The Martha's Vineyard Times

Oak Bluffs School students show off talent in dance, music and song

By Nelson Sigelman
February 6, 2013

Photo by Angelina Godbout

Rob Oslyn backed up Kaya Seiman singing "Apples and pears." [More Photos]

Audience members at the Oak Bluffs School's 15th Annual Talent Show Friday night enjoyed an evening that highlighted the length and breath of student skills. The night combined a gymnastics routine with a piano recital, a father-daughter duet, a tae kwon do demonstration, and gangnam dance, to name just a portion of the acts.

Music teacher Brian Weiland directed the show, always one of the most highly anticipated evenings of the school year. Performers ranged in age from kindergarteners through junior high, with some accompaniment by parents and adult staff members.

There are two rules. All song lyrics and acts must be appropriate for K-8 students and lip syncing is not allowed, Mr. Weiland said.

"Something what I think makes our talent show special and very exciting for performers and audience alike is that the music for the singers is always live," Mr. Weiland said in an email to The Times. Singing acts either accompany themselves or are backed up by The Electric Noodle Factory band featuring Mr. Weiland on guitar and piano, 8th grader Liam Weiland on drums, and Island musician Paul Thurlow on bass.

"The talent show is essentially student-directed," Mr. Weiland said in an email to The Times. "Students approach me in late fall with their ideas and dreams, and I work with each student individually to develop and rehearse their act. It is extremely gratifying for me to see the incredibly hard work each student puts into perfecting their act, and the extreme joy and pride they display during and after the actual performances."