Rebecca McIntosh is Ottawa-bound, headed to Canada's capitol to compete at the National Music Festival this month.

The vocalist, who attends Westminster Church in Winnipeg, is extremely excited to have the opportunity to perform on a grand scale this August. "I've never really done anything like this before, so it should be a neat experience for me," said McIntosh.

Though she sang in several choirs as a child, McIntosh didn't consider pursuing music as a career until high school. Originally intending to study engineering, it took a poor grade that she received on a physics test to lead her to believe she needed a "back-up plan".

Now with two university degrees in voice, McIntosh is hugely grateful for the impact that singing has had on her life. "I find that you meet the most interesting people throguh music, because when you sing for someone, or meet someone who has heard you sing, you kind of bypass all the surface stuff and you go right into the things that they're passionate about," she explained. "it's a neat things about music that you don't find if you meet someone through a regular day job."

Westminster Church, where McIntosh has been attending for the past three years since moving to Winnipeg from Edmonton, has been "an incredible support" to the singer throughout her journey to the national stage. Since the University of Manitoba disallowed alumni from using rehearsal space to practice, McIntosh is thankful Westminster has allowed her to use the church in order to rehearse.

Not only that, when members of the church heard of the lengthy bus ride McIntosh was travelling twice each day to go between work, rehearsal, and home, they arranged a schedule to provide the singer with rides home each day after practicing.

"They've been an incredible, incredible resource to me, and so supportive on this journey."