Urban Noise: King’s art showcase – review

Naiyarah Amarasinghe-Domingue, Contributor

On Tuesday, May 15th, R.H. King Academy hosted its annual arts showcase, Urban Noise. The event featured performances from all the music classes, including Mr. Miller-Tait’s vocal class, Mr. Chetwyn’s band class, and Mr. Reid’s band class, each presenting a variety of pieces throughout the evening.

The showcase featured Mr. Miller-Tait’s vocal class, delivering a stirring rendition of “This Is Me.” Despite the wide range of grade levels in the class, the talent was uniformly impressive. Following this, Mr. Reid’s Grade 9 band class performed admirably. Their skill and cohesion were so advanced that, without the program, one would not have guessed they had only been playing together for a semester. Mr. Chetwyn’s band class concluded the music segment with an energetic performance. They started with an engaging drum piece that set the stage for their next number, “Thriller.” The iconic 80s pop classic electrified the R.H. King auditorium.

Ms. Hussey’s dance class started and ended the evening, performing twice. One performance was a Fosse-inspired jazz number set to “All That Jazz” from Chicago, and the other was a contemporary piece set to Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over.” Despite being a relatively small program with only one class this semester, the dance students demonstrated remarkable dedication and heart, a recurring theme of the night.

After the auditorium performances, guests were invited to continue the evening upstairs, where they could watch the senior video production class’s sitcom or enjoy the improv team’s performance. The library showcased the first two episodes of the video production class’s sitcom. The first episode was a karate-infused comedy inspired by shows like Community, followed by a horror-comedy filled with vampires and zombies, ending on a cliffhanger.

Meanwhile, the improv team was a standout highlight, consistently drawing large crowds and eliciting some of the biggest laughs of the night. Many members of the improv team have been part of the club for over a year, and their confidence and skill were evident.

In front of the library, an array of visual art pieces was displayed, featuring works from both the visual arts classes and the photography class. These pieces explored themes ranging from confidence to the deconstruction of the self. Although attendance was smaller this year compared to last, the talent on display was no less impressive.
The arts programs at R.H. King Academy are often overshadowed by academic concerns, particularly for senior students focused on university applications and tests but events like Urban Noise (and its winter counterpart, Frozen Sounds) provide a much-needed opportunity to appreciate and support the artistic talents within the student body. Urban Noise continues to be a shining example of the creativity and dedication of R.H. King’s students.