The Performing Arts Showcase took place on May 25th at 7:00 p.m. in the band room, featuring everything from sweaty hard rock covers of critically acclaimed songs from hit show Spongebob Squarepants by Terrace Got Talent contestants, to improv games from the MTHS drama department that sent the audience into potentially lethal fits of laughter. Hosted by junior Braden Ryder and his mime sidekick, junior Collin Fahey, students sang songs from every genre imaginable, from beautiful ballads and indie classics to relaxing melodies and rap-rock anthems. Others played original avant-garde jazz pieces, pop rock throwbacks, and orchestral compositions. Teachers even got into the spirit of the showcase, with orchestra teacher Jennifer Schillen and choir teacher Gintare Seiger performing a piano-viola duet together to much applause.
After a display of so much hard work, what could make such a night better? Well, our lovely mime, Fahey, had just the answer, breaking his silence to sing a beautiful duet in Italian with Ryder that brought tears to the audience’s eyes. The rest of the Mime Club, who had previously been in the audience, came up onto the stage in support, promoting their upstart club that meets on Tuesdays, supposedly run by Darin Faul.
All in all, the small showcase was a blast, having a similar energy to a garage concert. It featured a smaller space and audience than what most school events usually have, but in exchange, the showcase felt tight-knit and had a strong sense of community.
If you weren’t at the showcase and just let out a disappointed sigh reading the paragraphs above, cursing your past self for missing this event to do silly things like “homework” or going to “work”, worry not! Hopes are high among organizers and attendees that this showcase won’t be a one-off event, and can regularly occur to promote the artistic talents of MTHS. But while letting the arts flourish was the main goal of this event, there’s a deeper reason why the showcase is so important.
As most already know, for the 2023-24 school year, MTHS is facing major budget cuts due to a shortfall of state funding, and a lot of the damage is going to fall on art programs, as well as the STEM program and CTE classes. The cuts will lead to symphonic band and Jazz 2 merging together, and the only percussion, choir and after school theater class will be entirely cut. Cuts like this damage student expression and creativity, as well as the friendships and community they develop in these programs, but the Performing Arts showcase hopes to revive these programs by continuing to create noise among the public about the struggle for students to hone their talents, possibly reaching state legislation for increased federal funding for the ESD.
So what can you, dear reader, do to help the performing arts at MTHS survive? Support future plans to make the Performing Arts Showcase a regular event by showing up to the next one, or even signing up to perform! More support for this showcase will fire up the fight against the budget cuts to the arts, building the pressure on the Edmonds School District and Washington State legislators to keep programs encouraging student expression alive.
