This article was co-written by Sarah Steindl and Trisha Bhagat of The Forest Scout‘s In LFHS Department

Lake Forest’s hottest new club is… the LFHS talent show. This place has everything: indie rock bands, a jazz performer, musical prodigies, and joke gurus; for the next three weeks, students participating in the show will be working hard on their performances. The show features a variety of acts, featuring students of all grades and will have the theme of Saturday Night Live. The entire student body encompasses a variety of talents, whether they can be showcased on stage or not. For those who want to share their passion with an audience, the upcoming talent show is their chance to come through. Here is a preview of a few of the upcoming acts and the inspiration behind them.

Grace Duggan & Lily Gould

This dynamic duo has been singing duets in the talent show every year and have been rocking it ever since. The two sang “Not About Angels” by Birdy freshman year, “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys sophomore year, and will be singing Beyonce’s anthem “Halo” this February.

Although the two participated in the Deerpath Middle School talent show in separate acts in eighth grade, it wasn’t until freshman year when they became good friends and recognized a shared passion for singing. During choir, they sat beside each other and loved the way their voices sounded together in harmonies. The two began practicing different songs together after school and during free periods as a hobby when they fell in love with Birdy’s song, and eventually decided to showcase their love for singing at the talent show.

“Having the chance to get up on stage and do the thing I love most for an auditorium full of my friends and family is the most incredible experience. Belting out one of my favorite songs [“Halo”] with one of my closest friends with the lighting and sound of a professional concert is so exhilarating; I can’t even begin to describe how much fun we have with the whole process,” junior Grace Duggan remarked. Her duet partner, junior Lily Gould, also gushed about her love for the show, “The talent show is such a wonderful place to show off your talents and have fun.” Being in the show together for almost three years now has allowed them to learn the ropes of the program and truly learn the nuances of each other’s voices for their music’s benefit. Their love for singing shines through their performances and are a force to be reckoned with.

Chive

 Everybody knows that one of the main acts of the talent show is Chive, an original indie rock band. The group has been playing and writing music since the summer of 2015 and consists of Matt Ackman on drums, Matt Adams on guitar, Landon Kerouac on bass, and Spencer Schmid with vocals and guitar. As one of the most well known original bands to arise from the halls of Lake Forest High School, performing live is no new experience for Chive, nevertheless it is equally exhilarating. Spencer Schmid speaks about their passion as a group saying, “we’ve always just found it way more fun to play music that we make instead of covering other bands’ music.” The group will be playing the cover song for their latest album, Winnie and Rue. You can read an album review of Winnie and Rue in an article eloquently written by The Forest Scout’s own Tommy Block. Schmid also mentioned, “As a band we’re just excited to be playing more live music; it gives us exposure and opens people’s ears to our music which is the ultimate goal–just to share with people what we have to say is always a great feeling as a collective.” Don’t miss out on the chance to see one of the North Shore’s up-and-coming bands at a local venue.

Lizzie Meulbroek

For the sparse minutes that the stage of the RMA will be unoccupied by instruments, the empty floor will be brought to life by the single dance act of this year’s talent show. Lizzie Meulbroek will be dancing to a perky upbeat song called, “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.” The relevance of the Lala Land vibe of the dance will be sure to engage the crowd, with the timeless charisma of jazz music. Lizzie described her upcoming performance in her own words, “The choreography in my dance is very stylized and I feel like I’m in an old Hollywood movie or like I’m on Broadway when I get in my costume and perform. This dance adds a new twist on classic jazz movement.” The charm of the dance, Lizzie says, “allows me to use a ton of personality while performing and gives me the chance to connect with the audience. I want the audience to be left feeling really entertained!”

Miles

Opposed to the traditional formation of a band inside an average garage, the musical group Miles was created in the living room of junior Ali Jackson. Ali, along with junior Hadley Seymour on piano, freshman Jack LaVanway on bass, and freshman Luke Gerskovich on drums, plays acoustic guitar and is lead vocalist in their band.

Hadley Seymour explains how Miles has really influenced her in a positive way and has created a really great experience for her. “I have gained a lot of confidence putting my skills in front of an audience, which is definitely out of my comfort zone. I love being able to work with people of many talents outside of those on stage like tech crew and the directors.”

The talent show is the first time Miles will be showcasing their talents as they perform “High Hopes” by Kodaline. The group all started when Ali, a mutual friend of all the band’s members, wanted to start an act for the talent show with some of her closest friends, separate from another band she is already in with Luke. The name was created when Ali’s dog, Miles, would come into their rehearsals and listen. The group realized his name was perfect for a band, while also having the double meaning of going the distance to produce a good sound. Jackson also noted the positive impact of the talent show, “I’ve had an amazing experience being a part of this band! A fun fact is that most of us were strangers at the start of it. The LFHS Talent show has provided me and the members of my band the opportunity to perform live, and share a passion we all have with our audience.”

Maddie Stephenson & Daniel Hanson

For people of all ages, a love song is both one of the most relatable and abstract stories to tell: it might make you feel perpetually single, or perhaps remind you of a significant other, or on the contrary, an ex; maybe it just blatantly confuses you. Seniors Daniel Hanson and Maddie Stephenson will cover Ed Sheeran’s “Give me Love,” and inflict all of the above emotions and everything in between in one impassioned acoustic ballad in this year’s show.

Daniel, a self taught guitar player, having played since the 6th grade, and Maddie, a pianist as of 12 years, will be in their instrumental elements for the upcoming talent show. As for singing, it’s new territory for Hanson to perform in front of an audience, but he prevails as he matches pace with many of the other singers in the show. Many know Maddie for her gifted musical ability on both the piano and in her vocals. With years of rigorous classical piano songs practiced under her belt, the slightly alternative and acoustic feel of “Give me Love” is something new for her. Maddie says about their upcoming performance, “I usually perform with my younger sister, Kate. This is the first time I’m singing with a friend. It’s cool to step outside of my comfort zone and share the music part of my life with someone outside my family.” The two will showcase their steady passions, and show how much they have grown in new terrain on the stage of the RMA beginning of February 23rd.

With only 16 rehearsals to prepare, the following students and the rest of the talent show acts, the committee and crew will work hard to get the show ready in time. With a highly select group of top notch performances, this year’s talent show will be sure to show just how talented the students at Lake Forest High School truly are. Buy tickets here!