By By KEVIN WILLIAMSON
Calgary Sun

She didn't make the band, but Amber Weening still has popstars in her eyes.

The Calgary singer-songwriter watched with friends and family last night as the producers of Popstars -- the hit reality-TV show charting the creation of Canada's first all-girl group -- made their final round of cuts.

Weening -- one of 10 finalists selected out of 4,000 young women picked during cross-country auditions last summer -- didn't make it to the final five.

"I'm just thankful how far I made it," she said last night.

"It's been an amazing experience."

Weening got the bad news from group manager Michael Geddes, who told her in person at her home nearly two weeks after she returned from a week-long "bootcamp" in Toronto last fall.

"I was sad. But it wasn't the end of the world. This was a stepping stone." But she admits she was both "nervous and excited" as she waited for the final verdict.

"At nighttime, I had a hard time sleeping."

But in the end, the judges felt her vocal stylings were too dynamic to blend into a group.

"I had a different style than the others.

"I just sang the same way I've sung my whole life. And I sang to the best of my ability."

Right now, Weening plans to take a break from studying music at Mount Royal Bible College to take advantage of "the buzz" around the show as a springboard for a solo career.

Geddes has said he'll shop her demos -- which she plans to have completed in the next few weeks -- around Toronto.

"This is the time to do it."

And for now, she plans to stay in Calgary -- though she doesn't rule out a move to Toronto.

"It's not about being famous. I hope to get my music out."

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