A local teenager’s dream is coming true in a big way this summer

By Serena Lapointe
 
Seventeen-year-old Finley Melnychuk has her sights set on the bright lights, big stages
and golden stars that come with a successful career in the music industry, and she’s
working hard to reach the goal. She’s been singing in the region at various events,
including Party in the Park, building up her experience and shaking off the nerves that
inevitably come with the view from centre stage.
A few months back, Melnychuk was scrolling on social media and caught a post from
Big Valley Jamboree, highlighting this year’s lineup. They were also advertising that
submissions were open for the Youth Talent Showcase on the Horizon Stage, which
stopped her in her tracks. “I was like, you can submit to be there? I thought they picked
you for that. So, I sent it to my mom to show her. A week later, we sent an email with my
bio, a headshot, a video of a live performance and a link to my social media accounts,”
explained Melnychuk.
Big Valley Jamboree, for those unfamiliar, is a large, multi-day annual concert in
Camrose that regularly features big acts. This year’s lineup includes Keith Urban, Riley
Green and Old Dominion. Each year, the show also offers up-and-coming acts the
chance to feel the magic by holding the Youth Talent Showcase. Past performers
include Brett Kissel, Tennille Townes, Aaron Goodvin and Lindsay Eli.
With her name in the stack of submissions, Melnychuk simply had to wait and see what
would happen. After a month and a half with no word, she started to doubt her odds.
“Whenever I do anything, I usually think I’m going to succeed at it. I like to set the bar
high, and then if I don’t land really high, I’ll be ok because I know that I reached farther
than I am realistically going to get. But after waiting so long and not hearing anything,
my hope kind of dissipated.”
One night, while out celebrating with her fellow skaters at the Whitecourt Skating Club’s
annual banquet, she noticed an email in her inbox. “I couldn’t believe it. I was
accepted!” The news made for an extra special night as Melnychuk was awarded the

club’s Unsung Hero Award. “It was awesome to receive that in my final skating year,”
she said.
Melnychuk has been skating for about twelve years. And though she’s going to be
getting up onto a big stage this summer at Big Valley Jamboree, and she’s performed
on stage at Party in the Park, that doesn’t mean that she’s without fear when she’s got a
microphone in her hand in front of a crowd, far from it, actually.
“I have really bad stage fright. No matter what I’m doing. I try to pretend I don’t, but I
totally do. Mom will ask me if I’m nervous before I perform at a bigger event, and I’ll say

no, of course, but I’m actually really nervous,” she laughed. “I’ve gotten a bit more
comfortable with it over the last couple of years, with skating and with singing, but that’s
honestly only more recent.”
Her mom, Stacy Crossland, said her daughter has been pushing back against her stage
fright for years. “She actually didn’t go into competitions because she was too scared.
She skated for twelve years, but she was only in two competitions during that time. By
the time she was ready to go into competitions, which was around the same time she
started singing on stage, it was kind of too late.”
But now Melnychuk gets to use her strength to walk out onto stages she wouldn’t have
been able to walk out onto before, using all she’s learned to propel her feet forward,
with the knowledge that she can do it. And even though Big Valley Jamboree might end
up being her biggest stage yet, there’s no way that’s going to stop her.
In fact, two years ago, as she was starting to perform more and find her courage,
Melnychuk created a vision board which included her dream of performing at Big Valley
Jamboree. Right in the middle of her dream music section, she had superimposed her
name onto one of the graphics that Big Valley Jamboree uses to announce its main
lineup.
“Finley manifests her life. Two years ago, we went to the Canadian Country Music
Awards, and she was like, I’m going to be on that stage one day. Then we went to BVJ,
and she said, I’m going to be up there singing one day. So, I’m not surprised that she’s

actually going,” explained her mom.
Joining her on stage this August will be her big brother, Nick. The pair have been
performing together for years, being each other’s backup and support. Melnychuk said
she couldn’t imagine performing without him. When she was five, Melnychuk fell in love
with a song called Burning House by Cam. Nick, then eleven, learned the song on guitar
so he could play it while she sang. “We don’t agree on everything, and we argue a lot,
but it always works out because I’m right and then we move on,” laughed Melnychuk. “I
honestly love him so much. I’m so happy that he’s going to be with me up there.”
Melnychuk will be performing on Sunday, August 2. Cameron Whitcomb is also
performing that day, which is the main reason she picked it. He’s one of her favourite
artists, and she hopes she gets to meet him. Though she hasn’t decided what she’s
going to sing yet, Melnychuk figures she will be singing at least one of his tunes. “I’ve
been trying to wrap my brain around what I’m going to do. But I’m kind of more like a
wing-it-type-of-person. If I know too much, then I get too scared,” she grinned.
What she does know so far is that it will be a longer show than what she’s done before.
She will be singing two sets, with three songs per set, and she can choose to sing the
same three songs twice or six different songs. With each passing day, Melnychuk’s

excitement grows bigger and bigger. “I’m so excited! I haven’t stopped jumping for joy
yet! I can’t wait!” Good luck, Finley!