Being from a small city or town may not shape a star in the same way as being from a big city would, but it definitely has its own advantages.
Canadian Idol’s Top 24 competitor Theo Tams, a 22-year-old student from Lethbridge Alta., says that in its own unique way, being from a small town has prepared him for what to expect if he makes it big.
“I grew up in a small town of just over 6,000 people where everybody knew everybody, anonymity was pretty much non-existent,” Tams tells Metro.
“Now that I am in Canadian Idol and starting to be recognized, it’s almost easier to deal with because I’m kind of used to everyone knowing who I am,” he says. “The whole ‘small town big dreams’ cliché exists for a reason.”
Tams says when you grow up in a small town, you learn to appreciate things a little more than people from a bigger city who probably would like getting even the smallest amount of exposure.
For people like Tams and fellow Top 24 member Amberly Thiessen, it’s a blessing you don’t take lightly.
“I think that being from a small town and then moving to a big city really opens the mind and well rounds an individual,” says Thiessen, 19, from Seven Persons, Alta. “Not only does that person know the excitement of a big city, they also know the feeling of a small town. They have experienced both ends of the spectrum and can relate to a larger amount of people.”
When you’re from a small town like Lethbridge or Seven Persons, past seasons of Canadian Idol has demonstrated that the support these hopefuls get tend to be stronger than someone from a bigger city.
“In a small town everyone knows everyone and your fan base is tighter,” says Thiessen. “In a large city you don’t run into everyone more often like you would in a small community. Your face is more familiar.”
>> For more on Canadian Idol, go to www.metronews.ca/idol.
