Have You Ever Heard Of…

Isaac Madden

For an artist of any kind, breaking into the mainstream is often one of the biggest indicators of success. In the music world, it’s getting your song played on the radio. For an actor, it’s an Oscar nomination. And while there may be a vast variety of talent that we as a culture are aware of, there are many whose abilities have yet to be appreciated by the masses. How do you find these people you may ask? Well, one way of finding out is just asking the person who you sit by in history class. With the multitudes of students at Mayo High School you’re bound to meet someone who could introduce you to a new author, singer, or perhaps even a painter.

If you’re open to hearing some new music, look no further than sophomore Isabell Dyrbye-Wright. She has discovered bands of all kinds while just moseying around websites like Tumblr. That’s where she discovered the band that goes by the name of “Cyberbully Mom Club.” Wright was originally drawn to them after seeing some of their lyrics on a blog post. She then took it upon herself to actually listen to their music and realized that she had truly found something great. “They just make really authentic music that gets into your head, and their lyrics are so poetic and just overall really well written,” claims Wright, “It’s like slam poetry to music.” Her favorite song of theirs is “Thought You Were Better Than That,” take a listen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLpc637OQQk  (be mindful of some harsh language)

Perhaps you are more interested in visuals and are tired of looking at the same Van Gogh painting that you’ve studied in every art class you’ve ever taken. Senior and art aficionado Mitchell Michaletz could easily help you out. His favorite contemporary artists include Yoshitomi Nara, Kim Jung Gi, and Lee Price. “I like Nara’s use of color and the organicness of Gi’s line work and perspectives are wild, he’s truly skilled.” Michaletz also finds these works while surfing around the internet and going to museums.

 

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Kim Jung Gi (2016)

 

Say you are one of those people who just had to see what all of the hype was about and looked up (then fell in love with) the latest Broadway phenomenon “Hamilton.” Maybe you have developed a new fascination with show tunes and are craving an emotional power ballad, or an upbeat opening number. If this sounds like you I’d sashay on over to Junior Isabella Loutfi. Loutfi knows everything there is to know about Broadway from jazz-squares to who played ensemble member #4 in the latest revival of “Anything Goes.” Asking who her favorite performer was was like opening up a shaken up can of Coke. Immediately Loutfi threw out names of insanely talented performers like Elijah Kelley, Lindsay Mendez, and Katie Thompson. One that she was especially fond of was Tony nominee Ramin Karimloo. She discovered him while watching clips from “Love Never Dies” (the sequel to “Phantom of the Opera”) and her mind was blown. Another thing that made him stand out was his journey to the stage. “His family fled Iran when he was two and moved to Canada where he saw Phantom one day,” Loutfi explained, “he then dropped out of school because he decided he wanted to be the Phantom and do musicals!” According to Loutfi, Karimloo also has a reputation for being an extremely kind individual, a trait in which she values. This combined with his talent makes him worthy of more recognition.

Check out Ramin Karimloo in the Phantom of the Opera:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymclu8ZktrU

Whether or not these artists will ever reach mainstream success remains the question, but the undeniable fact is that they all have the potential to get there. Although, the journey is always easier with support from fans, so if you find a lesser known talent, do your best to spread the word. Likewise, if you’re bored of hearing the same song or want to watch a clip featuring the newest Broadway sensation, converse with classmates, you may be surprised at who you’ll be introduced to.