16/08/2017
We are trying a new way of spreading the word about ! We are posting responses from teens who have attended or performed at teen open mic! Our first message is from Caroline Sechrist (also known as Cici). She began TBTTOM and is currently one of the co-hosts. She sings and plays piano and ukulele.
"hey guys! when i started working to create a teen open mic at The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts & Cultural Center, i had two goals in mind: 1. to form an appropriate environment for teens to share their unique talents with each other 2. to remove the pressure that they face in performing, whether its from directors, teachers or peers. just support and good vibes for trying your best, not for being the best. i was thrilled and extremely grateful to see how accepting, open, and supportive the entire crowd was to me and to all the other performers. they welcome mistakes and cheer on every small feat as if someone had just won a grammy. in the spirit of that, i decided to attach the video of me from the last open mic. as you can tell, the piano playing is far from perfect (i audibly ask, what is the next chord? in the middle of the song). it was a new song that i wanted to try out, and i had not practiced it very much. ontop of that, the mic kept falling because it was unbalanced or something. my co-host and friend Tas Fox was not hesitant to hold the mic for me, and the rest of the audience cheered for me once i completed my song, even though it wasn't my best. the point is, if you decide to come to the teen open mic, you will be surrounded by caring people who accept you and appreciate your effort no matter what and will do everything in their power to help you succeed and feel successful.
xoxox Caroline/Cici"
hey guys this is a live video of me performing at a teen open mic! piano is sub-optimal but whatever i still like the vocals.
