”I want to progress from being seen as being “good” for a girl still in high school, to being good – period! I’m turning 18, and I want to compete and collaborate with people who are up to a decade or more older than me, and hold my own. So that puts the pressure on to write better songs, do great shows, and finally put together a band.”

GMI - What are some of your favorite songs?

S.D. - ”If I didn’t inherit some lame scarring disorder from my mother, I’d have all the lyrics to Mumford and Sons’ song After the Storm tattooed on my - Goodmusicinc.net

Iroquois Ridge High School student Sydney Delong said music has changed her life dramatically.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. Music gave me drive,” she said. “I’ve never been fuelled by anything more than music.”

That drive has earned Delong, 17, one of five nominations for Young Performer of the Year at next month’s Canadian Folk Music Association Awards in Calgary.

Delong was nominated on the strength of a three-song EP she submitted in the summer.

Having her music recognized by people outside of her music teachers or family means a lot to Delong.

“I know for my own work, I write for pleasure,” she said. “Being recognized and knowing that it means something to someone else is an added bonus.”

Despite being nominated for a folk award, Delong’s sound is ever-evolving.

When first starting out, Delong was listening to Mumford and Sons repeatedly, and she credits them for her entry into the world of folk music.

Now, like many artists before her, Delong has discovered her sound has evolved into something different.

“I recently got more, for lack of a better term, angry and passionate, which has fuelled my music into a more hard-hitting sound,” Delong said, adding as her voice matures, she finds she has greater range and power.

One thing that has not changed is Delong’s passion for helping others.

She loaned her talent to Voices of the Broken, a special concert designed to raise funds and awareness about sex trafficking in Cambodia.

Delong said she cringed after seeing what girls her age are dealing with and wants to work with the organization again.

In August, Delong travelled to Owen Sound to perform at the 2013 Summerfolk festival.

The fans that endured the oppressive August heat were treated to three performances from Delong, who was part of the festival’s Discovery Series.

At one point during the festival, the Discovery Series performers played with one of the featured performers, Montreal-based guitar player Cécile Doo Kingué.

Performing live afforded Delong the opportunity to try out new material in front of an audience, material that can be found on her forthcoming EP.

The new EP, tentatively titled Cruel, Adore will be her second release, and comes on the heels of last year’s Rose Red, Black Stone.

“I like to think of EPs not as a shorter album, but as a snippet of my life at that time,” she said. - Oakville Beaver

Sydney Delong is a 2013 Young Performer of the Year nominee (see press release for details) - Press Release -- Canadian Folk Music Awards

By Dominik Kurek

Oakville singer-songwriter Sydney Delong will be performing at North by Northeast (NXNE), an annual music and arts festival in Toronto.

The 17-year-old will be performing at C’est What Saturday (June 15) at 8 p.m.

“I’m really thrilled. I’m so excited,” the Grade 11 Iroquois Ridge High School student said. “Recently, when I stopped having to play guitar for myself and found a really serious guitarist, I found that I’ve entered this whole new world of performing and I feel so free about everything that I do. I’m happy that an event like this has taken me on and sees that as well that there’s potential in someone young like me.”

The young musician said she’s influenced by English folk-rock band Mumford & Sons, as well as indie folk band Bon Iver. She performs mostly original tunes, but throws in a cover here and there.

The acoustic musician performs a style that ranges from blues and folk to rock and pop.

“I’m really big on my lyrics and the mixture of that with instrumentation and how that comes together as a story,” she said.

She said she likes using metaphors in her music and writes about the tough moments in life.

“It’s nice for me to be able to write about the sad parts of my life and add some beauty to them. It makes things a little bit easier. I try to create something beautiful out of something that’s not,” she said.

Delong has been taking vocal and guitar lessons for some years now, and became serious about music just more than two years ago, when she started writing her own music. She takes classes at Oakville’s Massive Tank Studios and has been mentored by studio owner Ryan Switzer, who helps her write music, especially instrumentation.

“That’s where I learned to play guitar,” she said. “He taught me how to seriously play and how to seriously write music in a more forward sense than just me writing for fun. He put a purpose to a lot of my stuff.”

Delong doesn’t play the guitar on stage, instead has a guitarist playing with her, as well as a back up vocalist doing harmonies.

Delong said she will be appearing before another acoustic band at C’est What, which is an appropriate sound for the venue.

“The whole venue is really kind of earthy, so I think they matched the music really well to the C’est What venue,” she said.

