The end of the GX94 Star Search competition, there can be only one winner, and this year the honor went to Karissa Hoffart.
This is the first time Hoffart has ever won a competition, and she admits that she had difficulty processing the fact that she got the prize.
“It is so unreal, I never even thought anything like this would ever happen... I’ve never, ever won a competition, I’ve always got in second or third, and I found that I just kept trying, and it happened.”
Hoffart currently lives in Regina, where she has just completed her first year of Nursing, but is originally from the village of Minton, SK.
It’s the twenty fifth year of the competition, and Hoffart says that they’re an inspiration to her as she uses the competition win as a stepping stone to get her name out there and build a music career.
She says it’s an honor to be counted as one of the winners of Star Search.
“I’m just so lucky to part of that group, I can’t even imagine. I watch Jess Moskaluke on TV and see her videos, to think that could be me I can’t even imagine.”
That stepping stone includes the chance to record a single for radio airplay. Hoffart knows she wants to have original songs, and while she has some originals ready she plans to make something fresh for the recording session.
While she was the winner this year, Hoffart says that she wants the best for all of the other singers in the competition, and says that she wants to see them continue to push and keep trying. This was the fourth Star Search that she has taken part in, reaching the finals each year.
“When you first start, don’t be disappointed if you don’t make it... It took me four years and a lot of disappointment, but it was worth it.”
Each person on stage had two songs to make an impression, with Hoffart singing “Girl in a Country Song” by Maddie and Tae and “Stay” by Sugarland.
She says song selection is key.
“You want to be able to have fun with it. You don’t want a song you’re not into, you want to show the audience what you’re feeling. That’s really what I tried to do with those two songs I sang tonight.”
The competition was entirely women in 2015, and Hoffart says that she’s proud to be part of the group on stage and part of a strong group of female singers in the province.
“It’s something to be proud of. We all stick together and a lot of the performers I am very good friends with, and I can’t wait to watch them win it as well.”
While it was a competition, Hoffart thinks that it’s more about bringing together the province’s singers, and she says for her it’s about meeting other musicians and supporting each other, as Star Search brings them together.
