KING CITY — King City High School students will be performing slam poetry, dancing, singing, rapping and more during the first-ever Fine Arts Showcase next Wednesday, May 24.
“There’s so much talent on campus,” said Ashley Russ, English teacher, ELD and creative writing instructor. “I’m tired of walking through the hallways and hearing people beat-box or drop their poems or sing and they just don’t have any avenue to do it that’s not a classroom function.”
The King City High School Band and Guitars Not Guns had been successful in showcasing the musical talent of the students with the recent Spring Concert and the concert honoring music teacher Bruce Graham, but the students whose talent lay elsewhere didn’t really fit into that category.
“I wanted it to really be open, no matter what your talent is, you come,” Russ said. “There’s even two student bands, and one is a heavy metal punk band.”
Senior Freddy Hernandez and sophomore Tabitha Castro are going to perform a slam poem about emotional barriers.
“My character is not into her (Castro’s) character, but her character is into mine,” Hernandez said.
Castro will also be singing a song by My Chemical Romance, “I Don’t Love You.” Castro chose the song because she was dealing with the loss of a close friend.
“For me to express this song on stage is a way to release my emotions,” Castro said.
Juniors Delaney Carroll and Anahi Camacho will be performing a poem about violence. Carroll said the two decided to write the poem because of the violence that occurs in King City and to inform the audience.
“I think it’s something that’s not really spoken upon in this manner, so I think this is an opportunity for us to express how we feel about it,” Camacho said.
Senior Garrett Maciel’s performance will be a rap song by E Double, “Drinking With My Headphones On.”
“I wanted to do this song because he recently passed away at the age of 35,” Maciel said. “It was really emotional for me when he passed away, but he’s also one of my biggest role models.”
Junior Juliette Hernandez is going to perform “Song of the Caged Bird” by Lindsey Sterling on the electric violin.
“I wasn’t entirely sure if I wanted to join, so I only started learning the song like four days before the actual audition,” Juliette said. “I was super nervous and I hadn’t gotten the song down perfect yet. Ultimately, I ended up joining because I’ve always wanted to perform by myself, so I thought this would be a good way to show off that I can do it on my own.”
Russ is hoping that the Fine Arts Showcase becomes a tradition at the high school.
The Fine Arts Showcase is set for Wednesday, May 24, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and the show starting at 7 p.m. in the Robert Stanton Theatre. There is an admission fee for adults and youth.
