Cara Behan

Cara Behan will be on the Academy Awards Sunday, March 26. No, she's not winning an Oscar, but what she is doing is almost as exciting.
The Ridgefield native will perform on the guitar in a 90-second commercial, directed by Spike Lee.
Cara, who is only 17, won a nationwide contest sponsored by Iam.com, an Internet company that posts resumes, pictures and work samples of new talent.
"In December of 1999, my mother saw a full-page advertisement in the New York Times promoting a contest for actors, models, dancers and musicians," Cara said. "I entered a tape of my own original song to Iam.com to be judged in the musician category."
Selected as one of the five finalists in the 13- to 17- year old age group, she got an all-expenses paid trip to New York City Jan. 29 to Feb. 1 to compete.
"On Jan. 31, I sang and played guitar for my audition at Hunter College," she said. "I was chosen as the winner! I stayed in New York City two extra days and filmed a commercial about the company and the contest, which was directed by Spike Lee."
The Iam.com commercial will air for 90 seconds during the Academy Awards on Sunday and then be seen on MTV.
"I performed my original song for the commercial and I will also have my own portfolio on Iam.com's Web site," Cara said.
Throughout her stay in New York, she did TV interviews including one with Entertainment Tonight and Boston's ABC show, Chronicles.
Born in Norwalk, Cara grew up in Ridgefield, attending Farmingville School and East Ridge Middle School. "I was homeschooled for most of my freshman year (of high school) in Ridgefield and it was then that my interest in music developed," she said.
In May 1997, her family ---mom and dad Agi and Kevin Behan and her siblings Sean and Sondra --- moved from Davis Lane off Nod Road to Newfane, Vt., where she is now a senior at Leland and Gray Union High School in Townshend.
"I have been singing, playing guitar and writing my own songs for two and a half years," Cara said. "I perform locally in different venues and participate in school talent shows."
She plans to attend college in the fall and pursue a career in music.
- The Ridgefield Press (2000)