Local singer-songwriter Alyssa McQuaid is going places— this time to Dallas, Texas.
McQuaid was chosen as one of two Albertan representatives for the eWoman Network as International Emerging Leader from members across the province.
They were the only two Canadians at the International conference featuring ambitious and philanthropic women from all over North America. And to boot, she won the eWoman sing off challenge by playing her version of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” backed by an 11 piece band. By winning, she will be returning to Dallas next year.
“They asked us to send a YouTube video, so I sent them “Hallelujah.” They picked 10 of us to perform,” she said.
As a result, her video and eWoman page will be shared with all 500,000 members of the organization.
“If all 500,000 watch the video, it means it will go viral,” she enthused.
She feels honoured to be chosen to go to Dallas.
“I was chosen based on my philanthropy and as my motivated business qualities as a singer-songwriter,” McQuaid enthused.
She is an active member of the community. In addition to being a mentor to other young women with her songwriting, she is a YWCA Girl’s Space ambassador and did plenty of volunteering and leadership workshops in high school. She also volunteered with organizations including Kid’s Help Phone. This summer, she is working with the YWCA kid’s camp.
“It’s the largest business networking group of women in North America. It was very cool,” she said.
“It’s about people helping each other. If you help them, they’ll help you,” she said.
“I met a lot of amazing women and amazing men too,” she enthused.
She is a new member of the local chapter which meets monthly at the Lethbridge Lodge and which she estimated has between 30-40 members. However her mother Valerie is a long-time member who mentioned that part of her business was managing her daughter’s singing career to the local president, Jo-Ann Vacing who asked Alyssa to perform at the provincial conference in Red Deer earlier this year. She made a pretty positive impression on them as the members voted overwhelmingly to send her to Dallas for the International conference.
One of the highlights was meeting Trisha Yearwood and Travis Tritt’s manager Ken Kragen, who was one of the speakers and getting the chance to work with him in the future over conference calls.
One of her favourite moments was meeting Medicine Hat born, U.S. based hypnotist/ motivational speaker Wayne Lee.
“He taught us about the importance of visualizing yourself as a success,” she said. She also enjoyed meeting Jack Canfield, author of the popular Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. It also gave her the chance to reconnect with a songwriting partner she met in South Carolina during the Nashville Connection contest in April.
Now she is back home, she is looking forward to a lot of shows she has booked until Decembers, including a two shows at the Canadian Country Weekend in Fort Macleod, Aug. 12-13 in the beer gardens, both days. (4:30-5 p.m. on Aug. 12 and 5:30-6 p.m on Aug. 13.)