We all know that there is always that one guy. The guy who is so involved and passionate about theater, singing, and just the overall well-being of the school. Whether it’s singing at a school event, walking around with a guitar, or even playing Willy Wonka in our 2014 AHS Spring Musical, Emery Major is heavily involved in the arts and AHS. This year he has decided to take that passion and create something that he feels will benefit the students at AHS: a club where students can perform and share their art with the school and the community.
“The Small Pond Performance Company’s goal is to create opportunities for the students of AHS to perform and share their art with the school and the community of Aspen and to increase our community’s awareness of the incredible talent we have at AHS,” Major said.
Major was inspired by all of the overwhelming talent that can be found within the walls of AHS and wanted the community to realize all of the endless chances they have to watch gifted performers in their own hometown. Why should they be waiting all year for specific events to see professionals for a short period of time when they have so much talent surrounding them? Hopefully this new found community awareness will help the students in the arts program at AHS for the better.
“In the long run, I would love to encourage donations to the school’s theatre, music, and visual arts departments and perhaps even set up a scholarship fund for students who are going to pursue arts in college,” Major said.
His club already has a strong group of kids who are ready to participate and show their talent to the community. Many are especially excited to be following a great leader like Major, especially because of all of his amazing productions in the past.
“I saw a musical that Emery had had helped write for children this summer, and it was great. He was very passionate about it, and I wanted to be apart of any further productions he creates,” said Talitha Mcdougall Jones, junior and member of Small Pond Performance Company.
Obviously the arts are very important to Major, and his past record of accomplishments speaks to how much talent this kid has. He has been in seven theatrical shows, earned a spot in 1st chair playing Alto Saxophone in the North Western Colorado Honor Band and worked for SoL Theater Company this summer. It seems there is nothing this kid can’t do. So it makes sense that he wants to continue on with the arts for the rest of his life.
“You know when you’re feeling down and out and you watch a movie where the characters are going through exactly what you’re feeling at that moment, or you hear a song that just makes everything seem better? Well that’s why I want to create music and do theatre and I love to do it. I want to help people in my lifetime, and I want to use any talents that I have to do that on a large scale,” Major said.
It’s no question that we will be seeing Major on the big screen some day or hearing his new song on the radio, but if you can’t wait that long you should come to the first Small Pond Performance Company’s open-mic night on November 15th, in the black box.