Provincial Music Festivals get underway in Portage this weekend – PortageOnline.com [Video]

The next generation of Manitoba musicians will be descending on Portage la Prairie this weekend for the Provincial Music and Arts Festival, the first of two that will take place in the province this month.  

This weekend’s showcase, which will take place at McKenzie United Church on May 3, will feature seven senior musicians from across the province performing in a wide variety of disciplines, instruments and genres. The participants qualified for this weekend’s provincial competition by participating in their local arts festival and being recommended by the adjudicators.  

“These performers are getting exposed to a whole new community,” says Dawn Bruch-Wiens, the executive director of the Associated Manitoba Arts Festivals (AMAF), the umbrella organization that oversees each local festival. “The stakes are high, but we also want to provide a welcoming atmosphere.” 

The balance between competition and camaraderie begins with the performers, who come from Winnipeg, Brandon and Lac du Bonnet. After they share the piece that got them …