![IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Junior Zalie Mann performs “I Love to Cry at Weddings,” an ensemble piece from the fall musical Sweet Charity, to prospective students during the Fine Arts Showcase on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The showcase is a compilation of performances and demonstrations from each fine arts strand offered at McCallum. This show is put on so that prospective students can see if they are interested in joining an academy or major.
Sweet Charity originally ran the weekends of Sept. 28 and Oct. 8, but made a comeback for the Fine Arts Showcase.
“[Being at the front in the spotlight] is my favorite part of the whole dance, so I was super happy to be on stage performing and smiling at the audience,” Mann said.
Mann performed in both the musical theatre performance and dance excerpt “Ethereal,” a contemporary piece choreographed by the new dance director Terrance Carson, in the showcase. With also being a dance ambassador, Mann got to talk about what MAC dance is, her experience and answer any questions the aspiring arts majors and their parents may have.
Caption by Maya Tackett.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/53321803427_47cd17fe70_o-1-1200x800.jpg)
![SPREADING THE JOY: Sophomore Chim Becker poses with sophomores Cozbi Sims and Lou Davidson while manning a table at the Hispanic Heritage treat day during lunch of Sept 28. Becker is a part of the students of color alliance, who put together the activity to raise money for their club.
“It [the stand] was really fun because McCallum has a lot of latino kids,” Becker said. “And I think it was nice that I could share the stuff that I usually just have at home with people who have never tried it before.”
Becker recognizes the importance of celebrating Hispanic heritage at Mac.
“I think its important to celebrate,” Becker said. “Because our culture is awesome and super cool, and everybody should be able to learn about other cultures of the world.”
Caption by JoJo Barnard.](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/53221601352_4127a81c41_o-1200x675.jpg)
Percussionists come together to go ‘Solo’
Ehlers devises friendly virtual competition to bring his students together so they can bond, learn from each other
November 6, 2020
McCallum percussionists took center stage for their first performance of the year. A competitive showcase of student work — Solo Idol Night — was held virtually, but not without a little stage fright.
“I was a little worried about how I would be compared to the seniors, but I really enjoyed it,” freshman Cate Thoden said. “It was really cool seeing everyone’s different skills.”
At the Zoom event, percussionists of all grades shared solo pieces but also gained something that they had been lacking — the chance to interact with and learn from their peers.
“One of the things that I really like about the fall semester is that this freshman will stand next to this senior and get to hear that senior or that junior play all the time,” percussion director Matt Ehlers said. “That motivated me more to think about a creative way to make sure that our younger students are watching our older students play and learning from them.”
The performance inspired a sense of normalcy for those new to the program — a crucial step in student learning and to carrying out the McCallum tradition of rigorous fine arts.
“This is a really good way to get that competitive spirit and that friendly camaraderie happening again, and I think it worked,” class of 2020 alum Paolo Zambarano said. “I saw so many young players and so many freshmen just absolutely killing it.”
When we come back and are able to just be in person and rehearse together, we’re going to hit the ground running and be unstoppable.
— percussion director Matt Ehlers
Each student had an original musicality and production style. Things really heated up when Milo Donmoyer finished an unforgettable solo performance with sticks that were set on fire, much to the entertainment of his audience.
Those in attendance at the Zoom event voted for their picks from each category. The winners were Huck Langford for best drum solo, EJ Leach and Evan Bookout for best keyboard solo, Oliver Harrington for best video production and Donmoyer for most entertaining. The most improved, as voted on by the teachers, were Jack Strub, Thomas Ross and Cate Thoden.
In a year where much has changed, these players remain upbeat about the possibilities to come, especially veteran students who can step up as role models and inspire new performers to improve their craft.
“That’s really a thing that really drives you to get better in music,” Langford said. “When you have someone and you think ‘when I’m their age I want to be better or as good as them,’ and I know that that was really a big thing for me. I hope that I can sort of embody that for someone else as I know what it was for me.”
with reporting by Samantha Powers
This story was originally published on The Shield Online on November 4, 2020.
