Library gives teens chance to sing like a star

By Ashley Livingston

Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009 | 4:35 p.m.

The words of Hannah Montana, Lizzie McGuire and other favorites, many of them also Disney stars, filled the room as a new karaoke event at the Enterprise Library in Silverado proved itself to be a big hit with attendees Saturday.

Paige Allan and Sarah Bundy belted out "I might even be a rock star" into their microphones as the words scrolled across the screen and audience member Shanaan Speed shouted out, "Let's see your air guitar, rock stars!"

Allan, a 15-year-old Silverado High School student, said she was a little nervous the first time she got up in front of the group, but she still really enjoyed performing, especially Miley Cyrus' hit "Nobody's Perfect."

Her friend and partner in performance, 14-year-old Schofield student Bundy, said for her, nerves weren't an issue.

"I've been up in front of the school when I performed with the choir, so it wasn't a big deal," she said.

Bundy and Allan were among the 15 or so youth who visited the library to show off their vocal prowess.

Harold Penn, staff member at the Enterprise Library, said it was the first time the library had held such an event and organizers weren't too sure what to expect, but that everything ended up going really well.

"We will definitely do this again," he said. "And we'll see if we can expand the program a bit."

Penn said he hopes to be able to fill up the library's multipurpose room, a room much larger than the story room where the even was held.

"That's the challenge, to see if we can get that many kids involved," he said.

Alesia Rowe, who was there with her younger sister, said they will definitely be back if the library hosts the event again.

"We would love to come," she said.

Shanaan, who said she has been a resident of the area near the library for many years, said the event was a nice recreation activity for her and her niece Aja Johnson

"When I was that age, we didn't really have things like this we could walk to. It's really nice to have something like this," she said.

Other events Penn said the library will soon try out include a Poetry Cafe event and Animation A-Z, a program in which Penn said attendees will learn about the roots of animation, beginning with cave drawings.

Ashley Livingston can be reached at 990-8925 or [email protected].