By: T.J. Hug
The Village Reporter
Once again, the time for the Edon’s Got Talent contest fell upon the village. Residents of Edon came in droves to see junior high and high school students compete against one another, matching talent for talent.
This year, singing was the popular choice for the competitors to express their talents, though there were those who strayed away from that option in favor of a more exotic fare.
The show kicked off with Crista Wortkoetter and Alexia Ewers singing a duet version of Tim McGraw, with Jacob Long playing his guitar to the tune of the Taylor Swift song. The act was a touching one, with dim lighting setting the atmosphere for the slow paced performance.
The sibling duo of Zoe and Alyssa Maier performed Adele Mashup, a beautiful piano piece, together. Both of the sisters have extensive experience with the complex instrument, and it showed with their handling of the difficult musical number. Alyssa would again take the stage later in the evening, when she would sing for a three way ensemble.
The loudest participant of the evening, Naomi Hickman played a “Drum Mashup” for her talent, playing a variety of rock songs on her drum set. She wasn’t afraid to show off her dexterity, occasionally twirling her sticks as she bashed on the drums. In her introductions, it was touted that Hickman “doesn’t drop a drum stick,” which proved true. She did, however, break one during the course of her performance, though it didn’t slow her down.
Kenny Ordway was next to take to the stage. A member of District One Honors Choir for two years, as well as the State Qualifying Edon Choir this term, he elected to sing for his talent as well. His choice of song was I Still Miss You, as he used the performance as a tribute to his grandfather. On a large projection screen behind him, pictures of the passed on family patriarch flashed for the crowd, accompanying Ordway’s singing.
That screen would be used again in the next act, as Wendy Braun and Emily Fox brought out their trumpets for a salute to classic Disney tunes. As the duo blared away on their brass instruments, pictures of the movies/characters to which they were paying homage came upon the screen.
Another duet, this time Paige Schaffter and Samantha Trausch, came on stage to perform an original dance piece. Both artists have been educated in their craft at Julie’s School of Dance. As the song Small Town Throw Down provided a backdrop, the pair twirled and leaped across the stage, mimicking each others’ motions throughout.
Kaitlyn Sonneberger was next to display her talent. She selected the song So Far Away to show off her vocal talents. Her rendition brought down the house, and was considered one of the best acts of the night.
Up next was Karli Munger, who went with Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide for her singing performance. Edon Band Director Christa Perry provided musical support with a guitar as the senior gave a riveting rendition of the classic tune.
Another vocal score followed, this time by Cassidy Wilson, who performed Something in the Water. Choosing to go with a darker lighting arrangement, the mood she set was a more intimate one as she displayed her talent for the crowd.
Another sister duet stepped up to perform, as Hannah and Emily Kaylor brought their Alto Saxophones before the audience. Playing a medley of modern pop hits on their woodwinds, the crowd was dazzled by their talent.
In the most unique act of the evening, Faith Livensparger used sign language to perform the song All of Me. Motivated to learn the language upon meeting friends of her family that were deaf, her usage of it was flawless as she moved with the flow of the music as well as staying atop of the word to sign translation speed.
Kaylee Jo Brown was the next act to perform. She chose to sing Candle in the Water, using only candles for her lighting while singing. This was a unique twist to her performance, and provided an emotional charge to the song.
The second of the only two male performers to sing as their talent, Alex Kirkingburg was next to appear before the audience. His song was the slow country hit Wanted by Hunter Hayes. A rendition filled with emotion, Kirkingburg moved those in attendance with his voice.
For the final act of the night, Logan Bloir played the Disney hit Let it Go! from memory on the piano. Two previous participants provided assistance, as Alyssa Maier added singing, while Samantha Trausch danced to Bloir’s performance.
The top four acts each received a cash reward of varying amounts, with the audience voting to decide the winners. Earning fourth place was Livensparger for her sign language performance. Kirkingburg was awarded third place, and Sonneberger second for their vocal talents. Hickman’s drumming ability had won over the crowd, giving her first place in this year’s talent show.
Next year’s crop of talented Edon students will have some big shoes to fill if they hope to top the phenomenal series of performances of the 2015 edition of Edon’s Got Talent.
T.J. Hug can be reached at
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
