The Super Talented Teens of North Kingstown High School

North Kingstown High School held its annual "Variety Show" last evening at the high school's auditorium. A $5 admission charge at the door afforded you a seat to view some of North Kingstown's most talented teens. These teens, like their athletic counterparts at NKHS, have practiced for years (some of them their entire scholastic careers) to be the very best they can be at their musical or artistic craft. Unlike their athletic counterparts, these talented teens from North Kingstown will most likely not be interviewed for local newspapers and media outlets, special Friday night segments for music are not in vogue for local TV stations, and major booster clubs are no where to be found supporting the arts and music programs of North Kingstown High School. A new stadium and sports facility has been approved, built, and is being utilized by the athletes at North Kingstown High School this very fall season and will be in place for years to come. Meanwhile, a variety show of some of the most talented musicians and performers had to rely on a rotation of guitar amps (one of which was mine) orchestrated by a series of technicians so the audience could hear the music, as opposed to a more modern sound system in the auditorium. A sound system upgrade in the auditorium for a championship music program that consistently flies so far off the radar that I'm sure most of North Kingstown has any idea of its brilliance. But I highly doubt that most of North Kingstown has now been fully briefed on the championship levels of the North Kingstown High School Athletics program. When it comes down to it, music and the arts are just not given enough press, enough praise, enough support by the majority here in North Kingstown. I say...Musicians, Artists, talented teens who speak your mind about sensitive topics - you are champions as well.

I have known Coach Joe Gilmartin and Coach Aaron Thomas for close to 30 years, each. I have the utmost respect for both as parents, coaches, mentors, and members of the North Kingstown High School Athletic community. I praise their leadership on the field, on the court, in the classrooms, in the locker room, and in the school hallways. They have both coached athletic teams to Rhode Island state titles, won individual coaches' awards and their teams are frequently covered on TV and in the newspapers. But did you know that North Kingstown High School's music director Toni Silveira has directed concert after concert brilliantly, has mentored and developed a long list of All-State musicians, and has orchestrated and oversaw successful musical competitions for North Kingstown High School here in Rhode Island and around the Northeast for years? Again, flying under the radar, musicians and their musical director do not get the press or praise of their athletic counterparts. I congratulate the athletic program of North Kingstown High School on their hard work and dedication to their sport. And wish them well in their endeavors. And in the 4 years since my son has been involved with the music program at North Kingstown High School, I have developed the utmost respect for the musician brilliance and mentorship of Mrs Toni Silveira.

Here is a list of the championship quality talent that was on display last night in North Kingstown. Some of the acts brought tears to my eyes. Others made me clap my hands and tap my toes to the groovy beat. All of them made me smile just thinking about how absolutely brave and talented these teens are. Could you stand in front of a packed audience of your family and your peers at age 15 and sing and play guitar or piano? If you could, I commend you. Words cannot possibly describe just how amazing the show was, but I will give it a try...

