Dalton Cyr Musical Prodigy (Cyriously Talented)

“I just want to make albums that make people happy.”

Last summer I visited Jacksonville Florida on my way back from Orlando.  What I did not know is that a few miles away, Jacksonville Beach was going to host a new video by another very talented young artist that is fast becoming a singing sensation in that part of Florida!  Sometime after returning home, I was browsing YouTube and came across a young man who not only captured my attention with his vocal skill, but exhibited personality and charisma in his videos that demonstrated true performing talent.

This young man is Eleven Year Old Dalton Cyr.

His Dad told me that Dalton has always loved music. At just three years of age he was already singing along to pop artists on the radio and frequently wanted to dance with his stepmother, Cindy.

He would learn all the songs for his school performances and then sing them over and over again at home. However, Dalton had terrible stage fright and would not sing when it came time for performances.  In second grade he was chosen for the role of “Johnny” in a school play. Most of the play involved singing with his classmates as a group as well as the key role of Johnny which he powerfully conveyed entirely through non-verbal communication.  Watching him sing and act it was evident, he loved singing and it seemed he had moved past his stage fright.  The music and acting bug had bitten Dalton.

Please use this link also to go directly to his YouTube Channel so you can leave him a comment there as well as at the end of this article!

The same year, when Dalton was seven, he received his first guitar for Christmas. Dalton’s Dad, Frank, noticed Dalton’s great ear when Dalton became frustrated the very first day playing his new miniature Stratocaster guitar because miniatures aren’t tuned the same as a regular guitar.  After exchanging the guitar for a ¾ electric guitar that was too big for him, but tuned correctly, Dalton began his musical journey taking guitar lessons. He performed a few times with his guitar and in 2008, when he was 8 he also joined a local community children’s choir.

In 2009, just a few months before his 9^th birthday, he saw a friend play the lead role in a local musical production of Beauty and the Beast. Inspired, he decided at that moment he wanted to audition for the following year’s production.

For an entire year he talked about how he wanted to audition and wrote it down as one of his goals for 2010. However, when the auditions came around in early February of 2010, Dalton was extremely nervous about having to sing in front of people during an audition. He came home and told his parents that he was just going to try out for a speaking part.  Then the following day, he came home and told his parents he was just going to be a stagehand. Suspicious, his parents inquired why he would change his mind when he had been talking about being in the musical all year.  As it turned out, the only way to be in the musical even as a stagehand, required you to sing as part of your audition.

Wanting to help Dalton fulfill his dream of being in the musical, Dalton’s dad spoke to the musical director and asked for tips. One tip was to sing wearing headphones so Dalton could hear himself. So Dalton’s dad set up a place for Dalton to sing with a microphone and headphones. Each night Dalton would practice for an hour or more.  The day of tryouts, he was so nervous he made himself sick!  But the directors let Dalton try out an alternate day and he did the audition for Willy Wonka. The audition went well and Dalton got the part of Mike Teevee.

Since then Dalton excelled and has never experienced stage fright since. Shortly after his Willy Wonka audition, Dalton started taking voice lessons from Lorna Greenwood and was asked to do his first solo musical performance on Easter Sunday at the Clay County Fair in April of 2010.

He performed over 50 public solo performances last year at multiple venues in the North Florida area, many of them 45-60 minute shows. At the end of 2010, Dalton wrote his first song and entered it in the PTA Reflections contest, winning at the State level for his song, “Greener On Every Side.”

In the beginning of 2011, Dalton tried out for the musical Aladdin and was cast as and played as the lead role, “Aladdin.” He also continued writing music and recorded and released his first two original songs at the age of ten. Shortly after releasing his first originals, Dalton attended his first International songwriting convention where he performed at a nationally recognized songwriter venue and received rave reviews from internationally recognized songwriters. He was the youngest songwriter in attendance.

Dalton also auditioned and was accepted to “The LaVilla School of Performing Arts” where he started as a 6^th grader in August of 2011. He also auditioned for his first performing arts school musical along with approximately 200 students and was chosen as one of approximately 40 for the cast of “Shout, An Acappella Musical” which will open in mid-November 2011.

He continues vocal lesson with Lorna Greenwood and has been taking vocal lessons for about 20 months now.

In addition to vocal lessons, Dalton takes guitar Lessons from Josh Like. He has been taking guitar lessons for about 3 years. He also is teaching himself to play keyboards by ear and is working towards earning a drum set.  On average, Dalton spends between two and six hours on music almost every day.

Dalton is an active kid and has participated in a number of sports from soccer, to basketball to baseball to karate and is a second degree black-belt and State Champ in Extreme Martial Arts Weapons. Although he no longer has time to be involved in organized sports, he loves to skateboard and spends time as often as he can at the skate park with his friends. He also is very interested in learning how to surf.  He enjoys hanging out with friends and family, travelling and experiencing new things.

In addition, Dalton is a prolific reader, averaging reading between two and three novels every week.  He currently is devouring the Redwall Series by Brian Jacques and has indicated that it’s on his “bucket list to read everything ever written about the Beatles.”

Dalton enjoys many different styles of music.  He lists some of his favorites as; The Beatles, John Mayer, Lee DeWyzee, Jack Johnson, Adam Levine, Bob Marley, and Michael Jackson.

Dalton’s latest Music Video for his Original Song “I’ll Be There” was only released this past Wednesday. This video is already piling up the views from his ever increasing number of fans. Enjoy it now directly on his YouTube Channel to leave him a comment there!

Dalton hopes to continue to write music and record songs with a positive message that his fans can relate to and love and one day be a professional recording artist and star in movies.

While Dalton is still defining what he wants his message to be, he says; “I just want to make albums that make people happy.”

Here’s what some people are saying about Dalton:

“An ordinary kid with extraordinary talents, Dalton Cyr is blessed with a maturity beyond his years.  The vocal, guitar and composition gifts of this pint size über kid make for a genuine, infectious stage presence. Having worked with Grammy, Academy, and Emmy Award winning entertainers, my gut tells me we would be wise to watch the journey of 10 year old Dalton Cyr.”

Dawn DeBlaze / DeBlaze & Associates Public Relations

“Dalton’s charisma and confidence captivate the audience. His stage presence, natural expressions, gestures and movement, as well as his ability to interject humor when appropriate, helped him to move beyond playing a role and become the leading role of Aladdin!

Jill Leinhauser / Director of “Aladdin”

“This kid is amazing, he is a star! I see many Grammy’s in the horizon. I know this kid is going all the way!”

Sal DiFusco / Professor Berklee College of Music

“In the studio, Dalton made my job as a producer easier. He took direction very well and pumped out great vocals in a short amount of time. Dalton was more focused and vocally accurate than most singers I’ve recorded. Plus, he was lots of fun to work with!

B. Stephens / Producer Martell Studios

 For more about Dalton visit:

• Dalton on iTunes
• Dalton on CD Baby 
• Dalton on Amazon.com
• Dalton on YouTube
• Article on Jacksonville.com
• Second Article on Jacksonville.com

To sign-up for Dalton’s e-mail list [button_round color=”blue” url=”http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=001mMMZmw1ZhSv6R-Jkx5yrKzdvQiuG-sOYzds1GJF2paHj3vCzqNN4CNwdbyvffNYl3m-wh81re76DA6D2doCjlLUDlUUS634W”] Click Here  [/button_round]

You can also text: DALTON to 22828 and follow the instructions that are sent to your cell phone.

Please take a few moments to leave Dalton a comment below!  I know he would be glad to hear from you!  I’m sure he will respond as well!  Leave your comment now!