Years of singing and dancing at local events has paid off for an Abbotsford performer.
Sixteen-year-old Victoria Duffield has become the youngest person to sign a record deal with Warner Music Canada.
The agreement will see Duffield release songs on a single-by-single basis, with her first tune expected to hit the airwaves in June, followed by a music video.
The Grade 10 Yale Secondary student signed the contract late last month in Toronto after flying out to meet with Warner executives for an interview.
During the meeting, she performed a song that she recently recorded.
“I was a little nervous,” said Duffield. “But I knew it was a great opportunity and there was a lot riding on this one meeting. I had been practising a lot ... But I kept in mind it was just another performance.”
The president of Warner also asked Duffield about her ambitions, how serious she was about singing and what she wanted from a career.
“My bottom line was that I want to become a pop star and tour the world and have backup dancers .... I want to have albums and perform and entertain.”
The feedback was positive, said Duffield. They were impressed with how she carried herself, her singing and her performing abilities.
The contract singing took place the next evening.
“I was so thrilled – it’s just another step in the direction I’ve always wanted to go. I’m honoured and amazed that I’m the youngest person they’ve ever signed.”
Duffield insists that her sound will remain the same, as she wants to keep producing “good pop-dance songs.”
Over the next month, she’ll continue writing, recording and attending meetings in Toronto.
The trek from Abbotsford to Ontario is one she’s used to, as she was recently a finalist on YTV’s The Next Star, a reality show for young singers filmed in Toronto.
While on the show, she co-wrote a song, performed solo and in a group, received a makeover and filmed a music video. Duffield’s single from the show, Fever, landed her on Billboard’s Top 30 Emerging Canadian Artists list.
While she didn’t place first on The Next Star, the experience reassured Duffield that performing is what she lives for.
“That spark came alive and made me hungry for more.”
For more information on Duffield, visit her website: www.victoriaduffield.com.