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NATCHEZ -- Cornell Brent is taking his future into his own hands at the upcoming Talent Rock event.
The 16-year-old Natchez High freshman, who has a love for singing and dancing, began browsing the Internet a while back to find a way to get noticed.
And he succeeded. Over spring break he received a call from MTV for an interview. The interview led to Brent's upcoming trip to Orlando, Fla. where he will compete in a national competition called Talent Rock.
"People always talked about me saying I couldn't do it," Brent said. "But that just put more pressure on me to do it. I'm serious about what I'm doing."
In Orlando he will be competing in Talent Rock, which is a vocalist competition that will allow him to meet industry professionals and famous musicians. Brent will have a chance to receive over $100,000 in the form of a talent contract. More than 100 agencies will be present at the competition.
"I'm going to try my best to win," he said. "I'll put all my confidence in myself."
Brent got his start in the performance world as a child when his brother taught him the moonwalk. From there he taught himself a variety of other dances and began writing songs at age 10. He also acted in a local commercial. Dancing was something he always knew he could do but was afraid to share with others until junior high.
After a junior high school pep rally where Brent was chosen to dance in front of the whole school, the ice was broken.
"People started jumping and screaming," Brent said. "Ever since then I just do it. When I dance, I seem like I'm gliding across the floor."
With confidence in his dancing skills as a ninth-grader he turned his focus to his voice. As a freshman he joined the NHS choir and began learning the right way to sing, Choir Director Joyce Arceneaux said.
"Over the holidays his voice kicked in," Arceneaux said. "His voice is coming along as he learns vocal techniques."
To prepare for the Talent Rock competition he is spending extra time after school working with Arceneaux on things like breathing, enunciation and unification of vowels.
"He's interested, energetic and initiating most of this," Arceneaux said. "The big thing is going to be the experience he gets."
Though he has done a lot of work to ensure his own success, he said he hasn't been alone. "My mom said 'If you make something out of yourself I'll help get you there,'" Brent said. " She's worked hard every day and night and weekends to send me."
The trip to Orlando will cost about $2,000. Delphine Brent said she has been trying to work as much overtime as possible to fund the trip to the event.
"Every mother loves their child and this may be a chance for him to get exposed," she said. "I feel like he's got a pretty good chance."
Delphine Brent said she still lacks about $700 to fund the trip but was going to do everything she could in the next few weeks to earn the money.
"We are going to go and try to have a good time and represent Natchez," Delphine Brent said.
Brent and his mother leave for the Talent Rock event in Orlando on May 22. The competition will end on May 31.
© 2002 Natchez Newspapers Inc. All rights reserved