He walked on to the black box stage not nervous, but excited and eager to impress. Senior Nate Lempko, a Contemporary Music Ensemble (CME) and orchestra student, was prompted to perform at the recent Open Mic night because, “It was a great chance to perform a song that we were preparing for CME.”

This budding tradition at Vista del Lago, known as Open Mic Night, continued February 7th 2014.

Essentially, Open Mic Night is a free-for-all; an outlet for Vista students and people from the community to express themselves. Students sign up in the days before the event and then perform their choices of songs. Aided by Vincent Martini, a Vista Guitar and CME teacher, the night never fails to progress flawlessly.

Open Mic Night started at 6:30 pm with a full house, and ended at 10 pm. It took place in the black box, home to many legendary performances in Vista’s short history.

Though many CME students performed, there were also those unaffiliated with the class who joined. There was even a musician known as Jack Jules from a neighboring high school who paid Vista a visit.

It is no secret that a vast majority of the students at Vista are musically talented, and that many choose VdLHS over FHS due to the uniqueness of the Vista music program. However, the talent became apparent on stage, as students strummed their guitars, banged on their drums, and sung their hearts out.

The next Open Mic Night is March 14th, and proceeds go to Project Impact, the original founders of Open Mic Night. All forms of music are welcome, and all appreciators of the arts are welcome as well. Be sure to stop by and hear the talent for yourself.