How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
Practise, practise, practise.
And have a really cool mom who will sign you up for a contest to perform on the famed New York City stage.
That’s exactly what Port Moody resident Iris Samson did this spring when she entered her 10-year-old son, Tyson Venegas, into the American Protégé International music talent and vocal competitions.
It’s a good thing she did because Venegas was not only a first-place winner in both categories but he was also named one of three youth to get the judges’ distinction award in the musical talent portion and given the title of the vocal jury’s favourite, an accolade that carried a scholarship.
The wins meant Venegas was eligible to perform in the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall twice, along with other protégés from around the world.
Last night (Saturday), in front of a packed audience that included his mom and dad, Paul, as well as two dozen relatives, he sang two jazz songs of his choice: At Last and Fly Me To The Moon.
His show capped off the most unbelievable year for the Aspenwood elementary student and his folks — a whirlwind year that saw them criss-cross the United States.
2015 saw the Grade 5 pupil travel to Burbank, Cali. twice — also on scholarship — to work and rub shoulders with the best in the music industry. They want him to return in January to start recording his voice.
During an interview last week, Samson flipped through her smartphone to show images of celebrities with Venegas in the studio and on the red carpet.
Among them, legendary drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen); composer and producer Rami Jaffee (Wallflowers, Foo Fighters); music director Michael Beardon (Lady Gaga, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Rod Stewart); producer Paul Airey (Sound Kitchen Studios); and music director and keyboardist Greg Phillinganes (Lionel Ritchie, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder).
The list goes on.
But this summer was big, too.
Last year, on a pledge to have Venegas follow in the footsteps of his musical heroes such as Michael Jackson, Michael Bublé, Stevie Wonder and Bruno Mars, Samson applied to the Apollo Theater on a whim.
She got called a year later. They wanted him. “I had forgot about it,” Samson confessed “so I thought someone was playing a joke on me.”
Samson forwarded more information to the Apollo and, by August, he was performing a rendition of Superstition, a 1972 song by Wonder that got tongues wagging (Whitney Houston’s nephew was in the audience and bragged about Venegas on Twitter, Samson said).
Venegas is due to return the Harlem, New York, institution next August.
Finding out how his heroes have made it big has been something of a study for Venegas.
At seven, after learning Burnaby crooner Bublé had gained his fame by winning the PNE Star Showdown, Venegas got his mom to apply for the 2013 contest.
His Route 66 routine was delightful and won him top marks over competitors three times his age as well as a scholarship. Lucky for him, Bublé was in the crowd to give him a high-five before his name was announced.
The extra cash from awards and gigs around town — including, most recently, the Treasures of Christmas gala for Crossroads Hospice — have helped to pay for his music and acting lessons.
Once a week, Venegas travels to Vancouver to work with vocal coach Camille Henderson (daughter of Bill Henderson of the band Chilliwack) for private lessons; he also attends the Sarah McLachlan School of Music.
Only a couple of weeks ago, Venegas was talking to McLachlan about his upcoming appearance at Carnegie Hall. Samson overheard their conversation. “Oh, I was just there,” McLachlan told him of her Dec. 4 show with Tim Janis, Neil Sedaka and others.
“I just sat there in disbelief,” Samson said, shaking her head. “I thought, ‘Here’s something you don’t hear everyday!’”
Her husband is equally gobsmacked about his son’s adventures.
“It’s surreal,” he said. “We always say he has a God-given talent because neither of us have musical backgrounds and our other kids [Jack, 8, and Kate, 4] aren’t like this.”
“I don’t know how he does it,” Samson added. “He has a good ear and he just swings.”
But as Venegas treads into deeper waters in the music industry as he gets older, both parents want to be close by his side.
They’ve hired acting agent Brenda Campbell of Premiere Talent Management to guide his career; they also talk to a lot of professionals and parents going through the same thing. “We want to make sure we’re making the right choices for him,” Paul Venegas said. “We are asking a lot of questions and trying to get the best advice.”
As for Venegas, he’s a cool little dude.
Not much fazes him before he walks onto a big stage like the Apollo or Carnegie Hall, he said. “It’s just fun. I’m not nervous. I don’t know why I don’t get nervous. I guess I’m just comfortable on stage and I like singing on stage because it makes people happy. It makes me feel special. And I know I can do this.”
[email protected]
@jwarrenTC
