By Sheila Phibbs
The Haldimand Press
CALEDONIA—It’s hard to imagine anything that might compare to performing on the television talent competition America’s Got Talent (AGT), except for maybe a mid-March trip to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Because if you are Ava Ro, member of the all-girl singing group GFORCE, that is exactly where you are going when you are a nominee for the 2020 Juno Awards.
The Junos are Canada’s music awards and GFORCE has been nominated for Children’s Album of Year for their first album It’s GFORCE. Ava is “so excited”, especially considering none of the five members are over the age of 13. In fact, Ava’s parents, Jenn and Tom, believe that the girls may be the youngest nominees in Juno history. Ava herself admits, “It’s kind of crazy that we are one of the five (nominations). A lot doubt us because of our age – we proved them wrong I guess.”
Ava and her GForce partners – Sarah, Michaela, Holly, and Sienna – continue to prove that anything is possible when you dream big. The group worked on their album for a year and Ava says, “It paid off. It was worth it.” The album features six songs including Break the Bank, It’s GFORCE, and Simon Says, which were all performed on AGT. The remaining songs are CEO, Happiness, and 4U. Ava loves the energy of CEO which hit number one on the Children’s iTunes Charts in Canada. Their growing popularity, however, was evident at their first show of 2020 at the Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville where they had a meet and greet and signed autographs. The fan reception was especially meaningful as Deerhurst was also where Canadian country music icon Shania Twain held one of her first big shows. During their stay, the group learned that the video of their first-round appearance on AGT had reached 10 million views on YouTube.
GFORCE also became the youngest Goodwill Ambassadors for UNICEF Canada in 2019, helping promote the Halloween Heroes campaign. Schools participating in the fundraiser were entered to win a free GFORCE concert and the girls look forward to performing at a school in Waterloo later this year.
CALEDONIA—Ava Ro looks forward to attending the Juno Awards in Saskatchewan with her family and bandmates. —Kathy Spence Portrait.
As Ava considers the Juno nomination, she appreciates the nominees in the Children’s Album category, which include long time children’s entertainers Sharon and Bram. She says, “To be in the same category as them and other really talented people – I’m just so excited. That’s all I can say.” She later adds, “We’re an ‘indie’ girl group – to win without a record label would be great.”
According to Ava’s mom, just being there with a nomination is good for GFORCE because of the big record labels represented during the event. Jenn credits their manager and producers for preparing the girls to work in the industry as she says, “They are learning so much. Their manager wants them to be able to eventually do this on their own. They are learning how to be real musicians.”
The quintet is also learning how to balance their busy schedules with their education. Ava is in Grade 7 and looking forward to high school. Her parents are pleased that she is doing well in school even though she is so busy. That busy schedule includes a free GForce show on Family Day (February 17 at 12:30 p.m.) at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga.
The upcoming Juno Awards will be a family affair as Tom and Jenn and younger sister Lily accompany Ava to Saskatoon. The Gala, where the Children’s Album of the Year and many other awards will be presented, is on March 14. The following evening is the live Juno Awards broadcast on CBC and GFORCEwill be in the audience. Ava shows the genuine enthusiasm of a 12-year-old girl who is very much a fan. She’s planning her outfit and looks forward to the impressive lineup of artists, which includes Alessia Cara and Walk Off The Earth. She especially hopes that Shawn Mendes will be in attendance. She admits, “To win would be amazing because there are so many amazing artists nominated for awards. I still don’t believe it!”
Whether or not GFORCE wins, as long as Ava Ro continues to dream big, there is every reason to believe that this awards show will certainly not be her last. To follow GFORCE visit gforcedreambig.com and find them on Instagram @GForcedreambig.
