Midland will be home to a Canadian Idol – that’s if 16-year-old Matt Playne has anything to do with it.

While he may not be the one with confetti raining down on his head during this year’s Canadian Idol finale, after being the youngest person to make this year’s top 50 on the popular television singing competition, the Grade 11 St. Teresa’s student is confident he will one day win the title.

Playne, who just barely made the minimum age requirement, auditioned for the show back in March during the Hamilton auditions, and tells The Mirror he always knew he would one day get in front of those infamous judges.

“I’ve watched Canadian Idol and American Idol since they first started. When I learned the audition age, I decided when I turned 16, I was going to go out and give it a try,” the smooth voiced singers says, adding the experience gave him an entirely new perspective on how he looks at music.

“There are so many different people with so many different styles … collaborating together on group day really opened my eyes to all the talent out there. Coming from Midland, there’s not a lot of male singers, but I got there and (realized) there was some ridiculous awesome talent.”

Having been on the inside looking out, both Playne and his family admit when they watch the show now, they watch it in an entirely new way. Despite how it may look to viewers, contestants do not get in to see the judges right away, but must first make it through several rounds of producers.

While he admits he was a bit nervous before walking through the doors and into the lion’s den that is the judging room, he was more anxious to get in there and prove to them what he could do.

“I just wanted to get in there and rock it.”

Playne sang three songs for the judges – Daughters by John Mayer, Coming Home by Dallas Green and Sunday Morning by Maroon 5 – and while one judge – Jake Gold, immediately took to him,

Playne admits he came close to going home without that much sought-after golden ticket.

“Jake liked me, but the other judges thought I was too young, and my sound was underdeveloped. They started arguing amongst themselves to see if I was going to go through or not.”

Luckily, thanks to a little persuading courtesy of judge Jake Gold, Playne didn’t leave empty-handed.

“He said the competition needed a guy like me and the other judges gave in,” he says, admitting he was surprised when he learned he would be packing his bags and heading to Toronto for the Idol boot camp. “I didn’t think I’d make it for one second… I was expecting the worst but hoping for the best.”

Two months later, Playne, along with his father headed to Toronto for the final round of auditions – an experience he admits he will never forget.

“It opened my eyes to the talent that’s out there and to where I need to be with my own singing,” he admits. “I didn’t expect to make it past the first round, so I thought I would go there and learn as much as I could from everyone.”

It was during his four days at Idol boot camp that Playne admits he really found his voice, and began to understand who he was as an artist.

“I was able to improve on my style a lot with the help of other people. There were lots more soul foul singers, and I never sang with a lot of soul. With their influence, it helped me define my own style.”

It wasn’t all fun and games, he admits, adding much of the drama shown on screen was real.

“It was like that, definitely, but it was really stressful environment and nerve wracking environment. You’re trying to make friends, but everyone is the competition … and having to stay up to 3 a.m., practising kind of sucked."

While he may not have made the cut this year, Playne has every intention on continuing his quest to become the next Canadian Idol.

“I am in it to win in next year,” he says. “I was discouraged I didn’t make it (at the time), but it gives me a full year to grow and then will come back and be even better next year.”