Singers take swing at ‘Valley Idol'

Vocalists compete for anthem shot

May 18, 2007

By Russell Stigall/Frontiersman

WASILLA - Oh say can you sing? Sheron Patrick can. He used his solid tenor voice Wednesday to win the second annual Mat-Su Miners &#8220Valley Idol” open mic contest.

Patrick's pipes won him the chance to sing the national anthem at the Miners' opening game next month.

Patrick hails from the Palmer and can trace his family history back to the original colony.

Last year he competed in an Anchorage radio station's country competition for the chance to open for country musician Josh Gracin.

Country and western is Patrick's favorite music genre, he said, and he has performed his music all over the Valley.

&#8220Of course I like country, I was born and raised in Palmer,” Patrick said.

Patrick is a well-known fixture at events opened by the anthem.

&#8220I call him the Irish tenor,” said Miners board president Marty Metiva.

Metiva said Patrick's performance caused a stir with the ladies.

&#8220One of the girls sitting with Cheryl [Metiva] and I said ‘I've got goosebumps,'” Metiva said.

The Valley Idol competition was a close race, Metiva said.

&#8220Every one of the singers got a first-place vote,” Metiva said. &#8220It was a heated competition.”

Metiva said the Valley Idol and other similar events the Miners sponsor are fun ways to get the community involved with their minors baseball league.

&#8220The Mat-Su Miners belongs to the people,” Metiva said. &#8220It's great family entertainment throughout the summer and we're just trying to introduce it to more people.”

The Miners' next big event is its opening day ball game.

Later on, in June, the team is hosting a golf tournament in the Valley.

All four acts that competed in Valley Idol will get to sing at one Miners game or another. But only Patrick gets the honor of singing the national anthem at the season opener on June 16.

The four young Palmer High School jazz singers that make up &#8220Class Act” heard about Valley Idol from their music instructor.

Madison Moss, 16, is a sophomore and sings bass for the quartet. Rachel Kenley, 16, is also a sophomore and is an alto. Soprano Kendra Walker, 17, and soprano Morgan Scoresby, 17, celebrated their last day as seniors at Palmer high by singing in Valley Idol.

The four girls form the only Jazz group at their school. They said they sing often at school events and sporting events around the Valley.

The girls said singing for Class Act has honed their skills

and brought them closer as friends and performers, and they have also learned to accept peer criticism.

&#8220It helps to sing with people you like,” Kenley said.

Wasilla High School senior Kelsey Peterson, 17, scored points when she hit the highest high notes during the &#8220land of the free” portion of the anthem.

Peterson already has opening anthems under her belt from the Iditarod restart, this year's State Basketball Championships and at several Avalanche hockey games. Peterson said she has had plenty of experience with the national anthem.

&#8220I've performed it thousands of times,” Peterson said.

Soloist Rachel Breshears said she tries to sing the national anthem every opportunity she can find. She has opened for the Avalanche and for amateur boxing matches in the Valley. Breshears said she hopes to sing the anthem at an Anchorage Aces hockey game, but she missed the try-out this year.

Fans can attend the &#8220meet the Miners” workout on June 15, and then cheer on their minor league team as they play Three Rivers June 16 - opening day.

The Valley Idol competition was sponsored by the Mat-Su Miners, Q99.7 Valley Radio, Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman and The Great Bear Brewing Company.

Contact Russell Stigall at

352-2267 or russell.stigall@

frontiersman.com