A drawback for young musicians such as herself is they generally get to play their set and then have to leave. This time around NXNE is allowing her to stay with a chaperone.

“They take people like me, who are only 17, really seriously. Sometimes they say you have to play and leave, which is a bummer because then I don’t get to talk to the other – usually really great – artists. But they’re letting me play and stay,” she said.

Being able to stay allows her to network, which is important for fledgling musicians.

C’est What is located at 67 Front St. E. NXNE opens today and ends Monday, June 17.

For more information and tickets, visit www.nxne.com. - Oakville Beaver

"I was lucky enough to get in touch with Sydney Delong for a show called Unsigned on Radio Humber. She's a spectacular artist that I highly recommend, and an all around awesome person. This is the feature piece I put together for the show." Molly Will - Produced by Molly Will

(The following focuses on the interview with Sydney Delong from YTV’s The Next Star. Questions and answers from other finalists have been deleted. See URL link for full article.)

When it comes to music and singing, shows like Canadian Idol and The Voice make the chances of attaining fame that much more real for the audience. But, what about kids? With a base age of 16, these shows leave out an incredibly talented group of young artists. Well, never fear, YTV’s show The Next Star showcases talent of children up to 15 years of age.

Cadence Canada was given the exclusive opportunity to interview three of the top 16 finalists for the popular show’s fourth season. Meet the contestants:

Sydney Delong: At 15 years old, Sydney is an unusual girl from Oakville, ON with an unusual taste in music. With favourite artists such as Bon Iver, Ellie Goulding, and Macklemore, she not only loves to sing, but also writes her own music. Indeed she auditioned by singing one of her own creations, “Little King.”

Q: Congratulations on making the top 16 in The Next Star. It takes a lot to become as talented as you all are. What got you into singing? Who most influenced your development as an artist?

SD – I’ve been singing ever since I was little. My mom was always really musical, so she got me into it, but I’ve only been songwriting since I learned to play guitar about two years ago. I think when I started listening to Mumford and Sons, it really got me interested in music a lot more. It really got me interested in finding a style that I really like and really finding, kind of, a meaning to the song.

Q: What was it like to audition for The Next Star?
SD – I was really stressed out, but as soon as I got through everything it was just so much fun and not even worth the stress. I got to meet so many cool people, make friends, and it was just a really great experience.

Q: How did it feel to perform in front of the judges?
SD – A little less terrifying than I thought it would be. I get more scared in front of my family than them. I prefer singing in front of people I don’t know than having to sing in front of people I do, and having to hear criticism. I liked it a lot better, actually.

Q: Sydney, you have a rather unusual taste in music compared to many kids. What attracts you to this kind of music?
SD – I used to listen to a lot of mainstream stuff and then when I started writing music it really got me thinking about the meanings. A lot of songs these days that are on the radio are about partying and getting girls. I like to focus on the true feelings that I feel personally that I can relate to my life and other people in my family. It means a lot more to me.

Q: The song that you wrote – the one you sang on the show – is there a story behind it?
SD – Actually, yes. The one on the show was about a friend of mine who really went through a load of stuff, and he really couldn’t get a hold of himself. I’m terrible at expressing any kind of feeling to people; I’ve got a foot in my mouth all the time. So, it was my way of telling him to stick with it. Like, he can get through anything. It was kinda my way of showing him that I cared.

Q: Who is your favourite music artist? What draws you to his/her music? Do you have a favourite song?
SD – That’s hard; I’m trying to think. Again going back to Mumford and Sons, but also Macklemore, who’s a rap artist that hip-hops, that my friend showed me to. It was nice because he’d actually gone through the stuff that he was talking about – unlike the rappers these days that talk about real problems and have someone else writing it for them. I don’t know. It hits me a lot harder. It makes me cry whenever I listen to his music, so it actually means something, has a purpose to it. I would have to say my favorite song is Mumford and Sons “After the Storm.” I cry every single time I listen to it. [Laughs.] I want a tattoo of the whole entire song. It’s definitely the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.

Q: So, Sydney, I understand that you are a bit of a karate expert.
SD – I’ve been doing karate for, I think this would be my seventh or eighth year. I’m currently in training for my black belt. It’s a lot of commitment. I pretty much go every day of the week.

Q: If you have to describe yourself to someone what would you say?
SD – Oh, that’s tricky. I can be as enthusiastic as a six-year-old at a candy store, but I can be as realistic as . . . hmm I don’t know. Friends describe me as a hyperactive person but I can also stick and do yoga and look like a master at it. I’ve gotten really good at controlling myself.

