Being from a small city or town may not shape a star in the same way as being from a big city would, but it definitely has its own advantages.
Canadian Idol�s Top 24 competitor Theo Tams, a 22-year-old student from Lethbridge Alta., says that in its own unique way, being from a small town has prepared him for what to expect if he makes it big.
�I grew up in a small town of just over 6,000 people where everybody knew everybody, anonymity was pretty much non-existent,� Tams tells Metro.
�Now that I am in Canadian Idol and starting to be recognized, it�s almost easier to deal with because I�m kind of used to everyone knowing who I am,� he says. �The whole �small town big dreams� clich� exists for a reason.�
Tams says when you grow up in a small town, you learn to appreciate things a little more than people from a bigger city who probably would like getting even the smallest amount of exposure.
For people like Tams and fellow Top 24 member Amberly Thiessen, it�s a blessing you don�t take lightly.
�I think that being from a small town and then moving to a big city really opens the mind and well rounds an individual,� says Thiessen, 19, from Seven Persons, Alta. �Not only does that person know the excitement of a big city, they also know the feeling of a small town. They have experienced both ends of the spectrum and can relate to a larger amount of people.�
When you�re from a small town like Lethbridge or Seven Persons, past seasons of Canadian Idol has demonstrated that the support these hopefuls get tend to be stronger than someone from a bigger city.
�In a small town everyone knows everyone and your fan base is tighter,� says Thiessen. �In a large city you don�t run into everyone more often like you would in a small community. Your face is more familiar.�
>> For more on Canadian Idol, go to www.metronews.ca/idol.
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