by emily harris
photo courtesy of major minors
Award-winning dance music artist BP Major has created a YouTube series dedicated to mentoring youth talent. The show, “Major Minors,” follows the growth of young talent Gia Pater and Danika Hemmer. With guest stars frequenting multiple episodes, it’s a family-friendly show rooted in being inspirational for those young and old. All episodes are featured on their YouTube Channel. We were able to speak to BP and the talent!
Can you tell us a little bit about the backstory behind “Major Minors” and what inspired you to create it?
BP Major: “After performing for decades I wanted to offer knowledge and experience to aspiring child stars, giving them the information that I didn’t have and certainly wasn’t available to me growing up. It can be incredibly difficult navigating your way through life and even more so the entertainment industry and without the right support network, information, drive, and determination it can be a daunting and losing battle for most. So Major Minors is here to provide that inspiration while also keeping it real.”
As this series is filmed for YouTube, how has the filming and editing process been?
BP Major: “What started out as an idea for a TV show, quickly turned into a full-fledged YouTube series. 2020 has had a profound impact on us all, especially entertainment with all live shows and productions coming to a halt. Luckily we had hundreds of hours of content filmed prior to March 2020, so the decision was made to move forward with Major Minors working with what we had. This of course made editing an extremely daunting task, as I was doing it all alone and it was a lot! As we evolved I was able to get some outside help which was a massive relief. Over time the style of shooting evolved to make editing easier and less daunting. But for months I’ve been doing 16 hours days at the computer and in my studio, I don’t think I’ve ever been so busy in my career as I’ve been creating Major Minors. 2020 has proven to be a year of creation and evolution for me.”
BP, how did you find the youth talent that is Gia Peter and Danika Hemmer? How has the experience been working with them?
BP Major: “I first started working with Gia almost two years ago. It was a chance meeting and her father asked me to hear his daughter sing. I had been wanting to create a type of ‘kids’ group for a while and wasn’t sure how I was going to go about it. I started to work with Gia and it was incredibly gratifying, watching this young shy little girl turn into the fierce and confident little performer she is today. We’ve created such a strong bond. Danika came along as her parents had seen a video of Gia and they wanted to meet with me. Gia has the ability to listen to and absorb directions. Danika listens to every single note she’s given and implements it immediately. Her growth has been phenomenal. Working with the girls has been an amazing experience for me. I have to admit, going into this was daunting as I understand the commitment an adult must make when taking on the role of mentoring kids, but I’m so glad I did, and I can’t imagine my world without these two.”
Gia and Danika, how has having your growth within the industry showcased on YouTube helped you to grow into a more polished artist and creator?
Gia Pater: “It has helped me grow into a more polished artist and creator by teaching me so many things, like when I perform it’s not about me, it’s about moving the audience. I have also learned so many on-camera and vocal techniques. Also, this season has helped me grow as a person and I’ve become more mature and kinder.”
Danika Hemmer: “As an artist, I have grown because I’ve gotten way better at singing, and as a creator, BP has put me to the test a couple of times on my energy and on my lines, and I appreciate that because I see my growth.”
photo courtesy of major minors
Can you tell us a little more about the Global Talent Search that’s going on?
BP Major: “I created the Global Talent Search to inspire kids from all over the world to share their talents with the world, from the comfort and safety of their own home. Melissa Gisoni (Dance Moms) has been with Major Minors from day one and she loved the idea of inspiring kids to create. So we started the competition and received amazing talents from all over the world. It was beautiful to receive videos every week from kids expressing themselves. To make it more exciting, we had an amazing group of talented judges from around the world judge the Grand Finale: Dannii Minogue, who is currently judging the Masked Singer Australia, Miss J Alexander, most known for America’s Next Top Model, Bollywood actor Abhay Deol, and young dancer/actor Sage Rosen.”
Gia Pater: “The global talent search is a thing where anyone around the world can send us videos and show us their talents. I love this idea because we get to see so many amazingly talented people, and every week we choose a winner then at the finale of season one there’s a winner of the WHOLE TALENT SEARCH and I love that!! And I also think this is a good idea because they get to showcase their incredible talents!! Make sure to join the MAJOR MINORS GLOBAL TALENT SEARCH!”
How has the influence of guest stars — including Melissa Ziegler-Gisoni — livened the show?
BP Major: “Having my real friends stop by the show has been incredible. It’s not just a bunch of celebrities showing up to get paid to do a gig. It’s my real friends offering real life experience and knowledge to these kids, and it’s absolutely invaluable. So far we’ve had Melissa Gisoni, Kenzie Ziegler, Sage Rosen, Dannii Minogue, Miss J Alexander, Kym Johnson/Herjavec, Brandi Glanville, Abhay Deol, Dean McCarthy, and Brian Justin Crum. I can’t think of a way to get a better education and introduction into showbiz.”
Gia Pater: “The guest stars on the show have helped me level up. For example, I loved working with Miss J because he taught me how to catwalk JUST LIKE A MODEL and it was so much fun!! Definitely one day I want to be a model! Dean taught me so many things about the do's and don’ts on the red carpet, Now I know for sure I’m ready for the red carpet. Danni Minogue taught me so much about performing and fashion, and I learned so much from her and it was such an incredible experience!! I loved working with Melissa and she’s taught me so much, and she is a big influence for me and she is the sweetest. I love talking to her because she gives the best advice.”
What do you hope families get out of watching the show?
BP Major: “I hope families find the show inspirational and informative. So far we’ve seen Gia have an incredible life-changing transformation, and we’re currently experiencing Danika’s in real-time. I want families to be inspired to create and evolve and kids to understand that they all have a special talent, that doesn’t have to be singing or dancing. But there’s something special in all of us and I want to encourage and inspire kids to let that light shine!”
Gia Pater: “I hope that families get inspired to follow their dreams and to not let anyone get in their way of what they aspire to do out of our show!”
Danika Hemmer: “I hope families can enjoy the work that is put together by our entire team and that we can provide some joy and confidence in breaking our own limits and trust in our own talents knowing that we can be more than who we believe we are.”