Every year, a talent competition is held called the Northern Star. This talent competition gives people of all ages, in the town of Presque Isle, the chance to perform in front of an audience. This year was no exception, and the audience was amazed at the talent on display.
The Northern Star competition has been around for a while now. Starting 14 years ago, the competition became known across the county. Now it has competitions in Fort Kent, Houlton and, of course, Presque Isle.
The yearly event has brought all types of communities together to witness talent across the county. The audience members vote on whom they want to win, which makes the event more intimate.
The competition is presented by United Way of Aroostook, a nonprofit organization that helps communities with problems that people go through every day. This program seeks out donations to be distributed to health and human service agencies, so that those programs can provide for communities. The competition showcases all talent and ranges across all ages.
The winner of the most recent Northern Star competition, Jacob Graham, did not think he would win. “I was caught off guard when they told me I won because the other two I was up against in the final round were really good. I started competing in the Northern Star competition because I like to perform and share music with others. Being able to win was always something I thought would be really cool because it would validate the fact that music is something I should be doing. But I never really cared much about winning.” The competition does not seem like it is an actual competition. Everyone is supportive of one another, even the people who are competing.
Sherry Locke, who works at the United Way, says the talent competition is also a way to help the community. “Our mission is to improve the lives of the people that live in Aroostook County by utilizing the resources that are available to us. Our organization works with individuals, businesses and organizations across Aroostook County to pool donor dollars to make the greatest impact in our community.”
The talent show is not just a show. Locke said, “Northern Star is just one of the annual fundraisers that we hold each year to help us meet our $600,000 goal. Year after year we are humbled and thankful for the continued support of our community through the Northern Star Talent Shows and other fundraising efforts.” The Northern Star is much more, but it is also about the talent, the music and singing.
Graham said, “Everyone is different, and that’s what makes music fun. When you sing you want to make it your own. Everyone has their own tastes when it comes to music, and the fact that everyone is different is what makes music so dynamic and fun. It’s about the story you’re telling, and having fun doing it.”
