Darien Library Showcases Talented Teens in the Second Annual:
“So You Think You Can Do Something”
NEIRAD enilno edition
The small theater at the Darien Library was brimming with activity. The Teen Advisory Board was holding its second annual teen talent competition officially called “So You Think You Can Do Something.” In this show, the performers were competing for a chance to win $350, and the audience had a chance to win $50 in a raffle. According to the board’s vice president, Caroline Farrington, last year’s event was a huge success, “with almost a 100 audience members and about 30 performers, including bands, singers, musicians, dancers, etc.”
This year was another great night on Jan. 22. Although this is the second year the library has done the talent show, it is the first year that Erica Leone, the Teen Services Librarian, has been in charge of it. At the end of the night Leone said, “I think this went really well. Everyone had fun, and it went pretty smoothly. We had a ton of performers and over 100 people attending.”
Although there were some awkward pauses for equipment changes, the night did go smoothly, with one act after another showcasing the extremely talented teens of Darien. The drastic transitions from metal rock band to classical piano showed the variety of talent present in the small auditorium at the Darien Library.
The night started off with the band Stealing Free Samples playing “Animal” by Neon Trees and a mash-up of “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and “Let It Be.” This great band was followed up by Closed for the Night playing “You Found Me” by The Fray. Senior Zach Heyde was the next performer, playing a piano medley of his own making. This year he was not playing to compete because he won the competition last year, along with the prize of $350. When asked about the talent competition, Heyde said, “It’s a great opportunity for kids who don’t do stuff in school to express their talents or abilities in a friendly environment.”
After his solo act, Heyde was joined by sophomore Will Trautmann on drums. First the duo played a medley together, and then they played a piece that was created by Heyde the day before, but Trautmann had never heard before. It was amazing that even though Trautmann had never heard the piece before, he was able to improvise a perfect accompaniment. Then Heyde left the stage and Trautmann played drums on his own, playing songs he composed himself and accompanied by his own music on his iPod. This was a very interesting and entertaining way to listen to and watch a drummer play on his own.
Following Trautmann’s great performance, Heyde took the stage again to play along with the metal rock band called Forging Utopia. This type of music was a bit different from what the audience had heard so far that night. The beat was resonating through the floor as the band played loud and proud. The most striking transition of the night was going from the boisterous metal rock of Forging Utopia, to the classical piano music beautifully composed and played by sixth grader Christopher Jessa. He was followed by sophomore Chris McGlade playing and singing his own songs on guitar, including “When I Arrive” and “Wait for You.” His songs were very catchy and upbeat with happy lyrics that everyone enjoyed.
Then Christina Noujaim took the stage to beautifully sing “Reflection” from the movie “Mulan.” She was followed by seventh grader Savannah Chaput who did a great job singing “The Only Exception” by Paramore. DHS senior EJ Couloucoundis was the next to take the mic and sing “Broken Vow” by Josh Groban and “Haven’t Met You Yet” by Michael Bublé. Next, senior Elizabeth Leimkuhler got up and gave an awesome performance of “Ego” by Beyonce. As she took the stage, Danielle Tilford (a member of the Teen Advisory Board and host of the night) announced that Elizabeth wanted to “dedicate this song to her own sparkling ego.” After her breathtaking performance, the audience heard some raps by “T-Pain” a.k.a. senior Patricia Cadreanu. The night was rounded out by the Middle School Dance Crew performing a short number, and the last performance was a contemporary dance to the song “My Face.”
At the end of the night, there were three winners. First, the raffle winner of $50 was senior Daniela Orozco. Orozco was thrilled by her luck, saying, “It was a really cool way to spend my Saturday night, and I got $50 out of it, so that made it even better. I mean how many times can you go out and get $50 bucks?” The second place in the competition, winning $150, was Forging Utopia, and the ultimate winner of $350 was Elizabeth Leimkuhler.
All in all, it really was a great way to spend a Saturday night. Seeing all of the talent that our town holds was a great experience. All of the competitors had a great time performing in such a friendly environment. Make sure to check out next year’s “So You Think You Can Do Something?” Teen Talent Competition.