• Chris Dunlaevy opened the show with a tremendous opening monologue. Mr. Dunlaevy connected with his peers (a few adults like myself) in the crowd on a number of topics including the recent cellphone ban at the school, the vaping issue in the bathrooms, the music program's budget vs the athletic department's budget from a recent bond award, and really started the night off in a youthful, spirited way.
• My son, Spencer, and his longtime friend Ellie Damm started the show with a wonderful duet rendition of the late Amy Winehouse's "Valerie." With Spencer on the piano and both he and Ellie singing harmony, it was an incredible start to the show.
• The goosebumps were in full effect, the tears started, and the joy of music was on full display for Act 2. Sam Crawford and Abbey Pezza sang the hit "Shallow" from "A Star Is Born," proving to most that this song is one of the most emotional and beautiful things that has happened to music in the past few years. Sam and Abbey, you are just so talented.
• Champions come in all sizes, as was evident by the performance of Gabriel Anthony. His feet barely touched the ground sitting at the piano, but his musical talent is as tall as a sequoia. His wonderful piano piece "L'Orage (The Storm)" was a thunderstorm of musical genius on the piano. By the way "l'orage" translates into English as "thunderstorm." Amazing job.
• Lauren Costa - bright lights and violin and big smile - entertained the crowd accompanying a video montage of Disney® movie and their soundtracks. It was a great display of showmanship and of course, musical talent.
• Nate Powers was part of the talent show's many performers on the piano with his rendition of Lewis Capaldi's "Someone You Loved," an emotional song which Nate sung with a lot of heart. Nate was brave in his rendition and his piano play was exceptional. Great performance Nate.
• I have watched Danny Ventura play piano for several years, through Wickford Middle School's concerts, All-State events, and now at the North Kingstown High School. If you think there is a better piano player that lives in North Kingstown, at any age, that is better than Danny Ventura, you are wrong. Danny accompanied Mikayla Orosco on stage for a beautiful performance of Alicia Keys "If I Ain't Got You." Mikayla's voice was sensational and their rendition of this hit song was just spectacular.
• The ukulele is subtle yet emotionally powerful instrument in the music world. Abraham Salomon III walked on stage with his ukulele, sat on the concert stage's floor with legs draped over the edge, and performed an emotional instrumental version of the timeless classic "Hallelujah." I sang the words to myself as Abraham skillfully played this beautiful song to perfection. Great job Abraham.
• Jessie Hauke chose the 1990's ballad "More than Words" by the Boston based heavy metal group "Extreme" as her variety show act. Her vocal talents were amazing as she navigated up and down the tricky pitch changes in the song. I thought it was a fantastic performance of a very challenging song to sing.
• Even up until the day off the Variety show, I asked my son Spencer what the name of his original song was for the Variety Show. He finally figured it out, apparently. "Original Song" was performed by some of my favorite musical talents here in North Kingstown, collectively known as "The 806." The kind of musical talent that will play in bands and concerts and in front of audiences for years to come. Along with Spencer on stage were Mateo Garcia on the drums, Leah Popovic and Sam Crawford on vocals, Dylan Gentile on guitar, and Liam Horwitz-Smith on piano. "The 806" wrote and composed "Original Song" together as a band, as a team, as a group of musical talents and it was just so awe inspiring to witness. Spencer, you make me so proud every time you perform. And to the 806 band, you played so awesome together. Great job one and all members of the "The 806". Side note, Sam met me after the show and told me "This will not be the last time you hear from 'The 806.'" Sam, I'm holding you to that!!!
• A brief intermission gave the crowd an opportunity to catch its collective breathes before the second round of talent came on stage.
• Throughout the first round of talent and into the second round, Chris Dunleavy along with Leah Popovic, Ellen Naughton, and Lauren Rogers introduced performers, continued to hit on topics related to North Kingstown High School policies, and entertain the crowd with tasteful humor.
• The first act of the second set was Kyle Takata and a stunning version of "Old Fashioned." Kyle's charismatic voice, expert piano play, smooth style, confidence galore just captivated me and the crowd. I was so impressed by his performance. Great job Kyle.
• Leah Popovic is one of the most talented performers North Kingstown High School has. She plays several instruments with proficiency. And sings with a swagger that most dream about. True story, my best friend who is in the music industry, attended an event I held for teen musicians a few summers back. His comment when watching Leah on stage that night, "that girl is talented." Her performance of The Foundations "Build Me Up Buttercup" was entertaining and uplifting and had the crowd clapping along with her. Leah, you are talented, No Doubt!
• Lizzie Costa, in costume and raring to go, sang a spirited version of "Sante Fe" from the Broadway musical "Newsies." Lizzie strutted around the stage and sang with a strength and confidence that just electrified the crowd. I liked the fact that she dressed in costume and performed as if she were in the actual musical. Great performance Lizzie.
• What more can I say about Danny Ventura. He is simply a musical wonder on the piano and his "Alice in Wonderland" piece did not disappoint. Great work again Danny.
• Julia Tobin came onstage next with her acoustic guitar and performed "Mad World." Singing and playing guitar beautifully, Julia did a fantastic rendition of this song. I really enjoyed Julia's take on this song as did the crowd. Awesome job Julia.
• The Tik Tok Dancers - Jenna Campbell, Jaime Tarbox, Katelyn Haberle, Julia Izzo - danced through a medley of popular songs with spirit, enthusiasm, and camaraderie. Each girl laughed and spun around and had a blast of fun on stage. Great job Tik Tok Dancers.
• A few years back, I was introduced to a young man who played the piano and had the voice of Frank Sinatra. His name was Nathan Hoogasian and I hadn't seen or heard from him until last night. I think Nathan maybe talented enough for an audition on "The Voice" or one of those reality music shows someday, should he decide to pursue music. His voice is supernatural and his talent is boundless. Last night, playing the piano, Nathan joined Abigail Wilkinson for the Elton John classic "Bennie and The Jets." Abigail's voice was so lovely and her harmony with Nathan was extraordinary. Nathan played the song on the piano, note for note, with excellence. Great performance Abigail and Nathan.
• Ellie Damm returned to the stage to sing an emotional rendition of "Warrior." The crowd cheered as Ellie sang beautifully through this challenging vocal piece. Another one of my son's friends throughout his entire North Kingstown school years, I was really proud of Ellie's performance and so happy for her family as well.
• 'The 806' band were back on stage to close out the evening. Their ensemble grew by 1 musician for the final song of the night "Superstition," the Stevie Wonder hit of the 1970's. Tyler Volucci, a ridiculously talented saxophone player, joined the band as they absolutely grooved and crushed "Superstition." The scene got even more uplifting as the entire roster of acts came onto the stage and danced and sang along. All of the musically talented teens from North Kingstown sharing a moment together on stage, allowing the crowd to cheer and congratulate them collectively. It was a special moment and a perfect way to end the 2019 Variety Show.

Special thanks to the production crew of Laura McIntosh, Kyra Tougas, Jake Lacouture, Nina Garcia, Maya Gamble, and Travis Hunter for their work on setting up the amps, the chairs, the microphones, and working the audio and video equipment during the show. Thank you to student advisers Mrs. Garcia and Mrs. Tavano for providing mentorship and advice and for coordinating the show. The footer on the back of the program read "Thank you for coming. We hope you enjoyed the show." I absolutely, 100%, enjoyed the show.