MOOSOMIN — Julianna Moore may live in Brandon now, but she will always call St. Lazare home. Soon, people from all over the country will hear what a powerful voice Moore possesses as she has secured a spot on the fourth season of Canada’s Got Talent — one of two Manitobans participating in the national talent competition with the first episode airing on Tuesday, March 18 on Citytv.
Moore has appeared on several stages, gaining a local fanbase in the process, and continues to stay very busy with her musical pursuits. Not only is Moore the lead female vocal for the southwestern Manitoba band Just For Kicks, she’s also an alto with the Brandon-based Konektis choir, plus a music teacher and librarian by day.
Appearing on Canada’s Got Talent is a very big deal as the winner of the competition goes home with a $1 million prize. A total of 105 Canadian acts will appear on stage before judges Howie Mandel, Shania Twain, Katherine Ryan, and Kardinal Offishall. A wide range of singers, comedians, dance, and variety performers from across Canada and beyond will be featured.
Last year, 20-year-old Rebecca Strong from Prince Albert claimed the top spot with her performance of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep.
“Everything feels amazing, honestly. That’s the only way I can describe it is amazing. And unreal,” Strong told the World-Spectator last May of the journey through the competition. “This is the end of my Canada’s Got Talent, but the start of my career.”
The million-dollar grand prize (plus $50 from Mandel) is the largest cash prize in Canadian television history. There are also the six Golden Buzzer selections — acts that essentially receive a fast-track to the live shows. Each judge and the host can press the golden buzzer once per season, plus there’s a group selection as well. Those Golden Buzzer acts also receive $25,000 each from CIBC. The Canada’s Got Talent season ends with a live two-hour finale on Tuesday, May 13 from the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls.
The World-Spectator spoke with Moore to learn more about her reaction to making it to Canada’s Got Talent.
You’ve made it to Canada’s Got Talent this year—congratulations! I understand you’ve applied previously to this year. Could you tell me about that journey to make it to this season?
I think this was my third application, I’ve been trying since it was rebooted. I kept sending in my videos every year and I never heard anything back. I was applying for Season 3, and I didn’t hear anything. Then I got an email in December of 2023 and they said, ‘would you consider participating in Season 4?’ and I said, ‘of course! Yes, I’d love to!’ It was a long process, it was a lot of back and forth, trying to send in a bunch of videos. They wanted to hear this song and that song, so it’s been a very long process, but it’s finally rolling now!
Do you get to choose which genre you’d like to perform, or is it the judges that determine the music?
It’s out of our hands, we don’t choose our song. You could totally say, ‘hey, this is what I typically do,’ and they’ll try to work with that, but at the end of the day, it’s not our choice. Honestly, it was kind of good, because it really challenged me to get out of my box in the past year or so—just to try new things, to work on my range and work on my genres of music. Try to make it even more full, more diverse.
Last year’s winner from Canada’s Got Talent was Rebecca Strong, a real powerful Indigenous voice from Prince Albert. How important is it to see people from outside the major cities represented on a show like this?
I think it’s so important because growing up—especially coming from St. Lazare—it’s such a small town. Having such a big dream and wanting to get my voice out there, I thought it was impossible because you don’t hear a lot of stories of people that are coming from such small places making it big and getting their voice out there. So I think it’s really important for people that are still just starting out or just wanting to make something of themselves. It’s an inspiration. I had a lot of people that I looked up to—Shania Twain being one of them, coming from Ontario, a smaller town and making it big. It’s very important.
March 18 is the big season premiere. For viewers tuning in, will we get to see you on TV that night?
I don’t believe I’ll be on March 18. They’re supposed to tell me two weeks prior to my episode airing, if and when it will air. So I’m just waiting to see and hear from them, but I’m anxious to see all the other performers as well!
Music has been a huge part of your life and you are a music teacher currently. Could you tell me about that lifelong love of music and how that’s been with you along the path?
