SMMS Talent Show

I had an amazing experience last night. The Middle School portion of SMMHS held a talent show. This has been a longstanding event at the Middle School. It is sponsored by the PTA and put on purely by volunteers, led by Rick and Tracy Faulkner and assisted by my wife, Snoda, though there was faculty help by John Lennon, Theatre teacher and wrestling coach. I don't have the exact number of kids who performed, but it was more than double of last year. Over 30 acts with more than 40 kids sang, danced, played, acted and rapped for a standing room only audience.

While I confess that that the rhythms weren't always metronomic and the pitches weren't always perfect, the enthusiasm and courage of these kids was awesome. Several accompanied themselves on instruments including guitars, harp and a very nice mandolin performance, while others sang to recorded music. There were several skits, an outstanding baton/dance routine, a hilarious Canadian rap song and something called the "chicken wing song" (you had to be there) among many others.

I would be remiss not to mention my daughter, Mary Eliza who performed three songs on her harp including singing "My Favorite Things" from the Sound of Music and also appeared in a skit that she wrote herself and put on with several friends. I certainly know how hard she worked on her performances and I'm sure the others did as well.

The evening finished with two rock bands, Battlefield and OCD. This topped the evening off with a huge amount of energy. I hope to see more of these guys soon (and am already working on other opportunities for them to play).

Finally, I have to mention the audience. First, I must say that when the school was being built I was disappointed that they didn't include a full-size auditorium. Both high schools I attended had full sized auditoriums for assemblies, pep rallies, band and chorus concerts and theatre productions. I was told that if such an auditorium were built, "it would never be used". However, I know that the small theatre at SMMHS is in great demand for all sorts of school and community activities and we were concerned last night about turning people away to keep the fire marshall happy. However, the audience that was there was impressive in their behavior. Filled with adults and many students, they were quiet and respectful during performances, applauded even the most awkward moments and gave standing ovations to several outstanding performances. The support that these kids showed for their fellow performers and students was impressive. We have a great school filled with great kids. There is an amazing amount of talent at this school, on and off the athletic field! I would urge all citizens, even those without kids at the school to start attending some of these performances and see what the future holds. Believe me, it is bright indeed.