On Thursday, Oct. 6, La Salle held Open Mic Night in the theater on campus, inviting members from the community — including both students and teachers — to perform on stage.

“It’s a fun event where there’s a community of people that supports everybody,” Choir and Guitar teacher Mr. Otto Wild said. “And it’s low key, low stress, high fun.”

Mr. Wild, alongside Theater teacher Mr. Michael Shelton, helps to organize multiple Open Mic Nights each year and has been since its introduction “around 10 years ago,” Mr. Wild said.

The night consisted of 16 various acts, ranging from singing to playing instruments to reading poetry, and included a performance from La Salle’s choir as well as an appearance from senior Chloe Beck, who introduced each performer in between every act.

“Everyone gets a chance to showcase their talent,” said junior Lucas Hungerford, who performed “Dancing In the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen. “And it’s a pretty unique opportunity. There’s not much else like it.”

For some, this year was their first time performing at the event. But for others, like English teacher Mr. Greg Larson, who sang “Change” by Big Thief while playing the guitar, performing at Open Mic Night is an annual tradition. 

Mr. Larson tries to perform each year “not because it’s easy, not because I’m a great performer,” he said. Instead, Mr. Larson hopes that performing as a teacher will both “honor the courage it takes for young people to get up [on stage],” he said, and be a representative of the support that the staff have of the performing arts program at La Salle.

The relaxed environment within the theater and among those involved in the show is something that some performers highly value about Open Mic Night, and, despite it often being nerve-wracking to perform on stage, some said that the casual atmosphere mixed with the courage the act requires is what makes the experience worthwhile and is the reason they encourage others to participate.

“If you mess up, it’s fine,” junior Evelyn Barrera, a third-time Open Mic Night performer, who sang the Japanese song “Anata ni Aitakute,” said. “It’s not a fancy performance. …I feel like, not only do you get over the fear of performing in front of people, but you kind of gain confidence out of it.” 

Junior Estrella Zamora, who sang Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well,” shared a similar sentiment, saying she wants others who may be unsure about performing to join not only to show them that “it’s really not that big of a deal,” she said, but also because, “It’s kind of fun to share your gifts with others.”