Final auditions March 25 for 'The One' singing competition

Anahi Rodriguez, Marah Alley and Camden Brown were winners in the 2018 "The One" singing competition. File photo

By Tommie Brown, Staff Writer

If there is any doubt that Menifee has some great talent, the Boys & Girls Club is sure to silence any skeptics in the second annual "The One" event.

Created by Boys & Girls Club CEO John Whann, "The One" is a local singing competition for youth ages 6-18. Set up like the format of "American Idol", young contestants filter through three rounds of judging. Beginning with the acapella stage, contestants who are chosen advance to the next round, being instrumental. Either singing to background music or performing with their own instrument, the contestants chosen from this round push forward to the third and final round – the themed round.

Last year’s competition saw youngsters singing their hearts out to 80’s songs played on radios well before their lifetime. This year’s theme will remain a surprise to both contestants and audience alike until the final showdown commences.

The final day of auditions is Monday, March 25, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club, located at 26301 Garbani Road. Youth ages 6-18 are invited to this final audition for the event. Dates and locations of the final rounds have not been announced.

Last year, about 40 youth auditioned. This year, Whann expects 60-100 entrants.

"This community has so much talent here," says Whann, event coordinator, on why he believes the competition has gotten such positive reactions. "Yet sports are really the only things kids can compete in."

Each round of singing will have a different set of guest judges. All volunteers, members of the community, musicians in the area, and community leaders, they are more than excited to be their own version of Simon Cowell or Paula Abdul.

"It’s never fun to tell a child who gave so much courage to try out that they didn’t make it to the next round," says Whann. "But I believe that competition is good when there is good sportsmanship. It’s good to know if you champion something. And that is really the coolest thing to see. All these kids, from even the youngest age, really understand what it means to put yourself out there and how hard it is to get on stage and compete. So even when they lose, they see it as a time to congratulate their friends and have something to work towards next time."

"The One" Competition will crown three winners from the three different age brackets. Not only will the winners get the glory of being the winner in their division, but they will also receive a cash prize.

Along with that, the winners of the competition hold their title for the entire year until the next competition. With possible chances to perform at the City of Menifee Independence Day celebration, Storm Stadium, and pop-up invitations from different community groups throughout the year, the winning contestants reap a year full of prizes and opportunities.

"Technically, this is labeled a fundraising event, but really the purpose of it is to be a community outreach," says Whann. "We are really just trying to create fun opportunities for the kids in our area to take part in, and the community to get behind."

For more information, call 951-246-8845.