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QUINCY, ILL. -- Many kids and often their parents have dreams of seeing their name in lights in Hollywood and Broadway. But most of us have a lot of misconceptions about the road to get to that dream.

That was the message that talent scout Peter Sklar had for his audience Friday night at Center Stage Music in downtown Quincy.

Sklar has coached thousands of young performers and has a knack for seeing that "special something" in potential stars.

He gives lectures like this all over the country and he says it's just as important to meet the talent in small communities as it is in big cities.

Sklar says, "Most kids that have made it in this industry don't come from New York, New Jersey and California. They find their way to those casting centers but that's not where they came from. So I sort of speed up the process a little bit."

Sklar gives parents and kids five basic principles to help them get started on the right foot.

Some of those include being self-aware, eating healthy and never base any important decisions on your fears or the fear of others.