Whippany Park High School's Night of Acoustic Music

Etcetera's 2013 Unplugged Event

by Eddie Jin (WPHS Class of 2013)

Amidst a cold a dreary January night, Whippany Park High School held its now-annual Unplugged event.

The event had been a great success the year before, and prospects were high that this year’s event would bring more music enthusiasts than ever. Unplugged features only acoustic performances, all of which required an audition to perform.

As the event began, people forgot their misgivings about the cold and warmed up to the sounds of music emanating from the cafeteria. Students, parents, and faculty alike munched on chocolate treats, purchased bookmarks in memoriam, and became enthralled with the night of music.

Opening the show was the hit boy-band “Manizzle and the Three Drizzles.” Their performance, which resulted in eruptions of laughter from the audience, was a cover of One Direction’s song “What Makes You Beautiful.” Whether this cover was satirical remains to be determined.

Other talented singers and musicians held their fair share of the night. Demi Horn belted out a soulful “Your Song” by Ellie Goulding, while Kelly Kim and Gionna Delpurgatorio teamed to present Lady Gaga’s hit “Paparazzi.” Mike Tai, Nick Kim, Kelsey Potkay, and Grace Kim harmonized together and performed Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years.”

After the first thirteen performances, the ERASE club (End Violence and Sexism Everywhere) presented a heart-wrenching documentary on Burma during the intermission. It showcased the genocide and the harsh reality of this world in Burma, happening beneath our very noses. And yet, certain events as these are not highlighted in everyday news. ERASE offered a bake sale, of which all profits would go towards an anti-genocide campaign.

Despite the rather pessimistic tone of the documentary, the performers and audience did not let this get to them. Another fourteen mellifluous, pleasing performances would come.

The Whiptones, a well-known local group, harmonized for “Shaboom” by The Chords. The level of synergy between the members of the group was unmatched. John Kotchkowski shot out a soulful “25 Kome No Senshoukutai” and “If I Had a Gun.” Closing the night were Ashley Lai and Ben Lawrence’s rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables that was sure to evoke tears.

All in all, while such a night would not be passed down to the grandchildren in the distant future, the memory of the experience would remain intact. The fact that the musicians had guts to perform, coupled with the fact that a few hundred audience members attended attested to the success of the night.

When everyone left the building at the end of the night, they left the building warm – and the bitter frost of January behind.