Ila Bumagin, Senior, Editor-in-Chief
On March 13, friends, family, and community members gathered in the Marblehead High School auditorium to hear fifteen talented students perform. Ten of these students made it on to the final round, where they will perform for judges, who include Johnny Ray, Paula Gaull, Lisa DeCarlo, and more. The prizes range from $500-$6000 for the top four finalists. The ten that moved on were chosen by popular vote on the night of the performance. While the performers were being evaluated by their audience and judges, we wanted to know how they were feeling about MGT.
MGT has been going on for many years. A lot of the performers this year had seen shows from the past and were inspired by them. Others wanted a chance to showcase things they had been working on. Charlotte Selinger said, “I don’t get many opportunities for solo performance on stage, so I had wanted to give it a try and perform a song I enjoy.”
These performers have been working not just during the past months, but their whole lives on their various talents. Many students started playing guitar, piano, or singing from an early age or during the pandemic. They took this opportunity to perform a song they liked and were comfortable with, even if it took some extra work.
Although these students are used to public performances, there’s always things to be nervous about. Some were concerned about whether the sound system would work or what response they would get from the audience. However, they made each other more comfortable performing. They said their competitors were incredibly supportive. Jacob Piaścik said, “everyone involved was exceptionally talented and it was incredible to hear everyone perform.”
Obviously, the first round is somewhat of a popularity contest. The performers reacted to this in different ways. Arianna Leahy says, “Every single person in the audience was biased, and if someone doesn’t have huge networks of friends and family willing to support you, there is no chance of moving on.” However, Lani Gilmore uses this to her advantage. She said, “I made sure to let a lot of my family, friends, and neighbors know that I’d love them to come and support me! I didn’t KNOW that I would move on, but I had a feeling I would because I had the support of people that I love.”
Whether or not they moved on, all the contestants were grateful for the experience and want to wish the finalists luck!