The Comox Valley's 13-year-old Haley Toal is a top nine finalist in this year's Variety's Got Talent competition.
Toal will perform in front of a panel of industry judges at the River Rock Show Theatre in Richmond next Friday.
"I'm very, very excited and very pleased," said Toal. "I'm a little nervous but I'm very excited because it's a very good opportunity for me to be seen by these important people."
Toal plays guitar and sings acoustic versions of rock and folk with a little bit of country.
The finalists, who are from all over the province, range in age from 13 to 19 making Toal one of the younger contestants. She said she's a bit nervous that she's younger, but she has competed before.
She placed third in the Valley Idol competition in 2010. In fact, the video she sent to Variety's Got Talent is of her acoustic performance of Hands by Jewel.
Although she has competed before, Toal said this performance will be her biggest and she's looking forward to the chance to be in front of a larger crowd.
"Even if I don't win, then it's just overall experience for performing in front of such a large crowd," Toal explained.
If she does win, she will be on the Variety Show of Hearts Telethon, which airs live on Global BC on Feb. 11 and 12.
Toal said her grandfather is supportive of her talents. He told her and her friend Avery Smith about the competition last year, and while Toal was too young to enter, Smith was in the top 10. Toal said her grandfather reminded her to enter this year. She also said she was inspired by her father.
"I remember when I was little, that my Dad, he always used to play guitar, like while I was going to bed and I would always hear that and think, 'Wow that is the most beautiful thing ever,' " Toal explained.
Her Dad got her a guitar, and she taught herself to play a couple of years ago. She said her Grandpa writes music as well, which Toal is now working on.
She also dances, and is trained in tap, musical theatre, ballet, modern, lyrical and Ukrainian dance.
While Toal said she enjoys music and a career is possible, she's just going to see how things go.
"I would love to pursue it as a career, but I have my whole life ahead of me so I'm just going to take it one step at a time," said Toal. "I just have such a passion for it."
Tickets to the Feb. 3 finalist competition are $10 plus service charges and are available at www.varietysgottalent.ca.
writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com