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SM South News

the student news source of shawnee mission south

SM South News

the student news source of shawnee mission south

SM South News

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Mopping up the Competition

Mopping+up+the+Competition

The crowd was silent as the unknown woman approached the mic, saxophone around her neck. She began to play, with the attention of the crowd fixed intensely and solemnly on her. The mood quickly changed as the song progressed, and as custodian Rozz Smith performed a beautiful arrangement of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel, the students began cheering and clapping to the beat, rising in standing ovation well before the song was over. The overall reaction from the student body was clear: claiming first place in the show, the song was a complete success.

“I was surprised by the performance; I liked it a lot,” sophomore Ernesto Lopez said.

He thought Smith’s performance was a good addition to the show, surpassing many of the other acts. Lopez was not alone.

“I was surprised because of how well the song was played; it made me want to work really hard in life,” freshman Nanae Urano said.

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Smith is a self-taught saxophone player and has been for the past 20 years. She also plays drums and piano. She has performed at Northeast High School, as well as in Topeka, Wichita and New York.

Smith contacted senior Erica Lang about the possibility of playing for the talent show, and Lang believed there was no doubt that she would be a great addition.

“Seeing her at auditions, I knew right away it would be a spectacular performance. It was neat to see her come alive in front of the students,” Lang said.

Smith is obviously attached to her instrument. She recalls having the same sense of delight and joy that she always gets when she plays the sax.

“When I have the sax around my neck, it’s like I’m a completely different person,” Smith said.

She also added that one of the reasons she enjoys excelling at the saxophone in particular is the fact that it is often a male- dominated instrument, and she enjoys the competition.

Being a staff person that not many knew, it was a huge step to perform in front of the school. But the risk was worth it. It just goes to show that the students often don’t know the faculty as well as they would like to think they do.

“Sometimes we just don’t think that the staff has other lives; for instance, we tend to see teachers only in the classroom setting,” Lang said.

There was an even deeper purpose behind the performance, according to Smith. She chose “Bridge Over Troubled Water” specifically to send a message.

“That song is very deep, and in a lifetime if you can find a person you can call a friend, it is really a remarkable thing,” Smith said.

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Mopping up the Competition