From a very young age, my dad would sing around the house quite often. That’s where I got my ear for music. Growing up, I had a lot of opportunities singing in church or different talent stages and all of those things collectively got me to where I am. I always say to everyone, every show that I do, every gig that I do, I learn something new each and every time. Each and every time I’m working with new people in the music world, that has also helped me get to where I am and to find even more love for music. I think all of it collectively, it’s been since I was tiny that I’ve been learning and loving music.
Back in 2017, you won the GX94 Star Search in Yorkton. Was that a pivotal moment in your career?
It really did help me a lot, not only to get my name out there a little bit more, but to find that little bit of confidence. To say, ‘okay, you know what, this may be for me. This is something that I really do want to chase.’ It definitely was a huge moment for me.
Two songs you performed during that Star Search really stood out—Crazy by Patsy Cline and Sarah McLachlan’s Arms of an Angel. Is that the style you gravitate towards more?
In the past few years, I started singing with a band in Brandon, and they have really opened up my eyes to a lot of different genres. Growing up with my dad, I sang a lot of ‘80s rock, slow rock. That’s what I’m doing with this band as well. We do anything from Fleetwood Mac to Miley Cyrus. It’s honestly all over the place. When I do a show, I try to make it so everyone hears something that they like. I don’t know what my favorite would be, though I still kind of lean towards country more than anything, I would say.
It’s so different, too, singing with a band compared to just doing a gig on your own with your guitar. It really trained my ear and allowed me to trust that I would be carried with them; if I lost my spot, they would have my back. They’re so tight that it really makes me feel like I can actually focus on singing and not have to worry at all. It’s been a huge change, it’s great.
What’s the reaction been from your bandmates? Were they surprised to hear you made it?
They’re awesome! They’re all like second dads—all very supportive and really fun!
You’re also with the Konektis Choir. How does this help shape your voice?
Not only has it helped my range a lot, but it’s also helped me train my ear even more. It’s great to have all the people around you singing, but you have to know your part to be able to work with your section. As an alto, our section’s really tight. We’re really good friends, and it’s really helped me a lot with my ear, I find. I love that choir so much!
With the competition, how greatly does it affect your life? Is everything effectively on hold right now, or can you continue working and compete?
I’ve been pretty flexible still. So far, I’m still doing my gigs here and there. I’m still doing my choir, I’m still working. But at one point when we were filming the auditions, it was a lot of back and forth with sending in videos and stuff like that. So it was quite busy, but it was still manageable. That’s how it is right now, it’s just kind of ‘go, go, go,’ but it’s all stuff that I love to do so it doesn’t feel like work.
At my work, I’m the music teacher, but I’m also a librarian here, and I do some EA work, so that keeps me pretty busy throughout the day. Then I sing at a church in Brandon with their worship team, which is awesome. I do Konektis, and lots of different shows on my own and with the band. I pretty much have events going on most nights, but it’s all stuff that I love again. It’s lots of rehearsals lots of times, but I find I’m learning a lot throughout the entire process and every rehearsal, I get to connect with my friends.
Canada’s Got Talent is such a huge promotional launchpad for performers. Ultimately, everybody wants to win the grand prize, but even just being on the show, do you think that’s going to change anything? Is that going to give you more notoriety in the broader spectrum?
I’m really hoping it does. I was telling my whole family, in the years of sending my auditions in my applications, I just wanted an audition. That’s it. I just wanted to be able to have a chance to go out there, and I knew that if I was accepted to go on the show, that it would help me a lot regardless of the outcome. Just today, I’m seeing that already. There’s lots of people that are reaching out to me and congratulating me, but not only that, a lot of people are interested in actually hearing me, which is awesome! It’s just really a privilege to be able to have this opportunity regardless of what happens.
I was telling everyone I would like to go to Nashville and learn from people and be able to record some music, get things out there. I think there’s so many things that you would do with it.
Do you think this might lead to a Walk of Fame in St. Lazare?
(Laughs) I’d love it to! That town has been my core. Doing talent stages every year there, singing in church from a very young age, and everything else—I’d just love to be able to make them proud and to say a big thank you to everyone, all of my mentors there, and give something back to the town. I’d love to be able to do that. That’s always going to be my home!
