Open Mic on March 27 at Belknap Mill

LACONIA — “They don’t sing or play an instrument, but is it OK if our students practice their TED Ed talks at your open mic?” That was the question that Lorraine Connell, a teacher at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro posed, when she contacted John McArthur of NH Music Collective, about the Young Performers open mic at Belknap Mill. “An open mic is an open mic,” he said, “and any middle or high school student is welcome. They can sing, play an instrument, recite poetry or give a talk.”

But the open mic took an unexpectedly emotional turn when Jasmine Khakhunmalee from Brewster Academy took the mic to tell her story of the sexual harassment she had experienced growing up. And when Tata Tirapongprasert told his story of reciting poetry to overcome his stuttering, the audience of 42 was both impressed and moved.

There were seven performances last month including solo performances on piano and guitar, a teen band, and three spoken word performances.

This month’s open mic, sponsored by Strings & Things in Concord and organized by NH Music Collective in Gilford, will be held Sunday, March 27 from 2-4 p.m. at Belknap Mill. The open mic will include a feature performance by pianist and Belmont High student, Kyle Dumais. To sign up for the open mic, performers should email John McArthur at john@nhmusiccollective.com.