Sitting in the kitchen, five-year-old Thea Falzon Garrett was watching a group of singers on television when she decided to try and copy them, and started singing.
What came out of the little girl’s mouth mesmerised her mother, Marion: “I never expected such a note to come out of such a little person.”
Twelve years and several music lessons later, what started with one note has developed into an angelic voice which the 17-year-old is hoping will allow her to tour with Neopolitan singer and songwriter Gigi D’Alessio.
Sitting on an armchair at her parents’ Tarxien home, Ms Falzon Garrett said the idea came from former Maltasong chairman Grace Borg. Ms Borg handed a CD of popular music sang by Ms Falzon Garrett and another Maltese, Christabelle Borg, to the Italian singer’s management company, who suggested the two take part in the competition.
Since then Ms Falzon Garrett has been training to learn the song Apri le Braccia (Open Your Arms), with which she is competing for the 10 spots on the tour.
She admitted it was not an easy feat for someone who was not fluent in Italian, but she said her accent had been getting better.
“I feel comfortable with the words,” said the teenager, who protects her vocal chords with warm clothes in winter and drinking carob syrup.
Winning the competition would bring the teenager closer to her dream of performing in public at London’s West End. Since childhood she has loved the theatre, especially Les Miserables and the Phantom Of The Opera. Earlier this year she came close to winning a prestigious scholarship at London’s Royal Academy of Music when she placed among the first 20 from some 22,000 people contesting the Voice Of Tomorrow competition.
“It was the first time I sang in public, in front of so many people, so I was very happy with the placing,” she said.
The teenager, who has dropped Falzon from her stage name, is ready to try her hand at some original material and has already found two Munich-based songwriters and producers to write songs for her.
But for the time being the teenager is focusing on the competition, hoping she will attract votes and have the opportunity to tour with the Italian singer.
She admitted this might be a difficult feat since Maltese were more likely to vote online rather than through text message, which translated into 100 points.
But she has not given up hope since the winners will be chosen both through public voting and by a panel of judges.
“I hope to be chosen for my voice rather than because of the number of people I know,” she said.
The public can vote for Ms Falzon Garrett or Ms Borg until Saturday through the website http://www.talentscout.gigidalessio.com/