Q: Do you see yourself as having a career in music? If that doesn’t work out, what do you think you might do?

SD – I really hope so. It’s my only passion. It’s the only thing that I will seriously sit down for hours if I need to and perfect a song. When it comes to anything else, I can’t seem to commit myself to anything. If I can’t do music, I’d actually li - Cadence Canada Magazine

“I never expected this at all because there were so many kids that were so amazing and had so much more experience than I did.” - Sydney Delong, competitor on The Next Star
White Oaks Secondary School Grade 10 student Sydney Delong has loved singing her entire life and two years ago she added guitar and song writing to her repertoire.
Now, she’s hoping to become The Next Star.
The 15-year-old is getting her chance after she was selected to be a competitor on the fourth season of YTV’s hit talent search show, The Next Star.
“I never expected this at all because there were so many kids that were so amazing and had so much more experience than I did. It was overwhelming for a bit. I was really scared,” she said. “I’m really happy.”
Delong was selected onto The Next Star after she auditioned for the show’s judges at the Toronto filming, which aired Monday, July 25.
The show airs every Monday night at 7 p.m. on YTV, with competitors competing each week and hoping to become The Next Star at the show’s finale on Sept. 25.
Delong is hoping to get her shot at the title with her singing. She brought her guitar to the audition and said she gave it her all.
“I was really nervous that I would just forget my guitar and stop playing. It took me a lot of practice,” the life-long Oakville resident said.
“I played an original song of mine. It was called Little King. It was great. I didn’t have to worry about making it my own, I didn’t have any such problems.”
The shy Delong has been a closet musician for the last two years, writing her own songs for as long as she’s been playing the guitar. She has had vocal lessons on and off over the years as well.
“I kept it a secret for a long time when I started writing my own songs because I was really scared what people would think about them. One day (my friends) were on my computer and they found these songs. They didn’t know who they were by,” Delong said.
The young indie-folk musician has recorded seven songs, two of which are online. She said her biggest inspiration for writing music is the English folk rock band Mumford & Sons.
It was her friends who encouraged Delong to put her musical abilities to the test with the YTV show.
“I didn’t know about (The Next Star) until three days before. My friends said, ‘Sydney, you’ve got to get up. You’ve got to start doing something with this singing thing. Just give it a shot.’ I’ve never performed before for anybody. They told me I should do it.”
The show features a host of Canadian talent, including Degrassi: The Next Generation’s Adamo Ruggiero as host, musician Suzie McNeil, songwriter Christopher Ward and music marketing executive Steve Cranwell.
“I loved my interviews with Adamo,” Delong said of her experience on the show. “When I first went in for my audition I called him an elf and I felt really bad about that. Ever since he would make those witty comments. It was probably my favourite part of the day, to do those interviews.”
Viewers can help select their favourite competitor at YTV.com or by text message. This year’s winner will take home The Next Star title along with a slew of prizes to help a young musician on way to a musical career.





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“I never expected this at all because there were so many kids that were so amazing and had so much more experience than I did.” - Sydney Delong, competitor on The Next Star

White Oaks Secondary School Grade 10 student Sydney Delong has loved singing her entire life and two years ago she added guitar and song writing to her repertoire.

Now, she’s hoping to become The Next Star.

The 15-year-old is getting her chance after she was selected to be a competitor on the fourth season of YTV’s hit talent search show, The Next Star.

“I never expected this at all because there were so many kids that were so amazing and had so much more experience than I did. It was overwhelming for a bit. I was really scared,” she said. “I’m really happy.”

Delong was selected onto The Next Star after she auditioned for the show’s judges at the Toronto filming, which aired Monday, July 25.

The show airs every Monday night at 7 p.m. on YTV, with competitors competing each week and hoping to become The Next Star at the show’s finale on Sept. 25.

Delong is hoping to get her shot at the title with her singing. She brought her guitar to the audition and said she gave it her all.

“I was really nervous that I would just forget my guitar and stop playing. It took me a lot of practice,” the life-long Oakville resident said.

“I played an original song of mine. It was called Little King. It was great. I didn’t have to worry about making it my own, I didn’t have any such problems.”

The shy Delong has been a closet musician for the last two years, writing her own songs for as long as she’s been playing the guitar. She has had vocal lessons on and off over the years as well.

“I kept it a secret for a long time when I started writing my own songs because I was really s - Oakville Beaver