SASKATOON -- Auditions for the 44th Telemiracle were underway Saturday, getting ready for next year when the Telemiracle goes live on March 7 and 8 in Regina.
The auditions started out with Fabian Villeneuve, a young Saskatoon musician. As soon as he finished, he had someone important to pick up.
“I did my audition, jumped out, got in the car and headed on my way to P.A.,” Fabian said, driving to Prince Albert and back to make sure his grandfather had a chance to audition.
His grandfather, Maurice Villeneuve, was a big inspiration to get him to first pick up a guitar.
“He came to me one day and said ‘Papa, I would like to play guitar, but I don’t know how,’" Maurice said. Once Maurice showed him how to play a few cords, Fabian stayed up all night practicing. Maurice said Fabian announced proudly the next morning “Papa, I’ve learned all the D positions!”
Since then Maurice has been more than impressed with how Fabian has been developing as a musician.
“I’m really proud of him, always have been,” Maurice said.
Fabian says he has been playing different gigs and joining multiple bands as he establishes himself in the Saskatoon music scene. He says the feeling he gets when he goes up on stage is “an adrenaline dump. But once I get up on the stage and finish, I don’t want to get off.”
This was Fabians first time auditioning, saying he has been playing guitar since he was 12, but has only started singing in the past two years. Maurice has auditioned in previous years, but has yet to perform during the Telemiracle.
Maurice is no stranger to performing, having played music most of his life, traveling around Saskatchewan and even to some neighbouring provinces to play and sing. Recently, Maurice says he’s been performing for people who don’t get as much of a chance to get out and experience concerts, places like group homes and retirement communities.
Brian Angstadt with Telemiracle said they had to move around some auditions once he heard about the trip Fabian was going to take to bring his grandfather in.
“They both did a really good job,” Angstadt said.
He added he's glad both Villeneuves had a chance to audition, also saying he’s happy he isn’t a judge because he would have a hard time picking the winning auditions out of a full day of talented performances.
Angstadt said they had 90 people registered to audition on Saturday, performing for a panel of three judges to see if they make the cut for the 2020 Kinsman Foundation Telemiracle.
Angstadt says he already has March 7 and 8 circled in his calendar, and he’s excited for another year of raising money for the province.
“It’s Saskatchewan’s show. It’s Saskatchewan’s charity," he said. "It’s for the people of Saskatchewan.”
