On Feb. 17-19, John Brown University hosted its annual “Family Weekend” event, which offers an opportunity for students to invite their families and friends to experience a weekend on campus. The University was bustling with visitors from all over the country, some traveling from as far as North Carolina or Minnesota to spend a few days with students. The weekend was packed with various events, including hearing from President Chip Pollard at chapel on Friday, attending a special brunch on Saturday morning at President Pollard’s house and participating in a pickleball tournament.
On Saturday evening, families attended the Talent Show—an event organized by Student Events and Activities during Family Weekend each year. JBU students showcased their musical talents, with original, cover and mashups of songs performed on the piano, guitar, drums and even ukulele. There were also two comedy acts that included a dramatic interpretation of a children’s book as well as an original sketch about the process of writing a love poem. “Latino Party” was reintroduced after winning an award last year, and it again was met with enthusiastic cheers from the audience.
Among the acts, there were two acts that stood out to both the crowd and judges. Max Vytlacil wowed the audience with his vocal cover of “Banana Boat” by Harry Belafonte and walked away with the $300 audience choice award. When asked about his song choice, Max shared that it was a tribute to his grandmother who had passed away five years ago. He also expressed his surprise at winning, saying, “I came into the show not expecting to win, and there were so many other talented students.”
The second winner of the night was Christopher Davis, who left everyone speechless with a complicated piano medley from the La La Land soundtrack. He performed it from memory and took home the $300 judge’s choice award. Davis explained his love for the music and plot of La La Land as the reason for his choice. He specifically references a lyric from the song “Another Day of Sun” that refers to a “small-town kid.” Davis says, “I’ve been that small-town kid who was inspired by music, and I wanted to try and pass that inspiration on to others.”
He added that he resonates with the movie’s theme of sacrifice: “I decided not to major in piano performance and as such have had to ‘part ways’ with the piano in order to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor.” However, he still practices and performs when he can. Davis expressed his honor in winning the judge’s choice award, saying that “practicing can often be long and thankless, so it’s incredibly rewarding to see all those hours come to fruition.”
The judges and audience were impressed by the hard work and dedication of each act, as well as the time and energy poured into making Family Weekend a success. Overall, the Talent Show was a wonderful example of the musical and comedic talent that John Brown University students possess.