REVIEW: Night of Acoustics showcased the talent of the SCHS community

Itzel Samano

Senior Connie Flores sings ¨One Last Cry¨ by Brian McKnight.

The whole cafeteria goes silent as the lights turn off and the backtrack starts playing. From the silence, the first voice begins to sing a melody.

The annual SCHS Night of Acoustics took place on Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

One of the first acts of the night was Biology teacher Mary Haddad singing “Love Song,” originally sung by Sara Bareilles. Before she started, Haddad shared with the audience that it was her first time playing the piano in public and that she was very grateful to be able to share that moment with the audience. Minor mistakes were made throughout the song, but the audience encouraged her with cheers. Haddad’s rendition of the song, with her small unplanned dance moves, livened the mood of the night.

The night was filled with multiple talented duets. One performance that stood out was seniors Samantha Hamilton and Victoria Johnson’s rendition of “Build Me Up Buttercup” by The Foundations. Their harmonizing stood out because of how well their vocals complemented each other, but their solos within the song were also strong. Both of their voices were clean and soft, which magnified the fluffy lyrics of the song.

Another highlight of the show was Physics and AVID teacher Ian Martin-Fodor’s performance of the guitar solo from “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” by Led Zeppelin. Martin-Fodor was able to convey suspense with just the strings of his instrument. Although there was no singing to accompany the guitar, he built the mood of the song with the contrasting and unique chords.

Night of Acoustics came to an end with a very powerful solo by senior Connie Flores singing “One Last Cry” by Brian McKnight. There was no need for a microphone to hear her passionate vocals. Emotion filled the room as her compelling voice delivered the sentimental song. The audience was able to feel the sorrowful lyrics with the help of Flores’s talent.

The night was characterized by many familiar faces who were able to share their talent to friends and family who attended Night of Acoustics.