In a world of routine, homework, and technology, schools seemingly rarely allows time for creativity and self expression. Tom Honz, a teacher librarian at Ankeny Centennial High School (ACHS) and Jenny Wirtz, a teacher librarian at Ankeny High School (AHS) created this space for the students.

With this sense of community they have built, AHS and ACHS hold a combined number of four Open Mic Nights (OMN) over the course of the school year. They split the number of shows, going back and forth with one for each quarter.

“It’s kind of like a talent show in a sense… one year a kid played the piano blindfolded or another performance where … Mr. Chamberland just started [performing] this introduction of a literary piece and gave a lot of enthusiasm behind it, and there was this other time where a woman read poetry,” AHS junior Parker Olson said. “So it’s mostly just a way of expressing art.”

But OMN isn’t a new addiction to the ACSD, Feb. 26 was the 75th show since the event was first organized before the district-wide split.

Creating OMN

Honz loves music and would find ways to incorporate his guitar in classes or lunch when he worked at an elementary school. When he began teaching at the high school level, there were limited opportunities. He first came up with the concept among a group of talented students way back when the two high schools were one.

“I had all these really talented band and choir people that would come to the library. So, we decided to start OMN. There’s a former student named Darren Hushak, he helped us build it,” Honz said, “We were just kind of messing around and just playing songs and things that OMN, and he started recording, and we got better equipment, and it just kind of grew from there.”

Honz and Wirtz remained partners to continue the activity through the district when the high school split into AHS and ACHS. They have kept this stage alive ever since.

“It’s a joint effort, and I couldn’t do it without him. He runs the soundboard and he’s really particular about microphones and chords, and it’s not my passion, but it is his passion,” Wirtz said.

A lot goes into preparing and setting up an event like this. Honz recently got a digital board for the event and has had to learn new technical skills to support his students on stage. Other than that, there’s getting the word out, organizing the show, and moving the sound equipment.

Setting up

“You just need to email,” Wirtz explained. “Or stop by and tell me in person. That’s it. And then I have a little running list that I add to, and Tom adds to it too.”

Generally the list is short, 7 to 10 people from each school sign up in advance. People will cancel or change their minds in the weeks leading up to the OMN and more people will decide to attend. Honz has the majority of the supplies it takes to set up the event at ACHS. It takes gradual effort to bring the equipment over to AHS for the two shows a school year.

When everything was ready, all of the chairs in perfect rows, the microphones in their stands, and the camera operators behind the viewfinders, students began to arrive. Families accompanied some, others brought friends, but quickly the space came alive. Finally, the acts begin.

Many different acts

This talent-show-like extracurricular featured acts like a three guitar band on Feb. 26 while also including many solo singers. This particular show had little variety, but just as much enthusiasm and entertainment.

“We’ve had people that write their own poetry and then read poetry. We have people that are like an individual speech contest that might come practice,” Wirtz said.

Any form of expression is welcome on the OMN stage. Stand up comedy, poetry, miming, loud death metal bands, and acoustic guitar are other examples of acts that have performed, but it’s also a place for gaining confidence and trying new things.

There was a range of experience and styles, but usually there’s more of a mix of talents, beyond singing.

“We’ve had band instruments. If they’re at the Perry Band Olympics, they might come play their piece for us, so we’ve had people play the saxophone or the clarinet. Mr. Chamberland is a trained vocalist, so he usually sings, many times in a different language,” Wirtz said.

AHS staff including Principal Dr. Daniel “DJ” Johnson, science teacher Lucas Chamberland, and technology teacher Jennifer Poole are returners to OMN who performed on Thursday afternoon.

A stage for students and teachers

This winter OMN, Chamberland started the show singing in German, Johnson and Poole sang as well.

“Our staff are encouraged. We always try to have at least one staff performer. Mr. Chamberland’s done it for us now three or four times, and he’s so talented, it’s really fun to have him. Dr. J has sung for us before. Ms. Poole sings. Mr. Grulke has performed for us before. We have a lot of talented staff,” Wirtz said. “It’s fun to see kids in a different light, and it’s fun to see staff in a different light, too.”

OMN’s are currently only advertised to the two high schools, but Ankeny graduates have returned to perform with current high schoolers, and reportedly an Ankeny teacher brought their child to perform, but graduates have pretty set rules.

“[The rule is] you have to have a high school performer on the stage. We have some graduates that come back and perform, but they’re with one person who’s still our student,” Wirtz explained.

Honz and Wirtz reached out to the middle schools to potentially expand the audience to eighth and ninth grades, but nothing has come out of it. Regardless, the OMN opportunity is open to anyone who wants to share their voice.

“If there was a Southview kid who wanted to perform, we’d probably let them,” Wirtz confirmed.

The Ankeny Community School District community is encouraged to perform, and a majority do because they reportedly feel safe and supported on the stage Honz and Wirtz have created.

A safe place

A lot of the performances have a vulnerable edge. Songs can be completely original, poems could have a deeper meaning, and even simply stepping on stage can be overwhelming. That’s why the environment and audience are so important.

“At the beginning of every show, [we] talk about our audience expectations, that we are a friendly audience, and it takes a lot of guts to get on stage so no matter what happens on stage, we’re going to support whoever’s there,” Wirtz said.

Thanks to the kick off speech, a casual almost conversation between Wirtz and a relaxed room of people, the crowd understands the vulnerable place a person is putting themselves in.

“I’ve written songs about various different topics within politics, whether it be immigration or religion or political figures, I’ve also written about love. I’ve written about hate. I’ve written about some very sensitive topics to me emotion wise,” Olson explained.

The table shook with the loud chord reverberating through the library. Olson explained why he originally performed at OMN, “I thought it would be just a good way to get out there in a safe environment and be able to express [myself] through music,” Olson said.

The respect isn’t just a hope or expectation, attendees watched kindly. Whether a singer’s voice cracked, a guitarist played the wrong chord, or a performer missed their cue, those inevitable mistakes didn’t impact the listening audience.

“Usually, what we find is we’ll have kids that are signed up and we have kids that just come and watch. By the end, kids who aren’t signed up are wanting to perform because they’re like, ‘oh, this is a safe place,’” Wirtz said.

As students warm up to the environment, more emotional performances like Owen tk and Olson’s are possible.

“I’d say it’s a very safe place for anyone to perform, whether it be a teacher or a student,” Olson commented. “Whether a person is good at their instrument, really good, great, or they’re just a beginner, there’s a sense of belonging.”