For 91原创鈥檚 Hailey Morgan, the Canada Day weekend will have a bit of an international flair this year.

The 16-year-old singer-songwriter has been invited to be the opening act for well-known Hong Kong artist Kenneth Choi, at the Red Robinson Show Theatre on Saturday, July 2.

Also a DJ, television host and an actor, Choi is bringing his 2011 World Concert Tour to the Coquitlam show lounge. 

For Choi, it鈥檚 one more stop on a global circuit.

But here in B.C., Hailey is still a young artist working to make a name for herself in the pop music industry, by performing at as many local events as she can.

Recently, that included the Father鈥檚 Day Bloom Market in Fort 91原创 and the 91原创 Community Farmers Market on the grounds of Kwantlen Polytechnic University鈥檚 91原创 campus (see photo, page 16).

For the past several years, the teenager has been building her resum茅, performing four or five shows a month, whether that鈥檚 singing the national anthem at the Cloverdale Rodeo or stepping onto festival stages around the Lower Mainland.  

Each performance includes her own, original songs as well as cover versions of  artists who inspire her, including Sara Bareilles and Arcade Fire.

As well as sing, the home-schooled teen accompanies herself on the piano when she performs live.

鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to get my name out there,鈥� she said.

Yes, it鈥檚 been hard work, but if genetics are any indication, Hailey was always destined for the stage.

Both her parents are musicians, who operated a performing arts school while she was growing up.

As a little girl, that meant she was learning to sing, dance and act by the time she turned five.

At eight, she wrote her first song, 鈥楥ome to my party.鈥� 

No, the lyrics weren鈥檛 particularly deep, and there was no complicated subtext for listeners to work out, she laughed, but it was a start.

These days, her songwriting skills having markedly improved,  the young artist is getting noticed outside the 91原创s. 

She recently earned a top 10 spot in Youthink Magazine鈥檚 B.C.鈥檚 Best Teen Band Contest and  between writing new songs and finishing her last year of  school, she plays shows weekly at venues all over the Lower Mainland. 

She is also currently promoting her debut record You & Me.

The July 2 Red Robinson Theatre concert marks the next step for the young performer.

鈥淚 love making music and going into the studio to lay down songs, but nothing compares to playing

them live, so I鈥檓 pretty stoked to be sharing my music with that big a crowd,鈥� she said.

For more about Hailey and upcoming show dates, visit her website at www.haileymorganonline.com.