BC Idol Showcases Grand Plethora Of Student Talent

The eighth annual BC Idol competition was held Thursday night at Robsham Theater. This year's event featured a total of 10 acts, with the audience choosing the winners. In addition to the Boston College competitors, the night also showcased the dance skills of some very talented elementary school students from St. Columbkille School. All of the proceeds from BC Idol went toward St. Columbkille, adding to the extensive work that BC has done to benefit its partnership school.

The night was made possible by its sponsors, which included the Emerging Leader Program, the Student Programs Office, the Office of Community and Governmental Affairs, and the Lynch School of Education Senate. The proceeds from the event went directly toward developing the music program at St. Columbkille.

The night's acts were comprised of several different styles of music, which ranged from Adele to Janis Joplin. Each performance was commented on by a panel of three "Jesuit Judges"—Rev. Don MacMillan, S.J., Rev. Michael Davidson, S.J., and Rev. Mario Hall, S.J. The trio had some witty color commentary that kept the audience involved, yet they also were very pleased with the talent showcased by the competition.

The performers showcased their talents, as some bolstered their performances by musical instruments and others choose to do a cappella performances. To start off the night, Ally Norton, A&S '13, performed a soulful original medley of "Feelin' Good," and "I Put a Spell on You," that started the night off with a bang.

Next up, Alex Proie, A&S '15, took on an a cappella version of Adele's "Take it All," rocking the audience with her powerful voice and strong projection. Kristina Rex's performance of "Listen" had serious passion and emotion in a moving performance.

Two duets were also featured, including a medley of "Chariot" and "Kids" that was sung and played on guitar by Brian Stamm and on piano by Rachael Glassman, A&S '12. Ricky Scheiber and Julianne Quaas, A&S ‘15, who would end up winning the competition, performed a medley of "Next to You" and "Don't Matter." Their performance was not only fun and joyful, but also had the whole crowd bouncing along to their lighthearted acoustic version of Akon's hit.

Not to be outdone by the female soloists, the male solos rose to the occasion and were equally impressive. Alex Layton, A&S '13, who would go on to place third in the competition, opened with an introductory electric guitar solo by Stevie Ray Vaughn. If that wasn't enough to display his talent to the audience, he followed it with an original song titled "I Met Grace," which was exceptional and slightly reminiscent of John Mayer. Singing probably one of the more unique song choices of the night, Connor Hutchinson, A&S '14, took on Etta James' "At Last," which turned out to be quite well done due to his vocal range.

Monica Wright, A&S '14, brought the crowd back to Woodstock with her energetic performance of Janis Joplin's hit "Piece of my Heart." Her soulful, spunky attitude gave the audience a taste of Wright's own sassy flavor. Her laudable confidence and terrific hair made her performance hard to forget. Andrea Alonso, A&S '14, showcased her tremendous vocal talent and paid homage to the fallen singer with a stirring tribute to Whitney Houston in "I Look to You."

The performances put on by the youngsters from St. Columbkille included two dance numbers. The first was a traditional Indian dance by one brave girl, whose costume and choreography were very impressive. The second was a large group number, a very cute and well-done Irish step dance. Both of these performances were greeted with extra applause and high praise from the judges, as well as a stuffed BC eagle for each performer.

After the performances, Bill Gartside, the principal of St. Columbkille, came onto the stage to express his deep gratitude for all that BC has done and continues to do for his students. He showed a short video outlining the different areas where BC has helped within the school.

After the audience voted, the winners were presented with cash prizes for first, second, and third place. Alex Layton and his electric guitar took home $100 for third, Andrea Alonso took home $200 for second, and Ricky Schieber and Julianne Quaas took home the grand prize of $350 for winning the competition.

"I never though I'd be able to sing in front of people and make them happy with our music," Shieber said. "I'm so lucky to be able to play music and make others feel good."