In-House Arts showcases aspiring musicians and poets

By Stacy Cruz
Staff Writer

Costa senior Ben Sachs and juniors Miriam Sachs and Will Riordan were concerned that deserving student-artists had no place to share their talent. This led to the continuation of the group In-House Arts, which provides a stage for students to shine.

In-House Arts is a monthly showcase for student musicians and poets to share their work with the local community. The showcases are held in a different student’s house every month. Each performer is allotted 10 minutes to display his or her work to an interactive audience.

“We want to make sure the performers are comfortable and that the audience is enjoying themselves,” Riordan said. “It’s not difficult to achieve this goal due to the incredible talent of the performers and the supportive vibe from the audience members.”

In-House Arts was created by Costa graduates Tony Nguyen and Matt Kuo last March. Its original purpose was to give students a safe place to perform. After graduating, Nguyen and Kuo passed down the tradition to Riordan and the Sachs.

“Tony and I had no idea that this little event would continue to thrive,” Riordan said. “But I think it is a great organization and will continue to prosper at Costa for years to come.”

While the majority of the performers are Costa students, In-House Arts is open to students from all schools. According to Miriam Sachs, anyone prepared for a performance is welcome and encouraged to participate and share their talent.

“It’s invigorating to perform,” Costa freshman Elizabeth King said. “You get the chance to take risks and put yourself out there without being judged. It’s an extremely rewarding experience.”

According to Miriam Sachs, the audience members that attend In-House Arts are just as involved as the performers. The audience is encouraged to audibly react to poetry or to sing along with performers at appropriate times.

“During showcases, the audience gets involved in the performances by clapping along to a beat, snapping to a poem or singing along to a song,” junior Zachary Dushenko said. “It definitely entices audience members to keep coming back.”

In-House Arts plans to continue holding events once a month, all year long, for as long as student artists wish to participate. Future shows may also showcase paintings, sketches and other forms of visual art. According to Riordan and the Sachs, they will continue to pass the In-House Arts torch on after they graduate to members that they feel will successfully carry on the musical tradition at Costa.

“It is so fun to perform in such a welcoming, light-hearted and warm environment,” In-House Arts member and junior Michael LoCascio said. “I was honored to be included in such an outstanding group of students, and I honestly cannot wait until the next event.”