Barrett Peitsch
 Age: 23 "I'm most proud of the relationships I have with my family and friends. I think that time spent with them is the best investment I have ever made." Barrett Peitsch was a Gold Ticket winner last year but failed to advance to the Top 32. Now, the East St. Paul native is ready to "provide a shout out to Winnipeg, because we haven't had anyone in the Top 32 since the first season." Barrett comes from a musical family and started singing "as soon as I could talk." He plays the piano and also sings in church and at weddings. Barrett is living large as a Top 32 semi-finalist. "I love life," he says. "I am so happy to be doing everything I'm doing right now. I love being married. I love my family. I have the best friends in the world and I work with the most amazing people." A commerce graduate from the University of Manitoba, Barrett currently works as a bartender and manager at a Winnipeg restaurant. Barrett loves sports and plays basketball and volleyball in city leagues. He is a huge fan of the Phoenix Suns. Barrett also loves to read and describes himself as "book addict" (The Black Stallion was inspirational to him as a kid). Barrett likes to spend a lot of time at his cabin with his wife where they go waterskiing, tubing and "hang out by the water." Barrett loves pizza, steak and ice cream as well as "my Baba's homemade perogies." His biggest fans? His wife and two sisters. Barrett says he could not live without his stereo. "Life deserves a really good soundtrack," he says. Just Can't Get Enough is the song title that best describes him, he says.
Barrett's fun facts: Which musical act would you most like to see in concert? Dave Matthews
What has been the biggest accomplishment of your life? The biggest accomplishment of my life would be graduating from university with a Bachelor of Commerce, Honors Degree. What are you the most proud of? I'm the most proud of the relationships I have with my family (we actually all like each other) and my friends. I think that time spent with them is the best investment I have ever made. Which item could you not live without? I could not live without a stereo. I think that life deserves a really good soundtrack, so I listen to music all the time. What's been the best day of your life? Our wedding day was unreal, but Larissa and I agree that nothing can compare to the time we spent on our honeymoon. All-inclusive in the tropics - nothing to do but be together. If you could meet one person, living or dead, who would it be and why? I would love to meet my Mom's only sister, Diane. She was in a fatal car crash before I, or any of my siblings, was born. What do you think has gotten you this far in the competition? Having the experience of competing last year has definitely helped me to make it to this point in the competition. I think the most important thing I did was listen to what the judges said my weaknesses were and work to improve those areas. What will it take for you to become the Canadian Idol? At this point, who becomes the Canadian Idol is totally dependent on the voters. I think that what I need to do is sing great songs, and be myself. Hopefully Canada likes me… my mom does… What has been the most challenging part of the competition so far? My celebrity audition in Winnipeg was really difficult this year. I felt like I had to make it through and I felt that in order to make it through I had to be way better than I was last year. Why would the judges send me to Toronto again if I hadn't hugely improved? I went in with this mindset and the pressure kind of got the better of me. Whose career path would you like to follow and why? I don't want to follow anyone else's career path. I want to have my own story. What part of the Canadian Idol experience has surprised you the most? What surprised me the most about the experience is how quickly the competition moves. In Toronto we cut from 187 to 32 in four days. In a number of weeks there will be a new Canadian Idol and weeks after that he or she will release an album. What did you learn about yourself during the Top 100? I learned that I'm a much better singer when I don't let nerves and anxiety interfere with my performance. What was your reaction when you made the Top 32? Making the Top 32 was the first time that I was actually really happy or satisfied through the whole competition. My goal was to make the Top 32. Everything else, all the other eliminations, were just stepping-stones to this goal. Now I feel like I can enjoy (momentarily) what I've achieved. Who has been the greatest inspiration of your life? My parents have been the greatest inspiration in my life. I think that what you accomplish in life is a reflection of your work ethic and they raised me to approach challenges 100%. Who has helped to make you the singer you are today? I have to thank Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton and ABBA. Singing along to their music on family trips in "The Boss" (our van) is where I did most of my practicing. I'd thank my parents, but they can't sing. My brother and sisters all spent hours singing with me, so I guess I should thank them too. What song touches you the most? Why does it affect you so much? My all time favourite song is "Crash" by the Dave Matthews Band. I have loved this song since I was in junior high. If you're on a date, it's romantic, if you're at a house party, it's got a cool riff, if you're hanging out by a bonfire, it's subtle and soothing, if you're driving on a really smooth highway on a warm summer night with your sunroof open… it's perfect. What do you do to keep your nerves in check during the competition? I'm still working on that one. How has this competition changed you? I don't think that it has yet, and I hope that it never does. The point of this competition is for Canada to vote on who I am. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? The phrase I most overuse is, "And he/she loved it". This is usually used when the referred-to-person didn't actually love it, but was annoyed by it. |
