Open Mic Night provides a venue for students to show their artistic talents and perform for their classmates in a low-stakes environment. With an average of about 60 students and faculty attending this fun Friday night event, there is no denying that the popularity of the event is on the rise. However, with the second Open Mic Night having just passed, the Episcopal community only is hosting only one more Open Mic Night this upcoming year in May. An increase in the amount of Open Mic Nights would grant students more chances to explore the arts at Episcopal with the support of their community.
Students find Open Mic Night to be a welcoming and open-minded place to showcase their unique talents. Phoebe Barr ‘19, now well-known for her amazing stand-up comedy at Open Mic Night, realized that she had this talent after an assignment she did in a creative writing class. After receiving a great reception, she decided that she would try her hand at a stand-up routine at an Open Mic. “I never thought it was going to be a recurring thing,” Barr said. “I just decided to just try it out.” Barr continued, “I felt like Open Mic Night was the best place to try this because the audience there is very supportive.”
Barr was not alone in trying new things at Open Mic Night. Before the latest Open Mic event, Minjee Cho ‘19 had previously never performed a solo. She said, “I’ve always loved singing, but it was always with a big group or casually along with friends.” Once Cho decided that she wanted to perform, she felt that Open Mic was the best place to do it. Cho said, “I was extremely nervous to perform at Open Mic Night, but I honestly loved it, and I would definitely do it again.” Grace Hennigan ‘19 remarked on her friend’s performance that “it was amazing to see Minjee Cho perform. It was the first time I saw her perform a solo, and it was great that Open Mic Night provided an opportunity for her to display her talents.”
Open Mic Night has also been a nice way for students to learn more about the arts at Episcopal. Nishant Thangada ‘19 said, “It is really cool to see people at Open Mic Night perform. I love going to all the sports games, but I feel like I never get to see people in the arts to perform.” Hennigan adds, “I love going to Open Mic Night and watching everyone perform. It is a great way for people to try all sorts of new things, from stand-up comedy to singing. I think we should hold more Open Mic Nights; everyone truly enjoys them whether they are observing or performing”
It is clear that Open Mic Night has a great reputation among the EA community, but with only three performances a year, students are not able to express their talents as frequently as they would like. By hosting more Open Mic Nights, Episcopal Academy students will be able to further explore their artistic talents and the rest of the community be able to experience the incredible talents of their peers in the performing arts.