Mayobridge muse makes it to European Music Contest finals

THE village of Mayobridge has produced its latest musical protege  in the form of 12 year old muse Naomi Gribben.

Young Miss Gribben, who is a  proud pupil of Our Lady's Grammar School, has been selected to perform at the Tour Music Fest European Music Contest due to be held in San Marino Italy  at the end of the month. 

 Marketed as the biggest European contest for emerging Singers, Singer-songwriters, Rappers, Musicians and DJ's the TMF music contest serves as a means by which to provide support and international visibility to emerging musicians.   

 Up for grabs for those who have the prerequisite level of  skill to be crowned winner is a distribution contract which will serve as a significant career opportunity for the singer who comes first, with Naomi being the only artist from the island who has earned the privilege to represent Ireland on the European stage.

  The gravity of the  accomplishment garnered on the part of young Miss Gribben is not lost on her mother Lorna who explained how Naomi first cut her teeth as a singer performing as a busker on the cold, hard streets of Belfast.   

Busker born and bred    

“Naomi is a busker and we would busk in Belfast” said Lorna  

“She has been singing since she was about six. She went to a singing teacher and her Granda and Grandma were country singers in a band called The Castaways so it definitely comes from them, I cannot take any credit. She started busking last year. She has asked me since  she was 8 if she could busk. She would go to Belfast and see the buskers and then she would ask me if she could busk.

“Since she got a wee bit older this last year I started her with the busking. She has done  different wee things from then. She was a guest artist on the big thing and she sang  at the Dublin Palledium stadium. This would probably be the biggest thing she has done.”   

 It was after Naomi gained a considerable following on Facebook that Lorna would first have her attention  brought to the    Tour Music Fest European Music Contest believing   it to be a fantastic opportunity for her daughter to test her mettle as a singer.         

European Music Contest

 “She started up here Facebook page and she has got 44 or 45 thousand followers. A lot of her videos  have got millions of views. I came across this competition and one of her followers tagged me in it. We then had to go over  to London. We had an online audition  then we went to London. This is when they selected her to go to Italy. There are  only 10 people in her category that will be going over to Italy. They said there was thousands of applicants. I did Google last year  and there were 24'000 applicants. However this was over all the categories  they had.

“They said thousands  auditioned this year. They picked ten and we are quite lucky that she has got this far because she is still quite young.  It was April whenever we first submitted a tape and we have had a couple of Zoom meetings.

“ We travelled over to London because they were going to different parts of Europe. London was one of their last dates. This is where she did her in person audition. We went over about three  weeks ago and it was last week we found out that she is going to be a finalist.

“When we go over to London there is the final and then the grand final. The grand final is going to be put on Sky if she makes it that far. Last year it was broadcast live on Sky. I am actually blown away because she is going against other competitors that are roughly 15  years of age. There is a big difference in your vocal ability and each year you improve so much so I am a bit shocked and  blown away   to get on the big stage and be in front of the industry professionals. I am very proud  of her.”    

Celebration of talent

 Whilst the performance that Naomi will deliver at the European Music Contest will  no doubt be of a seraphic and heavenly quality, according to Lorna being afforded the opportunity to sing at the contest will also serve as a celebration of her daughter’s singing career thus far, a career which the altruistic 12 year old has already used to help those most in need.  

“She is going over on November 27. As well as being in the competition they have master classes were some of the industry professionals will teach them different techniques. Things  such as on stage presence and how to warm your voice up . There are a lot of master classes for artists to take part in as well as the competition. It will be a great experience  for her. It will be a lovely memory for her and she deserves it. 

 “She is over the moon but takes things in her stride. I called her at a friend’s house to tell her she was a finalist. She started screaming and then she went on about her business. She was away on. She would not even go into school and tell people that she is a finalist. Her videos would reach millions of views and she would not even say it to her friends.

“She helped a lot of charities even though she is so young. Last year there was a local man dying of cancer and his last wish was to go over to San Francisco to see his brother in December of last year . This was before Christmas. His name was   Ashton Parr and  he was from Rostrevor. Naomi went out and busked for him in the cold weather and she raised near enough £1000 for him. She loves helping people and this will be a lovely thing for her to celebrate her.

“Before this she did a fundraiser for Alfie Pentony. She and her siblings climbed Slieve Donnard and raised over £2000 for him. She loves doing this, this is her personality and the European Musical festival will be a good way to celebrate her as well.”