Youngsters from across the island showed off their talents at an Evening Light Pentecostal Church youth event.

Dancers, musicians and performers as young as 8 demonstrated their skills to the church community in the third annual “What’s Love Got to do With It” event on Friday.

Kannen Dickinson, 8, signed up to show off his saxophone skills — an instrument he learnt entirely on his own.

He said: “In April last year, I just looked up lessons on YouTube and tried out a bunch of songs.”

“I wanted to play a Kenny G song for the show, so I listened to The Moment a lot and started playing the same keys out of nowhere on my saxophone.

“I heard the song last week, so I practised it for about two days.”

The Bermuda Institute student explained that he had been playing instruments since he was a baby when he got his first pair of bongos.

Since then he has learnt to play the drums, harmonica, guitar, and piano, which he played in the concert last year.

Kannen, from Hamilton Parish, wants to perform at the concert next year.

He said: “Next time, I want to put some more style into it, like some nice sounding notes and stuff like that.”

Dakota Tucker, 14, said that her time singing in Bermuda Teen Idol last year made her more confident and prepared to sing on stage this time around.

She said: “I always drive to do better and Teen Idol helped me to understand that I should always do my best in everything.”

“However, I feel like there’s always room for me to grow as a singer and as a person, so I don’t feel overconfident and perfect.”

The Bermuda Institute pupil spent the past week preparing a number of songs before she settled on a rendition of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen.

She said that events like these were important to support and grow the talents of her younger peers.

Dakota explained: “I feel like it’s important for youth talent to be presented and shown because young people have a lot of talent and sometimes it’s not acknowledged.

“I feel like adults get more recognition instead of children getting to go out there and enjoy performing.

“But I think that it’s getting better for the youth — people are putting more effort into doing different events and promoting the youth.”

Pat O’Connor, the organiser, said opportunities like this gave children a chance to grow.

She said: “I find it’s a good way to bring young people from different churches and all of the island together.

“I don’t think a lot of young people recognise the importance of finding your gift, so I try to show them they’re here for a reason, and if they nurture it then it will pave the way for them.”