By Crystal McGough
PINSON – In 2017, the Pinson area schools started an annual tradition celebrating the wealth of talent found amongst city’s students through a preforming arts talent show called Pinson’s Got Talent. After three successful years – and like many other things – Pinson’s Got Talent was pushed to the wayside for the past two years due to the 2020-2021 Coronavirus pandemic.
For the first time since 2019, the Pinson Valley High School Tri-M Music Honor Society will be bringing back the formerly annual Pinson’s Got Talent event on Saturday, May 14, 2022. The program will be held in the PVHS auditorium, beginning at 7 p.m. Admission will cost $5 at the door, and will be free for ages three and under.
“This is a great show,” PVHS Choir Director and Tri-M Honor Society advisor Sarah Timothy said. “Usually honor societies do something as a fundraiser, and we could’ve done something super simple like a coat drive, but this is an opportunity and I told (the students), ‘Nobody has done a talent show, and we could do it up really good, but I need y’all’s help.’ …They were like, ‘Yes! We’re in!’ So then, we had two great, successful years. Then Covid happened and we didn’t have it for the last two years. When I gathered them back this year, it was all we could do to just make it to the next day.”
Timothy said she was just glad to have students back in the classroom, as well as the Tri-M honor society back together. She told the students that they didn’t have to do Pinson’s Got Talent this year if they didn’t want to, but also explained what a big deal the event had been in the past.
“They were all over it,” she said, “so I’m doing it for them, because they want to do it. And I love it, too. I think it’s a great opportunity to see kids showcase their talent. I think that’s important.”
The performers in the talent show will come from each of Pinson’s four feeder schools: Pinson Elementary, Kermit Johnson Elementary, Rudd Middle and Pinson Valley High.
There will be three divisions: Elementary (K-5), Middle School (6-8) and High School (9-12).
“This year, we’re doing trophies,” Timothy said. “There will be trophies for the first place and second place winners of each division.”
There will be three volunteer judges, brought in from outside the schools in order to avoid any conflict of interests. The judges are all people who have experience in performing arts, and they will be judging on talent, preparedness and stage presence.
In the past, Pinson’s Got Talent has been sponsored by different groups, including the band and the theater department. This year, the Tri-M honor society, consisting of both band and choir students, has taken the reins, with proceeds from the event benefitting Mason Music to help provide funds for scholarships and equipment.
“A portion of the proceeds goes to a charity and a portion, of course, covers expenses for the society and for the awards,” Timothy said.
Previous charities that have benefitted from Pinson’s Got Talent have included the Rudd Middle School band program, Pinson’s elementary schools, and Scrollworks Music School, a low-cost, nonprofit music school in Birmingham.
“Each time, it’s up to the students,” Timothy said. “I give them ideas and we talk about it and vote on it. We started in our own community. The last year we did it, there had been a tornado that went through a town … somewhere in the mid-west. There was a school there that got demolished and their music program lost everything – thousands of dollars of equipment gone. So we gave to the school to replace their equipment.”
Auditions for Pinson’s Got Talent 2022 end on Friday, May 6, and this year there are approximately 15 students performing, including around six in the elementary division, three in the middle school division and six in the high school division.
Categories will include vocal, instrumental, dance/movement and acting. There will even be a traditional Mexican dance, complete with flags and authentic traditional Mexican attire.
“There are so many different styles that reflect our diverse culture,” Timothy said. “I love it!”
The event will begin at 7 p.m. in the PVHS auditorium, and there will be an intermission between the middle school and high school performances. Concessions will be available for audience members, as well.
“I just saw this as a great opportunity for our feeder pattern to come together and communicate, and to have an event that is positive,” Timothy said. “It uplifts the performing arts. It focuses on it, it celebrates it, and it just helps me get to know some of the students in that regard.”