Open Mic nights are one of my favorite things! Since the very beginning, we dreamt of having events that would allow students to shine, share their talents, and bravely step up into the spotlight. That’s exactly what happens each semester when we have these events. Many students attend just for a fun thing to do on a Friday night. They cheer on their peers, eat pizza and popcorn, and have a blast. Some parents also come, thrilled to catch even a glimpse of these rare moments of their child performing with such vulnerability. There is a lot of karaoke singing, sometimes alone, sometimes in lumps of two or three. This month, we had a duet playing a piece they learned at school on their flutes. Two girls read poems they had written. One boy played a portion of a Nirvana song on his guitar. BUT MY FAVORITE is when I get to collaborate with a student! This time, I got to help a middle schooler with a song she had written. We nailed down the melody, tweaked the lyrics, figured out what the guitar chords were, and I had the honor of performing the song with her! Under Stadium Lights – a song all about playing soccer 🙂 This young lady REALLY loves soccer! If that wasn’t enough, I also got to help a student with a poem she was working on. She wasn’t planning on sharing it that night, but she was so inspired by the other kids who read their work that she wanted to get on that stage. We worked together on the content, narrowed down the scope a little, practiced it out loud a few times, and a few minutes later, there she was… under the lights, revealing her deep thoughts and sharing her heart with a room full of mostly middle schoolers who gave a huge cheer when she was done. THIS is what LIFT is all about. It’s beautiful magic, and I am so thankful to get to facilitate and participate in it!