Gamma Pi Talent Hunt '18 Excites and Electrifies

It was hard to drive past Charles Flowers High School in Springdale on Saturday, March 17, and not feel compelled to stop in. The bopping sounds of jazz saxophones, concert pianos, high-pitched and guttural low vocals along with the whoosh of dance routines transformed the school into a mini-version of Amateur Night at the Apollo. That was the best way to describe Gamma Pi's successful Talent Hunt '18.

It was a good turnout at the school auditorium as the crowd got into it from being presented a really good show. A a total of 18 contestants fought it out for category prizes as well as the top overall prize that would send them to the District Talent Hunt competition in Baltimore in late April. The opt overall winner was Nia Harris Burnley, a senior at Bishop McNamara High School who  performed a classical selection on piano, "Moonlight Sonata Movement 3," by Beethoven. Several other students placed in individual categories such as Dance, Contemporary Piano, Classical Vocals and  Contemporary Instrumental among others.

The show opened in a bold way with a bellowing opera-like booming bass solo  by 10th grader  Solomon Ouyukwu, of Flowers, who sang a classical piece, O Cessated di Piagrami by Scarlatti. It ended with raucous drum solo by Immanuel Cooper, an 11th grader who is also a student at Flowers. Both performers brought down the house.

People know good talent when they see it, or hear it, which is why they clapped and cheered for jazzy saxophone solos and piano concertos, all with the same fervor. It is why they were awed by both rhythmic dance moves to a spiritual classic and the the sounds of thunderous drum solos.

Special thanks to Talent Hunt chairman Bro. Leroy Barton, Jr., Ph,., and his committee consisting of Brothers Andrew Clarke, Alphonso Liggins, Sr., Luciud Toney, Mark A. Roscoe, Dexter Rountree. Joseph Williams, Jr.,Aaron Ajani, Tony Boyd, Richard Allison II (emcee), Derrick Frayer, Terry Satterfield, Sr., PhD., Don D Myles, Donald Herring, Sr., Bruce Edwards, Don Norwood, Tony Williams, Rev. Brian King, Sr., Marcus Davis, Gordon Sampson, Gavin Milligan, Terence Hare, James Pegues and Lawrence Dukes.

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