Greenbrier students step into spotlight
Sans the abrasive Simon Cowell, Greenbrier High School students got a chance to perform Friday night before a panel of judges in a localized version of the karaoke-inspired television show American Idol.
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The brother-sister team of Derrick and Heather Howard perform during Greenbrier Idol, a fund-raising talent show at Greenbrier High School. Freshman Josiah Carr took home the top prize with his rendition of That's When I Love You.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
Greenbrier Idol featured 17 acts in a fund-raising talent show at the school's auditorium, providing a practical application for Caroline Kenrick's senior project.
"My senior project was on fund raising, and my fund-raiser was the talent show," the 18-year-old Greenbrier senior said. "I wanted to raise money for (the Greenbrier Show Choir), and I've always been in talent shows. I wanted to put on a talent show that would have good prizes and good acts, and not some people acting stupid on stage."
A panel of judges gave the event's top honor, including a $100 cash prize, to Greenbrier freshman Josiah Carr for his rendition of Phil Vasser's country hit That's When I Love You. Sophomore Andrea Collins took second place by singing Think of Me, from Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. An original guitar solo called The Mountain Song won Daniel Sprouse, a senior at Greenbrier High, third place.
Other performances before the crowd of about 150 people included a duet of a contemporary Christian song, a brother and sister act performing a cover of the Barenaked Ladies song If I had $1,000,000, an a capella performance of a song downloaded from the Internet, and some original tunes.
"I'm here to proudly say that there's not one William Hung in this contest," Kenrick said at the beginning of the contest, making a reference to an American Idol loser who found fame for his spastic performance of Ricky Martin's She Bangs.
Greenbrier senior Caroline Kenrick applauds after a performance by some of her friends during Greenbrier Idol at the school in Evans. For her senior project, Caroline organized the talent show as a fund-raiser for the school. The show raised $889 to buy new outfits for the school choir.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
Through ticket sales, a raffle for a one-hour massage, concessions and an audition fee, Kenrick raised $889 to buy new outfits for the show choir, to which she belongs.
Kenrick admitted that she was surprised by the success of Greenbrier Idol.
"We didn't think we'd raise that much," she said. "We were thinking a couple of hundred dollars."