JFK Live 2010 Opinions
Posted on 14. Apr, 2010 by joannagreer in Op-Ed
By Shri Tanna
Kennedy’s annual talent show, JFK Live, took place in the auditorium on March 18. In a year full of musical numbers and dances, the show was a big success, selling out, and drawing kids from all over the area to come see Kennedy’s talent. “It was awesome,” Junior Jeries Hijazin says. While the show was a big success and sold many tickets, not everyone was as pleased as Hijazin.
Junior Justin Kidwell, a musician himself, says “I was expecting a better prepared show; however, the audio system wasn’t properly set up.” Kidwell heard that the performers had minimal practice with the microphones before the show. The technical problems of the sound system affected many groups, including the one in which this reporter performed. Junior Obi Igbo, who played drums for the same group said “If the singers sang any closer to the microphones, it would have been down their throats.” Igbo felt that the microphones just were not working at all. The sound system seemed to improve as the show progressed but it remained a problem the whole night.
Not all the groups were hurt badly by the audio system. Dancer Rhitu Risal, who partnered with Johnathan Ocampo, was excited by the way the crowd responded to their performance. “I left my mark at Kennedy,” said senior Risal.
Briana Funes was in a dance routine as well as a musical act, and she said “I was scared, but fear comes from the sense of having no control, so I took control and did my thing.”
Junior Rosa Tellez also performed, and she was very happy with how it went. “The talent was good this year and it will be good next year, too,” said Tellez.
Many of the people in this year’s show will be around next year to perform. But isn’t it unfair to the performers to not even be heard after all their practice? Isn’t it unfair to the audience paying to see a show where they don’t get the best product possible? Should the SGA work on getting a better sound system for next year’s show? The answer to all of these questions in this reporter’s opinion is yes, but what do you think?
All the performers did a really good job even though sometimes the sound wasnt working.
Some new sound equipment in the auditorium might help, but there is a lot more to sound than just the gear. A variety show with different stage setups every few minutes is the most difficult technical challenge there is, and even teams of trained audio professionals need extensive planning and rehearsal to pull this off.
Just for comparison, I’m going to a live event tonight where the sound will be excellent. One band is performing; three voices, three instruments. And four professionals supporting them (one instrument tech, one stage tech, one monitor tech, one house sound tech.
Of course, my ticket will cost nearly $50.
JFK Live was a huge success this year! The show sold out quickly and the performances were spectacular. The show was exciting and the audience enjoyed it. The sound problems were not the fault of SGA and have been always been a problem for all shows and plays. A sound system is extremely expensive and replacing it is not something that the SGA can do on their own. Even though there were complaints about the sound the show was still on of the best in years because of the hard work and planning of the SGA.
This year’s JFK Live was one of the best shows since 2007. The performances were phenomenal, considering the sound system was not working at its best. Although it was an issue, it is not the SGA’s fault that they system itself does not work properly. A sound system is very expensive and over the years SGA has put up some money from the JFK Live shows to replace the one we have now. Though many people think it is their responsibility to get a new one, it really is not. Everyone has attended one of the school plays and noticed that the system has always been an issue. A new sound system would be nice for the school, but it is not something SGA can do on their own. If the students would like to see a new sound system some other actions should take place, such as fundraising and talking to the administrators. Over all I thought the show was amazing and hopefully next years will be just as successful.
very nice show very proffessional
Great Job JFK