Leela Bea Montiel probably will never forget the first thing she heard Saturday immediately following the announcement she won first place in the Daisy Days Idol singing competition for first- through fifth-graders.
“Yeah, I heard my mother scream,” Leela said with a big smile on her face. “My mom wanted me to sign up. I was really excited to get a chance like this, and I thought it was a great idea. I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve been in our shows at Elm School, and I always love to give solos, but this was a whole song I got to sing.”
Leela’s mother, Kim Montiel, believed going into the competition that her 10-year-old daughter had a “natural gift” for singing. But while mom attempted to boost her daughter’s confidence by telling her that she would win, Montiel’s goal for Leela was considerably more modest.
“Her teachers told me she has a gift, but I just wanted her to have this experience and have fun,” Montiel said. “She sings a lot at home, but I thought everyone was so good. It was very exciting when they announced that she had won.”
Leela, a Hinsdale resident, chose the song “Cups” from the film, “Pitch Perfect” to perform at Daisy Days Idol.
“I really like the song and thought it was perfect for me,” Leela said. “I just wanted to have this experience and have fun. I thought some of the other girls were really good.”
Hannah Turek of Clarendon Hills finished second in the competition, and Brook Bauer, another Clarendon Hills resident, placed third. The top three all received prizes. All 17 contestants were presented with certificates of participation.
Among the eight contestants in the middle school category, Kristin Mertz was awarded first place by judges, and Kate Melvin and Bella Mingey placed second and third, respectively.
“I just sat back in awe of the talent while I watched all of these contestants,” said Derek Berg, founder of both the Clarendon Hills Music Academy and the Idol competition. “It takes a lot of go up on a stage in front of people and do this.”
In its second year, Daisy Days Idol, which was called Clarendon Hills Idol in 2013, has added something positive to the two-day annual festival, said Vicki Anderson, who has lived in the village for 11 years and has been a regular at Daisy Days.
“It’s something that bring the whole town together. Daisy Days is a lot of fun. It’s the start of summer, and you get to see people you don’t see very often,” Anderson said. “My kids (ages 12, 10, and 8) come and have fun, too.”
Seven-year-old Grant Bauer said he enjoys Daisy Days for a few reasons.
“I like to eat the food and go on the rides, and I like to play some of the games, too,” he said. “Cotton candy is my favorite.”
Joe Sabin, 12, of Clarendon Hills, said he looks forward to Daisy Days each year.
“I like the games and the prizes,” he said. “I go on the rides, sometimes, and the ice cream is my favorite food here.”