The TCC Student Union Ballroom was filled with roars of applause midday Wednesday as the last student showcase of the semester, Talent@TCC gpt underway.
Talent@TCC is a monthly event at Tallahassee Community College that has provided students with a platform to display their talents and skills since 1998. In this semester’s final performance, the audience was witness to a myriad of singers, pianists, poets and more.
Throughout the two-hour event, the audience sat and enjoyed complimentary pizza while they listened to vocalists’ renditions of Beyonce’s “Listen” and Bruno Mars’ “Versace on the Floor,” a guitarist singing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” and a rapper’s ode to marijuana over the instrumental of 2 Chainz’s “It’s a Vibe.” Students coming from class would stop and stare as performances went on, some being compelled to join the audience.
Mike Destin, TCC student from St. Martin, learned how to play both the piano and guitar in 2016. He is a regular at the talent show but this makes his final year as a student at TCC. “This is a little emotional, but I’m trying to keep my composure,” he said.
He is an original singer and songwriter, performing his own songs center stage. He aspires to release an album.
“Everyone’s very supportive,” said Kenyon Roberts, Talent@TCC performing veteran and employee at TCC’s TV production office. He has been showcasing his talents on the guitar, singing and songwriting since he was hired two years ago and uses the show to sharpen his skills and test new material. He has been practicing for more than five years, but his goal is to make huge improvements in his guitar playing by next year. “It’s an opportunity ’bro and all I gotta do is come down from my office.”
Destin and Roberts have found friendship through Talent@TCC. Along with performing their individual songs, they also performed one featuring the two of them. Since meeting, they have collaborated on songs, gone to songwriting meetings, performed together and more.
“This turnout was awesome. This is the best turnout we’ve had. Going through it, especially starting from last year, we had even less kids on the staff and then coming in this year everyone’s on the learning curve. This is the smoothest running one,” said emcee Colin Peaks.
The city is a magnet for young, creative minds. In Tallahassee, for every vacant stage is an eager voice.