10-year-old Tikhon Gunko sparked outrage online after his victory on a show, becoming a target for haters.

Tikhon dreams of performing on stage with Shaman. Photo: Event media group

Success in high-profile competitions brings not only fame but often becomes a trial for the winners. It has been reported that 10-year-old Tikhon Gunko from Komsomolsk faced criticism from detractors after participating in the final of the show "You are Super!" His adoptive mother, Lyudmila Vorotnikova, shared this with the "KP" editorial team. More details can be found in the article from "Komsomolskaya Pravda" - Khabarovsk.

“I BOUGHT EVERYTHING!”

Let us remind you that the competition has been held annually for eight years. It helps children without parental care showcase their talents and continues to support them until they reach adulthood by providing scholarships. Hundreds of applications flood the competition's office each year, and this year alone, two thousand children aimed to participate. Tikhon was one of the 50 who got this opportunity. However, some feel that this chance is undeserved.

“Some say that I bought everything... It's even embarrassing to read such things sometimes. The project "You are Super!" covers the costs of flights, accommodation, meals, educators, doctors, and psychologists for the children and their attendants, and some even had their teeth treated for 30,000 rubles in Moscow. Such large amounts of money are involved; the grand prize for first place is a million! What can you buy here?” - Lyudmila Vorotnikova told the "KP" editorial team.

The filming of the show lasted two months in Moscow, during which time Lyudmila lost her job in her hometown. However, the Komsomolsk resident is determined and knows she is doing everything right. Professionals assert that Tikhon is a born artist. They recognized in him the talent of a pop vocalist and selected suitable songs for the casting, although Cossack songs were also included in his application. It was with these that Tikhon began performing at festivals, and he achieved his first victory a year ago with the song "Oysya, ty oysya."

AREN'T WE SINGING RUSSIAN?

In shows like "You are Super!", the song lists for performances are curated by producers and educators. They create arrangements tailored to the vocal range of the young performers to fully reveal their vocal and artistic abilities, hence selecting a variety of songs. Lyudmila mentions that the song performed in the semifinals, "Whataya want from me," drew criticism from some people.

“There are those who think this way… As if it means we are not patriots - it's just ridiculous! These people haven't followed and don't know what songs Tikhon has performed all year! That's how long he has been engaged in vocal training. I love to give examples. Imagine: a grandson finishes the first grade with straight A's. He rushes home joyfully, boasting about his report card… And the grandfather responds by saying how could he possibly receive A's? After all, he doesn't know integrals, his handwriting isn't great, and he can't even distinguish sine from cosine. They claim that his mother bribed the teachers and that he is talentless and should be studying in a correctional school… A child hearing such things could suffer psychological trauma for life,” - Lyudmila added.

VOCAL IS LIKE SPORTS

Tikhon has indeed been studying seriously at a music school for just a year, although he has had an inclination for singing since he was five. His teacher instructs him in folk and pop vocals. It turns out that, like in sports, simply singing beautifully and skillfully is not enough.

“Every year, new vocal techniques emerge, melismatics develop, and new teachers appear who enhance voices, and it’s not enough to just sing soulfully about swans and birches. Falsettos, strabasses, twengs, beltings, and various mixes… There is so much! It’s like a salto or a triple axel in figure skating... The skill of using the diaphragm can only be heard on long notes when there is nowhere to draw air from. And the ‘Meaty Low’ is about strength and power, clean and strong high notes, like the height of a leap in a split in ballet or gymnastics. And at that moment, critics may still arise, saying, ‘Why is this necessary - that’s not how you dance,’” - Lyudmila laughs.

“THE BIG STAGE”

In musical competitions, all these skills must be showcased. To evaluate the talents of others, one must, at the very least, achieve success in this field and be an expert. While some support the young Far Eastern talent and others criticize him, sometimes for the most absurd reasons, Tikhon continues to move forward.

“On October 30, performing in the semifinals of the international competition ‘The Big Stage,’ Tikhon received two nines and six tens from the jury and made it to the finals. In the pop-jazz category, there were over 70 children his age. Only 21 advanced to the finals, including children with classical vocal training - our future opera singers. So, the competition was fierce. Tikhon reached the final in the country's largest competition! And that’s already a fantastic result. There is still much to learn, and he needs experience and more interaction with creative people we meet at such events,” - Lyudmila shared.

The winners of the finals will perform with pop stars at a grand concert in the Kremlin Palace in January next year.

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