This last May, Terrace had another Performing Arts Showcase, with one of the largest varieties of performances yet.
The Performing Arts Showcase has become a more and more frequent occurrence, letting more and more students show off their talents. The most recent show, on May 22, featured 10 different performances in the band room.
The first performer, Alexander Kim, performed a violin solo of Obertass Mazurka by Wienawski. While one of the most classical performances, it demonstrated impressive technical skill.
The next performance was by the group “Kidney Failure” consisting of Charli Gilchrist and Jason Perkins. They played “Brightside” by The Killers, with Perkins playing bass guitar and Gilchrist playing guitar and singing the vocals. Gilchrist also noted that they had only been playing guitar for a month, and hadn’t ever played guitar on stage before. Still, even without much experience they played chords while singing at the same time while Perkins played the rhythm on bass.
The performance after was a full group, including Terina Papatu who sang vocals, Edgar Alvarez Hernandez and Brody Rees who played guitar, Liam Rees who played drums, and Allen Vernon who played bass guitar. They played the Regrettes’ “California Friends” and Judas Priest’s “Breaking the Law.” The performance was very energetic, and really engaged the crowd.
The next singer was Amsalu Mitchell, or “Nineren,” who performed an original song, “Finisher with a Banger” about getting the winning goal in a soccer game. The featured a backing track, and his unique singing style that he’s shown at other Performing Arts Showcases before.
Another group was next to play, and they performed “Black Sheep” by Metric and Brie Larson from the movie “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” The group consisted of Sophie, Olivia, Basieba and Masha, a few of which actually learned their instruments in the band program’s Music Performance Collective class.
Papatu and Gilchrist came on stage again, but this time in a duet they sang “Slipping through my fingers” from the movie “Mamma Mia.”
Another duet was between Justin Ho, a guitarist, and the pianist Sofie Ionitsa. They played two jazz duets, and both musicians showed amazing talent. Ionitsa was also announcing for the show all night, introducing the performers and keeping the audience engaged.
Next performing was Dustin, who played a solo of Jaydes’ “Hysteric.” He sang vocals and played acoustic guitar, giving a heartfelt performance.
The next Band to perform was “Dino Maths,” who played “Bridge of Sighs.” As the name suggests, Dino Aristides the math teacher played guitar, even performing a guitar solo, Gilchrist returned once again to sing vocals, and Leon Portolese played bass guitar.
The final act was by the band Surprise Sandwich, consisting of Edgar Alvarez Hernandez, Brody Rees, Liam Rees, and Allen Vernon who were returning once again for a final performance also featuring “Gurt the Gorilla,” a stuffed gorilla who joined them while they played “Climb a Tree.” They quickly grabbed the audience’s attention and kept them excited throughout the show, giving a fantastic ending to the showcase.
The Performing Arts Showcases allow students to show talents that they may not get to show regularly in school, and is another way for Terrace’s students to express themselves. As long as traditions like these continue into future years, students will continue to have outputs for their creativity.
This year isn’t quite done yet however, and they’re hosting another Performing Arts Showcase for June 12, 7 p.m. in the MTHS band room.
