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like to start a music career and share my music with everyone," says Blunder-field, a member of the W e s t Vancouver Youth Band. "Music is my passion." His song You are More is about a lot of different levels of love, including his relationship with a girl he dated in Grade 7."It's sort of about a girl, I guess," he says coyly. "It's also about my m o m and about life in general." Blunderfield explains the song's message is to slow down, enjoy life, and look beyond the surface in search of people's true selves. Bowen Island-resident Christie Grace (McCullough), 43, also received honourable mention for her song Rain Me, a track from her debut C D Late Bloomer. Christie, who has been writing songs since the age of 17, hopes the launch of her C D in March will lead to a long and healthy music career. "The theme I talk about is that it's never too late for anyone," says Grace.The C D is a way for her to come to terms with her father's suicide 25 years ago. "The album is really a celebration and part of my healing." O t h e r jurors of the contest were Jay Knutson, a N o r t h Shore singersongwritenTerry O ' B r i e n , a freelance music consultant and former vice president and general manager of B M G Music Publishing Canada; Darren Ricker, a member of the nouveau flamenco group Locos Bravos; and Carmen Jones, a N o r t h Shore arts commissioner. O'Brien concurs that Grohn's song was O ' B r i e n concurs that Grohn's song was heartfelt and the deserved winner: " A l l the elements clicked together. It was a window to her soul," he explains. O ' B r i e n gives all songwriters the same advice to reach their goals: "You've got to keep writing." Knutson, who organized a songwriting workshop before the contest, says the contest gave songwriters the opportunity to produce a quality demo and take their music to the next level. He was impressed with the diversity of entries and making a decision was challenging. " A t the end of the day, we looked for something that tugged on the heartstrings." Contest prizes included recording sessions; mastering and C D duplication from Pacific N o r t h ; gift certificates from Troy Music, Deep Cove Music, and Calder Music; management consulting from Switlo; and a photo shoot by Catherine C r o u c h . Contest winners will perform their songs during the City of N o r t h Vancouver's Millennium Celebration on July I at Waterfront Park. Brigitte Petersen is a Vancouver-based freelance writer. Late-blooming singer comes of age 'he title of Christie Grace's debut C D , Late Bloomer, says it all. The talented 43-year-old Bowen Island resident's launch into the music recording industry celebrates a life filled with intimate musical influences, the search for identity and the bloom of a fresh artist. The release is about survival, buoyancy and rebirth. Grace's first C D , launched in March, is a natural next step following her career as a live performer who has graced stages across Canada. Born as Christie Grace McCullough into a musical family in Thunder Bay, Ont., Grace knew it was her time to carry on the legacy.This intuition was reinforced when she witnessed a flower blooming in the snow last winter. She knew it was her time to blossom. The C D is a collection of I I original songs written mostly by Grace. who has a voice described as "brushed velvet." They are about love and friendship, ranging in style from latinpop to jazz/blues and contemporary groove. Songs like Soul Mate Tango, Late Bloomer, Rain Me and Softly detail a selfportrait of a singer/songwriter who has truly come of age. There's a sense of purification and renewal.The C D reflects the confidence of a woman who knows how to share her message with others. The songs are about the freedom which results when one deals with life's issues and takes responsibility for one's own direction, sung ever so sweetly. O n e of the most moving songs on the track is Come to Rest which expresses Grace's reconciliation with her father John McCullough's suicide. Grace's father was a well-known big band/jazz singer. The C D features West Coast talents including multi-instrumentalist Bill Runge of the Juno Award-winning Powder Blues Band who performed on and arranged the C D , guitarist Robbie Steiniger, Miles Black on piano, Randall Stoll on drums and Tanya Hencheroff, who sang back-up vocals. Rick Kilburn produced, mixed and mastered the C D .