[ back ]
Talent show attracts participates from across the county
On Friday, April 4, the Morris County Council of Education Associations ran the Morris County Has Talent, talent show in the Mountain Lakes High School auditorium. Twenty-two public school students participated, as well as four Dutch exchange students from Mountain Lakes High School and three faculty “guest artists.”
Dr. Joan Jensen a foreign language teacher at Chatham Middle School warmed up the audience with her ventriloquist act. Joao Goncalves and Matt Jardim entertained the audience with their jazz music while the judges tabulated scores.
The three esteemed judges of the evening were: Assemblyman Richard Merkt, Ms. Jacqui Greadington and Ms. Susan Vigilante.
Participants were placed in one of three divisions, Elementary, Middle and High School, to go up against other students in their age range.
Christopher Tang (left) won first prize in the Elementary school division. Christopher is a fifth grader from Parsippany. He performed a violin solo, “Four Seasons: Winter” by Antonio Vivaldi.
Christopher has been playing violin since age 5. He has been playing in the Lakeland Youth Symphony for five years. He also enjoys tennis and video games. His favorite subject is math, and he hopes to one day be an architect.
Christopher won a $50 Visa gift card courtesy of the Wharton Education Association.
Other Elementary division winner were: fourth grader James Burnett of Montville, second place; third grader Devan Kaner of Montville, third place; sixth grader Mike Antzoulis and fifth Jake Schuckman of Mountain Lakes, fourth place; fifth graders Paige Ash and Brooke Downes of Mountain Lakes, fifth place and fourth grader Temi Taylor of Parsippany, sixth place.
First-place winner in the Middle School division was Conner Borman, a seventh grader at Jefferson Township Middle School for his lyrical dance to “A Song for You” by Elliot Yamin.
Conner began gymnastics at age 4. He won the National Junior Dancer of the Year award at the American Dance Awards in 2007. This year he was asked to Dance during timeouts at Knicks home games. Conner’s favorite subject is math, and he would like to go to a performing arts high school.
Conner won an iPod Shuffle donated by TRI-CO Federal Credit Union for his lyrical dance.
Other Middle School division winners were: Seventh grader Tania Yu of Randolph, second place; fifth grader Daniel Mondschein of Parsippany, eighth grader Kevin Shih and sixth grader Tiffany Shih of Montville, third place; sixth grade saxophone quartet, Jeffrey Grippaldi, Peter Haessig, Josh Kirschenbaum and Gavin Spray of Mountain Lakes.
Spencer Williamson, an 11th grader at Mountain Lakes High School, won first place in the High School division for an improv drum solo.
Spencer has been playing the drums for five years. He is self taught and influenced by Neil Peart, Buddy Rich, Steve Gadd and Travis Barker. He plays golf and enjoys hanging out with his friends. Spencer hopes to do something with music in the future.
Spencer won a $100 Visa gift card provided by the Lincoln Park Education Association.
Other High School division winners were: 11th grader Aubrey Fewell of Mountain Lakes, second place; 11th grader Juliette Kirk of Mountain Lakes, third place; 11th graders Koshy Beissinger and Thomas Markus of Randolph, fourth place.
Prizes and support were provided by, Lincoln Park Education Association, TRICO Federal Credit Union, Wharton Education Association, MCCEA, Woodbury Commons Outlets, NEA Auto and Home Insurance, Amal Hussein, Laurie Schorno, Educators Insurance Services, Brushes & Bisque, Heritage Grill, California Beach Hut, Subway, Shoe Tree/Sneaker Barn, “Write On” and SmartWorldCoffee.
All proceeds from the event went to benefit Seeds of Peace, www.seedsofpeace.org. In totally, the event raised $1,245. Seeds of Peace is a nonprofit organization that empowers young people from regions of conflict with the leadership skills required to advance reconciliation and coexistence. Seeds of Peace is working to forge the personal relations so critical to peacemaking and reconciliation.
Photo courtesy of Amal Hussein
Pictured is fifth-grader Christopher Tang of Rockaway Meadow School in Parsippany with the three judges of Morris County Has Talent: Susan Vigilante, president of Morris County Council of Education Associations; Jacqui Greadington, President of East Orange Education Association and Assemblyman Richard Merkt. Christopher won the Elementary School Division with his violin solo of Vivaldi's Four Seasons "Winter.”
[ back ]
