‘Glee’ cast member judges annual Saratoga Idol competiton

Junior Alana Hess emerged as the winner of this year's Saratoga Idol on Nov. 13, a singing contest that was judged by not only the usual group of teachers but also "Glee" cast member Derik Nelson.

This year’s competition drew an audience of more than 100 students, parents and staff members. The number in attendance was down from last year, but the crowd was still lively and gave support to their favorite performers.

Besides Nelson, the other judges were teachers Sarah Thermond, Cathy Leather and Kristen Hamilton.

The competition started with freshmen Ida Segerborg and Isabell De Loizaga singing Demi Lovato’s “Skyscraper.” Junior Sonal Pai followed up that performance with her version of “Mercy” by Duffy. Then, Michael Guo showed off his versatility as he sang JRA’s “By Chance (You and I)” while playing the piano.

“I was also impressed with the students who can play an instrument and sing at the same time — I’m not sure people really understand how hard it is to do that,” Hamilton said.

Freshman Esha Krishnamoorthy also displayed her piano skills while impressively singing her rendition of “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele. After that performance, Kathy Phi sang “Drops of Jupiter” by Train, which gave her enough votes to finish in second place.

“I just chose songs that I was familiar with and that I enjoyed singing,” Phi said. “I was really nervous to perform on the stage at first, but when I got up there it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.”

After Phi’s song, senior Manini Desai looked comfortable on stage singing Rihanna’s “Stay,” and freshman Julia Culbert tackled the Amy Winehouse song “Valerie.” Freshman Will Liddle also caught some ears with an energetic performance of Andy Grammar’s “Keep Your Head Up.” This was a particularly impressive set of songs because each was different and unique.

“I was also pleasantly surprised by the variety of song choices — a nice mix between loud, powerful songs that singers could get really into, humorous and sweet songs, and soft and intense pieces,” Thermond said.

The competition portion ended with three eye-opening acts by eventual winner Hess, sophomore Camille Bismonte and Tyler Diamond, who would go on to place third. Hess tackled “Rehab” by Amy Winehouse, and Bismonte displayed her range through Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” Diamond surprised everyone by performing a song he wrote himself and entertained the crowd with his quirky dancing.

“I was really happy I was voted third, and I flipped [out] back stage because I didn’t have that many friends there so that means random people voted for me [and it] felt awesome,” Diamond said. “I thought singing an original would set me apart from the other kids, and hopefully I could make people laugh a little.”

The night allowed students to show themselves in a different way from their day-to-day selves.

“I think my favorite thing about Idol is getting to see a new side of students,” Thermond said. “As a drama teacher, I do get to watch students in this school perform regularly, and so it is no surprise to me that we have a lot of talent at this school, but it is a real treat to see it coming from students that I am less familiar with or that I didn’t know were musicians.”

Thermond has directed many school productions and Nelson is also working to do his part for the program.

Nelson is in the process of visiting various high schools across the nation trying to raise money for their art and music programs.

Nelson, a guitarist on “Glee,” visited Saratoga High for his Take Chances Tour and performed on Nov. 14. In his concert he performed his original music with professional lighting and screens in the background which gave visuals for each of his songs.

“He is a great musician and put on a great show and even had the audience get up and dance,” said junior Christina Chin. “Nina Nelson and Alana Hess sang one of his original songs with him and sounded amazing. I wish more people would have come because it was a fun concert for a great cause.”

But, before performing himself, he was a guest judge for the competition.

The judges were given a different perspective of the event and had another level of respect for the students who put themselves on stage.

“Being so close to the performers is a rare treat. I especially enjoyed seeing the moment right before they begin, that moment that they close their eyes to gain their inner strength,” Leather said. “As a judge, although you look for vocal quality and stage presence, it reminds you that it is not easy for most people to get up and perform. I'd do it again in a heart beat.”