Arts

Coffeehouse Showcases Student Talent

Featuring beloved classic songs and this year’s chart toppers, last Friday’s Coffeehouse welcomed new and returning talented student performers to the stage.

Veronica Harrington ’13, Pearson Goodman ’13 and Hemang Kaul ’13 emceed the event and made the audience laugh each time they introduced an act.

Students, excited for the acts to come, squeezed into Lower Right of Peresky Commons.

“The student body here has such a wide array of talents that sometimes you don’t usually get to see, so the Coffeehouse gives you that opportunity,” said Claire Frankel ’14.

Cam Mesinger ’16, the first artist of the night, sang “Little Lion Man” by Mumford and Sons.

“It was kind of scary at first, because I was the first one to go on, but once I started playing, it felt really exciting,” said Mesinger.

Following Mesinger, Sophiya Chiang ’14 and Shay Collins ’14 performed a mesmerizing love song medley by The Beatles.

Gaelyn Golde ’13 and Cara Daly ’13 then followed with a duet to Maroon 5’s hit love song “Sunday Morning,” with an acoustic guitar accompaniment by Kaul.

The song was soulfully sung and incorporated a hint of blues, delivering the story of love to the audience.

Auggie Horner ’14, Rem Remmel ’14, Clint Yoo ’14 and Angelo Morlani ’13 received the spotlight during their solos of the performance of “Hallelujah” by the Yorkies, Andover’s all-male a cappella group.

Their voices were calming, peaceful and synchronized and set a relaxed mood.

“It was so exciting to be part of Coffeehouse,” said Tom Burnett ’15, a new member of the Yorkies.

In contrast to the more upbeat, pop music performed in the first few acts, Angela Tang ’16 introduced a taste of classical music by playing a piece on the violin. Her performance received a standing ovation from an especially enthusiastic crowd.

“I thought I’d be pretty nervous, and I have to admit, I was before I walked out onto the stage,” said Tang, “But when I did, I came out to the cheers and shouts of encouragement from friends and strangers alike. Despite the size of my audience, I felt all the tension fall away. The room’s acoustics were pretty good too, and that really helps the sound. I just tried to do my best and treated it like another run-through in a practice room.”

Covering a recent pop song, Victoria Bian ’15 sang “Safe and Sound” by Taylor Swift.

On his first attempt at writing and performing his own love song, Jack Elliot-Higgins ’14 drew the audience in with reverberating vocals and intense emotion.

David Benedict ’15 and Isabella Flynn ’15 performed “Bruises” by Train. Benedict played on the piano while Flynn’s light soprano voice sang the brooding melody.

Emotion-driven performances continued to flow as Isabel Saad ’15 and Hanover Vale ’15 both played guitar and sang “Under the Bridge” by The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

“It’s fun to sing what you feel to other people. It makes them understand [how you feel],” said Saad.

Nicholas Kochakian ’15 and Ravn Jenkins ’15 captivated the audience with their cover of “3 Rounds and a Sound,” by Blind Pilot.

“I felt very relaxed and stress-free when I was performing,” said Kochakian.

Providing a country twist to the night, Taylor Crutison ’16 and Samantha Hagler ’16 performed “Landslide” by the Dixie Chicks, with Crutison singing and Hagler on the guitar.

Dan Wang ’14 and Esther Cohen ’14 performed “Apologies” by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. The performance was full of emotion, subdued and slower than the other acts, with Cohen’s deep notes.

Emily Hoyt ’13 and Anjali Krishnamachar ’13 got the audience singing with their rhythmic performance of “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz.

Giovanna Pickering ’12 soulful rendition of Katy Perry’s hit “Thinking of You” was her first Coffeehouse performance.

Noah Hornik ’15 sang his version of “Love Interruption” by Jack White, while Joel Anthony Pena ’16, sang “Your Song” while simultaneously playing the piano.

The last entertainer of the night was Brian Wagner ’14, who sang the classic “American Pie” by Don McLean and invited the audience to sing along.