Open Mic Night first debuted in December, allowing students time to express themselves artistically. Open Mic Night has been popular among students letting them have time after school to show off their talents.

Mr. Thomas Mackey first thought of this idea to let students have this space in his classroom to showcase their talents.

Many students often have stage fright when performing under the big spotlight full of hundreds in a crowd, so open mic night becomes the perfect test run.

“I wanted to provide them with the opportunity to try out things on a smaller scale where it’s okay if their performances aren’t perfect,” Mr. Mackey said.

There were different aspects of Open Mic Night that students enjoyed. Senior Kiera King participated in the event and found it as a way to showcase individual creativity. 

“I liked how it was different acts and people that have never performed before they just came out and were being brave,” King said.

Students say they would come back and participate in Open Mic Night in the future knowing this gives them a safe space to express themselves. 

 “Artists understand that we fail more than we succeed,” Mr. Mackey said. “Every rehearsal is conducted with the goal of fixing mistakes and making things better.  We also know that putting yourself in front of a crowd can be scary, especially if you’re trying something new.”

Mr. Mackey intends to create a space where everyone is welcomed.

“We set the expectation that everyone is to be supported, criticism is only given when asked, and that no photos or videos are to be taken without prior consent of the performer,” he said. “This provides a more comfortable environment for those who are brave enough to put themselves out there.”

Students definitely felt this made a positive environment. 

“Everyone was encouraging, telling me ‘go out there you got this’ and was clapping before I even got on stage,” King said.