By Nicholas Bucaj
The Songwriter’s Club at White Plains High School is a hub of musical activity, where people of all skills and backgrounds come to share their love of music. Run by Mr. Polanco, the club hosts meetings every Thursday during which students can learn instruments and songwriting skills, network with fellow musicians, and perform live during open mics.
The main attraction of the Songwriter’s Club is their iconic showcases. For over twenty years, the club has held concerts in the Little Theater, giving students a chance to perform cover and original songs in front of a live audience of parents and peers. The order for showcases alternates between covers (renditions of a previously recorded songs) and originals (the students' own compositions), and there are two of each type per year.
To be included in a showcase, students must audition a song they have been working on in front of the club. The Committee (a hand-picked team of seasoned club members) then carefully considers these auditions, deciding who makes it into the final set list. This year there were thirty auditions for the first show. In prior years that number has been closer to seventy, a testament to the vast number of musicians active in Songwriter’s Club. The club is currently preparing for its Fall Cover Showcase, which will be on November 8 and 9.
If you would like to learn an instrument, discuss music, or get involved in a showcase, visit the Little Theater on Thursdays after school and join the Songwriter’s Club!
Comments