Virtual video contest during pandemic proves this North Texas town’s got talent

While many folks are staying in due to the coronavirus spread, it has helped answer the question of “Where’s Weatherford’s Talent?”

The city’s parks and recreation department came up with the contest as part of several fun and recreational ideas for folks to do while at home. It was a huge success, as evidenced by the many entries — so many that officials decided to extend the competition an extra week before deciding on the winner.

And the winner of Hannah Baker, 21, a college student who sang an original song titled “Quarantine Crush.” She accompanied herself on acoustical guitar and recorded it in a closet. She can be seen performing it at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ySP0Ruja3-mDYia6Y3oqFjzMtpgdrQHd/view.

The competition was completely virtual, with contestants recording videos and sending them in. Baker’s video and more can be seen on the Weatherford Parks and Recreation Facebook page.

Baker said she wrote the song during her second month of being sheltered at home.

“It sounds silly, but I started to develop a crush on a guy that I had never had a conversation with. My ‘crush’ was solely based on what I had heard about him from mutual friends and what he posted on his social media,” she said. “I wondered if I had started liking him because I was in quarantine or if it was something that would have developed either way.”

Baker said it’s been a dream of hers to someday be a professional musician.

“Music kind of runs in my veins. My grandpa used to play country music and was signed to a small record label in Memphis,” she said. “When my family gets together, we almost always gather around the piano to sing.”

The contest was the latest in a series of virtual activities the city hosted during shelter-in-place, which also included the popular “Mission Possible” scavenger hunt series.

“We feel it is important to be able to provide the community with fun activities to do while people are isolated in their homes,” said Jaycob Kirkpatrick, Weatherford Assistant Director of Parks, Recreation and Special Events. “If we can bring any amount of joy to people right now then we have achieved our goal of continuing to build a strong community even through these tough times.”

The runners-up was a musical duo known as Two Far Gone, while youngster Evan Butler took third.

Prizes included several options, such as a credit toward any of the city programs, a free season pass to the city pool, or a free pavilion or building rental.

“We plan to refine the program and possibly offer it again next year,” Kirkpatrick said.

“It was so fun to see my family, friends, and other members of the community support me by voting and sharing my song,” Baker said. “Even more than that, it was awesome to see the different kinds of talent that Weatherford has to offer that I might not have known about if it had not have been for this contest.”