The Faces Behind The Talent

An in-depth look at some of the performers in the 2015 Variety Show

Cooler weather means drinking hot beverages, wearing cozy sweaters, and crunching fallen leaves under your feet. But to students at WCA, the arrival of the fall season is marked by Wildcat Weekend. During this festive weekend, parents and students attend events such as Pride Night on Friday, a community dinner hosted by Parents Advancing Westminster, a Carnival hosted by the Student Council on Saturday, and finally a student variety show on Saturday night. The variety show is an opportunity for students to showcase their talents in a community setting. After spending most of the weekend celebrating the school’s athletic talents and achievements, the weekend ends by encouraging students in displaying their artistic talents as well. For over ten years, the variety show has been a fun event for the audience, the performers, and the judges alike. Acts in the show range from serious singers and musicians to students who just want to have a good time. No matter what the talent is, audiences are sure to be amused by it. Though those who watched the show on October 17 may have been wowed by unexpected talent, there are still many questions left unanswered regarding the backgrounds of the performers. Who are some of the faces behind the talent at WCA?

THE PIANO POPSTAR

Anna Huynh, senior, has been playing the piano since she was five years old and singing since she was three. She sings at her church in the mornings and also at her youth group. At WCA, she has been involved in mixed chorus, concert choir, and chamber choir. After years of wanting to audition for the variety show, Huynh finally found the perfect song—”Grand Piano” by Nicki Minaj.

“At first, I was skeptical about doing a Nicki Minaj song because I didn’t know if it would be appropriate or not. But I wanted to do the song because of its beautiful, vulnerable melody. The song is very unexpected from Nicki, and I like that factor of it,” said Huynh.

Huynh’s inspiration for music comes mainly from motivating herself to step outside her comfort zone. Regarding music icons she looks up to, Beyoncé is her number one.

“I could always say Beyoncé since she’s a queen and such a powerful icon in music,” said Huynh.

2 $WAG 4 U

The dynamic duo, 2 $wag 4 U, consists of members Morgan Brasier and Alyson McKie, seniors. The group was formed just this year when Brasier and McKie decided to finally take their talents to the stage.

“Morgan and I often enjoy dancing to what we call ‘our jams’. We would often turn our music loud and sing and rap and krump or do another kind of swaggy dance. So we decided we should do this for the talent show to show people a new side of us,” said McKie.

Their musical inspiration comes primarily from YouTube star, Tyler Oakley, who often introduces the two to many of their jams. They are also inspired by those who invent memorable dance moves such as the Cupid Shuffle, the whip, and the wobble.

The song they chose to perform for the variety show, “Lip Gloss” by Lil Mama, is always a crowd-pleaser.

“‘Lip Gloss’ is a song that really speaks to the masses. First of all, it is Academy-approved. But really it inspired us to wear lip gloss and rock it. It teaches us that our lip gloss really is ‘poppin’ and all girls can wear lip gloss and boost their self-confidence so they can go throughout their day walking taller while looking like a baller,” said McKie.

VIVA LA BUMBLEBEE

Many may know Liu as an involved member of the robotics team and a serious science student. In addition to her interest in science, Liu has been playing violin since she was four years old and has been in the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra for four years now. For this year’s Variety Show, she chose to play the challenging piece, “Flight of the Bumblebee.”

“My first hour CAD (Computer Aided Design) class chose it for me. Nathan Hall told me to play in the Variety Show, Mr. Shultz said I should play Flight of the Bumblebee, and then other people in my class agreed,” said Liu.

Liu’s interest in music started at a young age when she was inspired by her father to start playing violin.

“He would take out his violin, and I would grab for it when I was a toddler,” said Liu.

Like many other musicians, Liu has a nickname for her instrument.

“I call my violin ‘Blondie’ because it was made by Blondelet, a French violin maker, in 1927,” said Liu.

In addition to her solo act in the variety show, she also played in a violin quartet with Sabrina Bringham, senior, Josh Jones, freshman, and Patrick Chambers, eighth grader. Liu got the group together to play a cover of Coldplay’s song, “Viva La Vida.”

“I like violin because it’s a way to be expressive. It’s also challenging, and I like challenges,” said Liu.