When Lucie Voiblet left her hometown of Neuchâtel, Switzerland, she traded lakeside views and a small-town marching band of 35 people for the energy and grandeur of the Calgary Stampede Showband.
Lucie, 20, first encountered the Stampede Showband during a music competition in the United States, where her Swiss band performed alongside the Calgary group. “I didn’t know where I wanted to go,” she says, “but after that workshop, I knew it had to be the Calgary Stampede. It was like a revelation.”
Drawn to the talent and spirit of the Showband, Lucie applied and was accepted after passing a rigorous audition that included playing scales and demonstrating her ability to march and perform at the same time. She made the move to Calgary in September, on her own, in a new country and with limited English.
“The first week was stressful,” she admits. “Everything felt big, from the trains, the people, the Showband.” But she knew this was where she wanted to be.
Despite having to adapt to a new language, culture and Calgary’s winter weather, Lucie has thrived in the program. She credits her fellow francophone musicians with helping her adjust and has found immense joy in the weekly rehearsals and performances that define life in the Showband.
“It’s so much better than everything I imagined,” she says. “I came from my little city in Switzerland to this amazing band.” It’s been a dream come true for Lucie, and she is most excited to walk the Stampede Parade route for the first time in July and feel the energy of the city pulsing to the tune of her flute.
While her time in the marching world is nearing its end, Lucie will remain with the Stampede Showband until September, after which she’ll return home to Switzerland, ready to close this chapter as she reaches the final season of marching band eligibility. Lucie sees this experience with the Showband as the grand finale to her musical journey.
“I don’t know what’s next yet. Band has been my whole life,” she says. “But this experience has taught me I can be responsible, I can move across the world, and I can handle whatever comes.”
To other young musicians dreaming big, Lucie offers this advice: “If you really want to move, do it. A lot of people are going to say it’s not a good idea, you’re too young, or it’s too late, but no. If you want to do it, do it.”
The Calgary Stampede Showband is a world-class celebration of youth, music and the extraordinary talent that unites us beyond borders.
The Showband was created in 1971 to serve as the musical ambassadors for the Calgary Stampede. Since that time, the band has become known worldwide and achieved many distinguished accomplishments and awards. Currently, the Showband features over 150 performers between the ages of 16 and 22 and performs year-round, making nearly 200 appearances annually!
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