Musselman High School held its annual talent show the Friday before Thanksgiving, continuing a tradition that has lasted for more than fifteen years. The winners were Tanysha Rivera in first, Ezekiel Rosario in second, and Kellin Little in third place. Overall, Ezekiel won the popular vote.
Tanysha Rivera sang “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston, beautifully, leading her to win overall. In second place, Ezekiel Rosario played piano and sang “Let Them See You” by Colton Dixon. Last of all, Kellin Little played the guitar and sang “Vienna” by Billy Joel. Mr. Miller, the choir teacher, gave some insight about the construction of the talent show: “The talent show was a month-long process that began with selecting staff members to participate and gathering student acts.”
Performances were arranged intentionally so that similar acts were not grouped together, creating a smooth and entertaining show for the audience.
Significant work occurred behind the scenes to bring the event together. The MSET team managed sound, while several students assisted by controlling music in the auditorium, selling tickets during lunch, and promoting the event. Leadership students created marketing materials including flyers and signs.
The talent show did not include full rehearsals beyond matching performers to their music. Instead, students were required to audition with their acts fully memorized from start to finish. This helped build confidence before stepping onto a stage in front of nearly 550 students.
“For the students, it takes a long time because they have to be comfortable enough to sing in front of their peers which is one of the hardest things that students have to do,” explained Mr. Miller. “The goal is always to create a diverse program that keeps the audience engaged from beginning to end.”
Mr. Miller also made sure to include a variety of talents.
This year, twenty-three acts auditioned, though there were twenty-two acts in the actual show. Five judges scored the performances. Judges included Karen Carl, a substitute for Berkeley County Schools, who also helped recruit others.such as: former principal, Holly Kleppner; former leadership staff member, Holly Branch, former science teacher, Brenda Waterworth, and Dr. Branch, a principal from Mountain Ridge Middle School.
All five judges enjoyed being a part of the show, and Mr. Miller hopes to welcome them back in future years.
With over a month of preparation, dozens of student helpers, and a wide range of performances on stage, this year’s talent show was another memorable moment in Musselman’s history.