Arts & Entertainment
Burnsville Girl Advances in the State Fair Talent Contest
Jenna Graves, an eighth grader from Nicollet The Middle schooler Jenna Graves is now a contender in the finals at the Minnesota State Fair.
While her peers were snacking on cheese curds and playing games on the Midway, on Friday night 13-year-old Jenna Graves was tearing up the stage at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell.
That night, the Burnsville girl played guitar and sang the KT Tunstall hit, “Black Horse In A Cherry Tree.” Graves thought the song was an ideal choice to energize the crowd.
“I learned it last year, but I just picked it up again because I thought that this would be perfect and hopefully, get the crowd going a little bit,” Graves said.
Graves was a hit. The Nicollet Middle school student beat out five other competitors, winning the Minnesota State Fair Amateur Talent Contest semifinals in the Teen Division.
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Her performance on Friday was a high water mark in her young career so far. Previously, she'd performed on a much smaller scale, serenading crowds of 100 or fewer.
Graves qualified for the state contest after she won the talent contest at the Otter Tail County Fair, where the family has a cabin.
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That was just the first step on the road to St. Paul. Graves then auditioned for the Minnesota State Fair Amateur Talent Contest in July. She was one of 30 Teen division acts to receive a letter letting her know that she was selected to advance to the semifinals.
The rural competition in Otter Tail was a far cry from Friday night, with nearly 3,000 people watching at the Bandshell. However, she performed flawlessly with out any sign of nerves.
"I have been singing ever since I was little,” said Graves. “It has always been a dream of mine to just be on a big stage. It feels like, the more people, the better. It is like I just feed off people’s energy. It is the best feeling in the world.”
Graves credits Nicollet Choir Director Ann Bakken for her development as a singer.
“She helped me a lot, because she taught me how to sing normally and helped my voice get better and my range get higher,” Graves said.
But her aspirations don't end with Leinie Lodge. Graves said that she would love to pursue singing as a possible career. She sings all the time, she said, a habit that alternately delights and irritates her family.
“It is my life,” said Graves. “It is my love. I have been playing guitar for maybe a year. It is the greatest feeling in the world to sing.”
Graves will face another round in the limelight on Sept. 4, during the finals at the Grandstand.
