On January 17, the annual Norwin’s Got Talent event was held in the Norwin High School auditorium. Fourteen talented Norwin students competed in the competition, which was judged by Norwin teachers Señor Ryan Caldwell, Mr. Brian Fleckenstein, and Mrs. Sara Hawley.
Harrison Mordaunt (11) kicked off the show with a bang with a performance of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. ”Music has always run in my family,” said junior contender Harrison Mordaunt. “Just doing things like playing with my band is honestly fun for me”.
Then next up was Lorelei King (9) singing the song “Greatest Ad”, followed by Madelyn Woods (9) who sang “Mr. Perfectly Fine” by Taylor Swift. Next up to the stage was Serena Borrelli (12) who sang the song “Burn” by Ellie Goulding for her performance. Borrelli’s performance earned her third place in the overall competition.
The next performer was Gordon Howard (12) who performed the song “Holy Wars” by Megadeth with his guitar. Afterwards, Bennett Kirkland (11) sang an original song.
Coming up next was Faith Shepherd (9) singing “Part Of Your World” from The Little Mermaid, who ended up winning the People’s Choice award, an award voted on by the audience through a Google Form.
The next performer was Emma Belchick (10) who signed the song “Thank You For The Music” by ABBA. The performer who came next was Robert Arth (11) who sang the song “Basket Case” by Green Day with his guitar.
Null Kieffer (12) performed next, performing an original song they wrote called “En Garde”. This performance earned them second place in the overall competition. “I enjoy getting to make things that other people can relate to and see themself in,” said Kieffer, who has written, produced, and performed many original songs, having even published a full album. “I want to make songs that other people can be comforted by in their darkest moments.”
Next up to the stage was Emma Graham (11) singing the song “Treat You Better” by Shawn Mendes, followed by Daniel Matta (12) who performed a guitar solo of the song “Enter Sandman” by Metallica. For his performance, the judges awarded Matta first place in the competition. “I was very surprised my name got called,” said Matta. “I did not expect to win the talent show quite like that. I hope I can eventually make my own music, play in a band, sell out in the arenas, and tour the world even though it’s probably impossible. I really want to do it.”
Last, but not least, was the performance by Olivia Lane (12) who gave a performance of Irish Dance To Dueling Violins.
The event ended with a performance from two past winners. Michael Barone (10) and Carter Kunicky (10) performed as last year’s People’s Choice winners. Annie Czajkowski (11) and Molly Geissler (12) performed as well.
This was Señor Caldwell’s and Mrs. Hawley’s first time judging Norwin’s Got Talent, while Mr. Fleckenstein had been judging the event since it began over ten years ago. “It was a great experience,” said Caldwell. “I was kind of unsure how to go about it going into it, but then once we got started it was a lot of fun and I got to see a lot of great talents from all the different students here at Norwin. There were a lot of fantastic performances.”
“I love seeing students showcase their passions outside the classroom. Every day, I get to witness their intelligence and dedication in academics, but this event gives me the chance to see their creativity, talent, and hard work in a whole new light,” said Hawley. “The best part of judging Norwin’s Got Talent was seeing the sheer variety of talent on stage and the energy from the crowd. Every performer brought something special, whether it was a powerful vocal performance, an impressive dance routine, or a completely unexpected talent like the guitar solos, rock band, or the two students who performed original pieces!”
Norwin’s Got Talent was a spectacular night overall, with many amazing performances from the incredibly talented students of Norwin High School. We hope to see any aspiring performers on that stage next year!
“The talent here is unmatched, and watching the students perform with such confidence and enthusiasm—and seeing their peers cheer them on—was truly heartwarming,” said Hawley. “It reminded me how much talent we have at Norwin and how supportive our school community is.”
