By Layla Abukhdeir, Staff Writer
On April 10th, students, families, and staff gathered for the Angel’s Network Talent Show, an event where students bravely showed off their artistic talents for a meaningful cause, with proceeds supporting Grassroots Crisis Intervention in Howard County.
The show started at 6:00 p.m. and featured a wide range of acts from instrumental duets to vocal performances and dance. Joseph Hwang and Ameya Moghekar kicked off the show with a flugelhorn and piano duet, followed by a piano solo by Devon Parikh, and a guitar-and-vocal duet by Hope Bogard and Anika Sankineni.
Among the performers was sophomore Aina Manchanda-Izquierdo, who performed a singing duet of “Part of Your World” from the Little Mermaid with Allison Huling. For Aina, joining the show wasn’t something she had planned far in advance. “One of my friends reached out to me saying one of her friends needed a singing partner but she was busy that day, and I like singing so I figured why not!” she said.
Despite the seemingly last-minute start, Aina described their thorough and fun preparation leading up to the performance. “Most of the prep for us was before the audition recording. I sent Allison a huge list of potential duet songs and she chose “Part of Your World.” Then, she came over, and since I’m a choir kid who can make up harmonies on the spot, all that was left was to split up the parts and record! After we submitted the recording we really only practiced a few times before the show.”
Their performance was one of several vocal acts that stood out to both the audience and the judges. Reflecting on how it went, Aina said, “I think it went super well, we sounded good, all the harmonies hit, and the judges liked it!”
When asked about the future, she didn’t hesitate: “I actually plan to do it every year whether it be with hawkapella or by myself. I think it’s a great way to show my skills while getting service hours.”
After an intermission and a presentation from Grassroots Crisis Intervention, the second half of the show raised the excitement in the room even more. Performances included Honey Mustard’s band set and Dunia Duncan’s piano and singing act.
One of the most memorable moments of the night came right after Honey Mustard’s performance, when one of the band’s members returned to the stage for a solo guitar act. As the performance ended, the moment took an unexpected turn, when he prom-posed to his girlfriend in the audience. The curtain pulled back to reveal his bandmates standing behind him, holding glowing signs that spelled out “PROM?”. She said yes.
The night closed with a high-energy performance by the Blue Room Breakers, a student-led breakdancing group, that left the audience on their feet.
The competition aspect of the show added excitement, with awards presented at the end of the night. Violette Yang won Best Dance for her Chinese contemporary performance, Honey Mustard took home Best Singing, and the Blue Room Breakers earned Best of the Show.
Behind the scenes, Angel’s Network officers worked to organize the event and ensure its success. Riddhi Mittal, a PR Officer for the club, emphasized that the cause was a major motivator. “The talent show benefits the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, which is a free, 24/7 non-profit organization in Howard County that offers various service supports.”
She also highlighted the extensive preparation that went into making the event run smoothly. “Prep started a while back, and we had to decide the talent show date and book the auditorium for rehearsals and the final night. We created the application for performers and began advertising both in school during lunch shifts and online over Instagram.”
Reflecting on the outcome, Riddhi said, “It went great! The audience seemed pretty engaged with all the acts, and every performance was breathtaking. The judges had insightful comments, especially Senora Souidi’s daughter!”
Looking ahead, she hopes to make next year’s event even bigger. “Yes, I would definitely do it all over again! However, I would focus on expanding outreach and advertising next year, so more students can find out either how to perform or attend.” She added, “Come attend the talent show next year!”
Overall, the Angel’s Network Talent Show proved to be more than just a showcase of student ability. It was a night where passion met purpose. From singers and musicians to dancers and organizers, the event highlighted the talent within the River Hill community while supporting an important cause.