Jeff Cameron

Jeff has been singing since he was five and taking voice lessons since second grade. In seventh grade he starred in the opera Amahl & The Night Visitors in Ashland, Oregon. Currently, he is the lead singer in the 18-member Pacific Crest Community School Band. In the future, he plans to study music in college and make a career performing. His biggest musical influences are Michael Buble and Josh Groban. - Portland Parks & Recreation

Jeff has been singing since he was five and taking voice lessons since second grade. In seventh grade he starred in the opera Amahl & The Night Visitors in Ashland, Oregon. Currently, he is the lead singer in the 18-member Pacific Crest Community School Band. In the future, he plans to study music in college and make a career performing. His biggest musical influences are Michael Buble and Josh Groban. - Portland Parks & Recreation

Jeff Quigley, 17, delivers one of the performances that won him the title of Portland Teen Idol, June 14. The top 10 winners of the competition will be singing at parks around Portland this month.
COURTESY PORTLAND PARKS AND RECREATION / THE SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY CONNECTION


HAYHURST — It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, and Jeff Quigley is feelin’ good.
The 17-year-old out-sung more than 300 other teens to grab the top spot in the Portland Teen Idol competition, hosted by Portland Parks and Recreation.
The top 10 singers are serenading Portlanders across the city’s parks this summer on a multi-stop tour.
Quigley was awarded first place at the June 14 final competition, where he performed “Hallelujah” and “Feeling Good” in front of judges City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, famed pianist Michael Allen Harrison and pop rock singer Storm Large. The crowd, estimated at 700, was also able to weigh in, and the response was overwhelming.
“The voting was very clear and very absolute that Jeff was the Teen Idol for this year,” said Jeff Milkes, who oversees the program. The finale, Milkes said, was “where Jeff Quigley really shined. All the young ladies in the auditorium were very impressed with him.”
Quigley competed in last year’s Portland Teen Idol as well, but didn’t advance beyond the semi-finals.
Quigley attributed his success this year to a weekly performance class he took over the past year as well as his choice of songs: one slow and sad, the other jazzy and soulful.
“I chose songs that I like, but that I knew people would love,” he said.
Harrison said that tactic paid off: “His song choices were perfect for his voice. … They showed his versatility and showed what his voice was right for.”
A lifetime of singing
This is not Quigley’s first time in the spotlight. In seventh grade, he played the lead character in Amahl & The Night Visitors in Ashland and last summer he played Mogli for the Broadway Rose Theater Company’s production of The Jungle Book.
“Ever since I was little, I was always singing,” Quigley said. “I’ve never had stage fright. A lot of people have trouble singing in front of people, but I just have no problem with it.”
Quigley says he spends about three hours per day singing and playing music, and hopes to make a career out of it. He’s looking to go to college in jazz cities, such as New Orleans and Chicago and, afterwards, “I see myself being a successful singer.”
Quigley began his voice lessons as a soprano in second grade and never stopped.
“I didn’t know any girl that could go higher than me when I was a soprano,” he said. Over the years his voice has changed and he said he sometimes gets teased for being a boy who likes to sing. Quigley was one of only two boys in the top 10 of Portland Teen Idol. He said his gender is just more shy about their voices.
“I love sports, it’s just that I’m better at singing,” he said with a shrug. “For the most part, I’ve been given a lot of credit for my singing.”
Teen Idol or role model?
Milkes said the Portland Teen Idol competition began in 2007 as a way to provide positive activities for local teens. The program was a hit and this year expanded to include other parks departments in the Portland metro area, which each provided about 10 contestants.
Patterned after the popular television show, American Idol, organizers did want to have some difference from the original format.
“We had training for judges so that we didn’t have any Simon Cowells,” Milkes said, referring to the American Idol judge famous for denigrating contestants. “The goal is to provide developmental, positive activities that is kind of an alternative to delinquent behavior.”
Milkes said Quigley could easily be a poster boy for the program.
“The kid is ice under pressure,” he said. “He’s very mature, a very great role model for other teens.”
Quigley said he wants to be a role model and works hard to keep a clean image. He said he’s never drank or done drugs and keeps his Catholic faith central to his life.
Quigley said he is looking forward to gaining performance experience this summer and talking music with the other teens on the tour.
Harrison said that’s the whole point.
“It’s a feeling of connection. There’s a connection with the audience and between us judges,” he said, adding, “It’s really about supporting these young people. Whether you win or not, what happens is your talent grows.”
Go See Them!
The Portland Teen Idols will perform at Dickinson Park, on Southwest 55th Avenue, Aug. 9 and at Holly Farm Park near the Capitol Hill Library, Aug 29. The singers will start around 6:30 p.m., scheduled to coincide with the Parks Department’s Movies in the Park.

