When you think of School Arts, you most likely think of school musicals. However, the arts at YLHS span a wider spectrum. In this article, we will focus on the other arts events/activities that YLHS has to offer!

MUSTANG IDOL:

Mustang Idol is the annual singing competition held at YLHS for students of all grades interested in participating. Mustang Idol is an excellent outlet for students who want to show off their singing talent. What’s great about Mustang Idol is that anyone can audition!

The singing competition takes place in February, and a panel of judges is chosen from the pool of teachers in the PYLUSD district (mostly teachers with music backgrounds). The contestants compete in the first round, singing one song. After consulting, the judges select eight students for the final round. These students then sing a second song, followed by constructive feedback from the judges after their performance. Ultimately, the judges choose 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and the Song of the Night Award to reward the finalists. The winners receive a cash prize! 

Mustang Idol is such a fun event to participate in. I was in Mustang Idol last year and made it to the final round! I loved all the talented people I had the honor to perform alongside. Everyone in the contest was gifted and the sweetest, most supportive group ever. 

Katie Ruoo (11), who won Song of the Night at last year’s Mustang Idol, loved her experience with Mustang Idol, remarking that “since [she] mostly performs in a musical theatre setting, performing pop songs was a completely different experience that [she] thoroughly enjoyed. The audience, along with the contestants, made the contest beyond amazing.” 

COMEDY SPORTZ HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE:

Another fantastic part of the Arts program at YLHS is our improv team, Comedy Sportz! Comedy Sportz is an improv team where high school students explore the art of improvisation. The team holds practices every Friday to learn how to think on their feet and work as a team. Comedy Sportz holds comedy matches every month, where students on the team compete against each other in two teams by playing several improv games.

These matches are always a hit with the audience. I recommend that you come and watch one, as you cannot even describe what it is like until you watch it. 

Sarah Richey (12) is one of the Comedy Sportz captains and talks about her love for Comedy Sportz, saying that “it made it easier for [her] to let [her] guard down, and [she] feels like it helped [her] improve as an actress.” She also remarks that she loves to work with her co-captains, Sam Davis (12) and Charlotte Schultz (12), to coordinate practices and teams for the matches. Sam Davis (12) emphasizes how beneficial improv can be for high school students because “it can help them get out of their comfort zone and improve their confidence.”

The arts at YLHS are fun and diverse– Mustang Idol and Comedy Sportz are no exception!