By Max Davies
WALLAN’S Kaitlyn Thomas will join a wide range of up-and-coming Australian musicians that will feature in this year’s Australian Idol, set to premiere on Channel 7 next week after a 14-year hiatus.
Last aired in 2009, Australian Idol provides an opportunity for musicians from across Australia to perform on national television.
There has been seven different winners during the show’s history, including Guy Sebastian in season one.
Ms Thomas said it was her dream to take part in Australian Idol and had the encouragement and support of friends and family throughout the process.
“I always watched Idol when it was on the TV here in Australia, and I used to watch it with my grandmother all the time along with The Voice, Australia’s Got Talent, X Factor, all of them,” she said.
“I get a lot of people who always say to me ‘Kaitlyn why don’t you audition for these shows?’ and I would say ‘it’s not really for me, but if Idol ever came back that would probably be the one I would do’.
“It was one of my favourite singing competitions that I’ve ever watched on television, and I never though it would come back but lo and behold – it came back.”
The 22-year-old has been performing on stage since the age of four and picked up singing and guitar at eight and nine years old respectively.
She wrote her first song when she was nine, and has since performed across Australia and internationally.
Ms Thomas also uses her music to support organisations such as the You Are My Sunshine Foundation for childhood cancer, as well as being an ambassador for the Bully Zero Australia Foundation.
Her first song, titled ‘I Wish’, was dedicated to a childhood friend who was diagnosed with cancer, with all the earnings from the song donated to the You Are My Sunshine Foundation.
“I remember being the same age as [my friend], she couldn’t do the same things that I could do so I wanted to give back in a way,” Ms Thomas said.
“I remember receiving a $100 cheque from iTunes back in the day and I got to donate that to the foundation, which was really lovely for me.
“My music has led me to become an ambassador for Bully Zero Australia, and it’s close to my heart personally having experienced bullying as a kid, and I know a lot of kids go through it as well. It’s led me to some really great places, which is really exciting.”
Ms Thomas said her interest in singing and playing music was sparked by a visit to Whittlesea Country Music Festival, where she saw artists including Beccy Cole perform before beginning to write her own music and learn what styles suited her voice.
Influences on her music and singing include artists such as Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, and previous Australian Idol contestant Hayley Jensen.
“I just love music in general, I think a world without music isn’t a good world at all,” she said.
“I’ve always loved new and upcoming artists and female artists in any genre, and I like to pick different parts from different genres and take those musical elements and then bring them back into my sound, which I think makes my sound a little bit different and more unique to me as a person.”
Ms Thomas also runs her own music school, which has now grown to 25 students from ages five to 17 for both singing and guitar since it began in 2020.
Students at the school have the opportunity to perform in twice-yearly concerts, allowing them to achieve their musical goals and overcome personal challenges to perform on their own in front of friends and family.
Ms Thomas said it was important for people to be able to follow their dreams, and was proud to be able to use her experiences to inspire young musicians.
“[Being on Idol] is a very ‘pinch myself’ kind of moment. It’s definitely something that I will cherish for the rest of my life and it will be a highlight in my career personally,” she said.
On the back of appearances at Tamworth Country Music Festival last week, Ms Thomas will next week appear on Australian Idol, singing a Gretchen Wilson song.
Australian Idol will premiere on Channel 7 and 7Plus on Monday.
For more information on Ms Thomas, people can visit kaitlynthomasofficial.com or her school’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kaitlynthomasschoolofsinging.
31/1/23 congratulations Kaitlyn , you did it , just knew you would