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| Dane Bjornson plays the guitar and piano and sings. |
By: Lindor Reynolds @ Winnipeg Free Press
If Maria Aragon is the new Justin Bieber, is Dane Bjornson the new Maria Aragon?
Maria is 10 and, as much of the world knows, performed on Ellen Tuesday. Her cover of Lady Gaga's Born This Way has been seen by more than 11 million people. The fame tsunami hit after the pop star tweeted about the little girl's YouTube video.
Aragon will soon appear on stage with Lady Gaga in Toronto. If there's a fame lottery, this tiny Winnipegger won it.
If lightning can strike a Winnipeg child once, why not twice?
There are lots of kids with equal talent and the same adorability factor. These tots have always been out there, belting out Broadway tunes in junior high musicals and stealing the show at Christmas concerts. What's changed is how accessible their talent has become to the outside world.
There were always proud parents shooting home movies or video. Now they're posting them online.
Simon Cowell just signed 10-year-old Torontonian Heather Russell to his label. He discovered her on YouTube.
Let's take a look at Dane Bjornson. He's also 10. Bjornson, the son of Minister of Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade Peter Bjornson, is a guitar-playing, keyboard-plunking, songwriting and singing sensation. Like Aragon, he has been posting his videos on Youtube. Unlike Aragon, a star of Lady Gaga's fame hasn't yet tweeted to sing his praises.
But these are early days.
He's not sitting around waiting to be discovered. Bjornson is writing his own music with the help of local band Pushing Daisies. He performs on Open Mic night at the Folk Exchange. He's appeared at Rainbow Stage, MTYP and sings in various choirs.
He takes guitar, voice and keyboard lessons.
"At two he was singing along with (American band) Five For Fighting," laughs Peter Bjornson. "The kids are all musical. Dane's the one who's really comfortable performing."
Brother Kieran and sister Iris hold their own, says their father.
The only stage managing the Bjornsons did was to buy "every Fisher Price toy you can bang on and strum on," says Bjornson.
Both parents insist the priority is to let Dane be a normal kid. A normal kid who is saving his money to put out his own CD, that is, and who regularly performs in public.
"We should have just invited Ellen here, there's so much talent," says the proud papa.
Dane is taking a low-key approach to his future.
"It would be cool to get discovered," he says, "Ellen would be great but I just don't want my life to get crazy. I'm enjoying writing my album with the Daisies."
His ambition?
"I just want to explore the world," says the puckish boy who handles audiences with the aplomb of a veteran lounge singer.
In one YouTube clip, he introduces a Daisies song:
"It's about a divorce," he says, as the crowd chuckles. He smiles. "I haven't been through anything like that. It's just a great song."
That's really all it takes: a great song, a great voice, an engaging personality and a lightning bolt from above.
Tuesday afternoon, Bjornson's most popular video has 2592 hits. Aragon's? A few more. But they're kids, and as long as those around remember that, it'll still be fun. Even Aragon, unknown outside her family and friends 10 days ago, says she just wants to get back to school.
Will either of these kids be the next Justin Bieber? Could be, since he too was discovered on YouTube.
Everyone remember that once upon a time Miley Cyrus and Lindsey Lohan were just sweet little girls with great voices.
Be careful what you wish for, folks.
reposted from the Winnipeg Free Press on February 23, 2011
