Plano’s Got Talent had some amazing performances lined up for students and their families to enjoy, which took place on Feb. 8.

     Each participant in the show got a chance to show off some of their most unique skills in front of a panel of judges as well as the audience. This year’s first place went to senior Corey Kiattitananan’s original song “Marry Me.” Second place went to the 17-member Reso Silverleaf indie rock orchestra led by senior Jake Dixon, and the group performed “Come On Feel The Illinoise!” by Sufjan Stevens. Third place went to seniors Ben Manaois and Dane Chronister for their hilarious piano and slide whistle duet and last but not least, the people’s choice award was given to junior Mercy Manjengwa, who sang “Stay” by Rihanna.

     “There’s a pretty clear diversity in the types of talent that are being showcased here,” Dixon said. “There were a lot of people performing music, but everyone was doing it in their own way.”

     Despite the lighthearted and fun atmosphere that prevailed throughout the event, it did not come without its fair share of technical difficulties.

     “Overall, the sound quality wasn’t as good as we wanted it,” senior and co-host Eric Lawhead said. “Our microphones cut out a lot, and the sound kept randomly getting louder and quieter.” 

     These issues packed even more pressure onto an already nerve-wracking situation, but the students were able to get through it and enjoy the moment. 

     “Those stage lights are quite blinding, and it didn’t help that the AC onstage kept blowing my music over during the act,” senior and Reso Silverleaf orchestra member Jessica Yang said. “But jamming out to some fun music made me forget I was even in front of a crowd, and we just had fun with it.”

     Each of the participants, as well as the hosts of the show, put in a lot of effort to make sure that their performances were entertaining for themselves and for the audience.

     “I went to long rehearsals the days leading up to the talent show, and I constantly rehearsed the script with my co-hosts Annie Zhi and Akhil Ramesh,” Lawhead said.

     All the hard work put into the production led to an amazing series of performances due to the fact that students were allowed to use the full range of their creativity for their acts. 

     “The thing I like about the talent show is that it gives me the sweet freedom to do whatever I want,” Dixon said. “It let me do something that I wouldn’t have been able to do in any other musical situation.”

     All in all, this show was a wonderful way for students to come together and enjoy the talents of their fellow classmates. 

     “Plano’s Got Talent is an unmissable event,” Yang said. “It’s so awesome to see all these students with different talents come together and put on a show.”