- The Southwest Community Connection

Jeff Quigley, 17, delivers one of the performances that won him the title of Portland Teen Idol, June 14. The top 10 winners of the competition will be singing at parks around Portland this month.
COURTESY PORTLAND PARKS AND RECREATION / THE SOUTHWEST COMMUNITY CONNECTION


HAYHURST — It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, and Jeff Quigley is feelin’ good.
The 17-year-old out-sung more than 300 other teens to grab the top spot in the Portland Teen Idol competition, hosted by Portland Parks and Recreation.
The top 10 singers are serenading Portlanders across the city’s parks this summer on a multi-stop tour.
Quigley was awarded first place at the June 14 final competition, where he performed “Hallelujah” and “Feeling Good” in front of judges City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, famed pianist Michael Allen Harrison and pop rock singer Storm Large. The crowd, estimated at 700, was also able to weigh in, and the response was overwhelming.
“The voting was very clear and very absolute that Jeff was the Teen Idol for this year,” said Jeff Milkes, who oversees the program. The finale, Milkes said, was “where Jeff Quigley really shined. All the young ladies in the auditorium were very impressed with him.”
Quigley competed in last year’s Portland Teen Idol as well, but didn’t advance beyond the semi-finals.
Quigley attributed his success this year to a weekly performance class he took over the past year as well as his choice of songs: one slow and sad, the other jazzy and soulful.
“I chose songs that I like, but that I knew people would love,” he said.
Harrison said that tactic paid off: “His song choices were perfect for his voice. … They showed his versatility and showed what his voice was right for.”
A lifetime of singing
This is not Quigley’s first time in the spotlight. In seventh grade, he played the lead character in Amahl & The Night Visitors in Ashland and last summer he played Mogli for the Broadway Rose Theater Company’s production of The Jungle Book.
“Ever since I was little, I was always singing,” Quigley said. “I’ve never had stage fright. A lot of people have trouble singing in front of people, but I just have no problem with it.”
Quigley says he spends about three hours per day singing and playing music, and hopes to make a career out of it. He’s looking to go to college in jazz cities, such as New Orleans and Chicago and, afterwards, “I see myself being a successful singer.”
Quigley began his voice lessons as a soprano in second grade and never stopped.
“I didn’t know any girl that could go higher than me when I was a soprano,” he said. Over the years his voice has changed and he said he sometimes gets teased for being a boy who likes to sing. Quigley was one of only two boys in the top 10 of Portland Teen Idol. He said his gender is just more shy about their voices.
“I love sports, it’s just that I’m better at singing,” he said with a shrug. “For the most part, I’ve been given a lot of credit for my singing.”
Teen Idol or role model?
Milkes said the Portland Teen Idol competition began in 2007 as a way to provide positive activities for local teens. The program was a hit and this year expanded to include other parks departments in the Portland metro area, which each provided about 10 contestants.
Patterned after the popular television show, American Idol, organizers did want to have some difference from the original format.
“We had training for judges so that we didn’t have any Simon Cowells,” Milkes said, referring to the American Idol judge famous for denigrating contestants. “The goal is to provide developmental, positive activities that is kind of an alternative to delinquent behavior.”
Milkes said Quigley could easily be a poster boy for the program.
“The kid is ice under pressure,” he said. “He’s very mature, a very great role model for other teens.”
Quigley said he wants to be a role model and works hard to keep a clean image. He said he’s never drank or done drugs and keeps his Catholic faith central to his life.
Quigley said he is looking forward to gaining performance experience this summer and talking music with the other teens on the tour.
Harrison said that’s the whole point.
“It’s a feeling of connection. There’s a connection with the audience and between us judges,” he said, adding, “It’s really about supporting these young people. Whether you win or not, what happens is your talent grows.”
Go See Them!
The Portland Teen Idols will perform at Dickinson Park, on Southwest 55th Avenue, Aug. 9 and at Holly Farm Park near the Capitol Hill Library, Aug 29. The singers will start around 6:30 p.m., scheduled to coincide with the Parks Department’s Movies in the Park.

- The Southwest Community Connection

Portland Parks & Recreation host their popular singing competition for area youth and teens for the second year in a row. Throughout the spring over 300 local teens auditioned. Jeff Milkes from Portland Park and Rec. tells us about the stiff competition this year. We also met the winner of this year's competition, Jeff Quigley. He has been singing since he was five years old, and is currently the lead singer in the 18-member Pacific Crest Community School Band. He hopes to study music in college, and pursue a career in performing.

Story Published: Jun 26, 2008 at 9:30 AM PDT AM Northwest KATU


http://www.dwproductions.biz/Program_PTID_finale.html, this website will take you to the video of Jeff Quigley singing “Feeling Good” in the arrangement of Michael Buble.

- AM Northwest KATU

Portland Parks & Recreation host their popular singing competition for area youth and teens for the second year in a row. Throughout the spring over 300 local teens auditioned. Jeff Milkes from Portland Park and Rec. tells us about the stiff competition this year. We also met the winner of this year's competition, Jeff Quigley. He has been singing since he was five years old, and is currently the lead singer in the 18-member Pacific Crest Community School Band. He hopes to study music in college, and pursue a career in performing.

Story Published: Jun 26, 2008 at 9:30 AM PDT AM Northwest KATU


http://www.dwproductions.biz/Program_PTID_finale.html, this website will take you to the video of Jeff Quigley singing “Feeling Good” in the arrangement of Michael Buble.

- AM Northwest KATU