Reaching for the stars

From contemporary-music ballads to two-minute piano stanzas, several local youth entertained audiences at the Stars of Tomorrow Talent Show on Sunday.

Nine different children, ranging from second grade to high schools, showed off their musical talents at the Platte Valley Christian Center. The show, put on by the Platte Valley Kiwanis, aims to help youth work on their talents and emphasize the importance of fine arts.

"It's an opportunity for kids to work on their talents," Val Morris with the Platte Valley Kiwanis said.

The Stars of Tomorrow is a region wide talent show that features participants from Wyoming, Colorado and Western Nebraska. Though all youth can participate at local shows, high school students will have an opportunity to participate in the region-wide competition in Loveland, Colo in April. The winner of the competition will receive a $1000 dollar scholarship.

"The very first year we did it in 2008, we had a winner from the Platte Valley," Morris said.

This year, ninth-grade Alicia Zaragosa will be representing the Platte Valley Kiwanis in the Rawlins. She played a latin themed song called "Fiesta Espana" on the piano for audiences on Sunday.

Morris said that competition is a great aspect of the Stars of Tomorrow Talent Show and gives students an opportunity for students stay invested with fine arts.

"There are so many scholarships out there for things like sports," Morris said to the audience at the Platte Valley Christian Center. "But very few out there for those pursuing the fine arts. The Kiwanis Club decided to give kids an opportunity to express themselves."

Outside of the competition, Morris believes that having the younger kids putting themselves out there is very beneficial.

"It is a great opportunity for kids. It is really nice to have them working on something with their instructor," she said. "It gives them an opportunity for them to get up on stage in front of a group of people... it takes a lot of guts for them to do that."