Written by: Thanisha Thambidurai, FCSN Voices Youth Reporter
Graphics by: Christy Ma, FCSN Voices Graphic Artist

On April 12 from 4:00 to 6:30 P.M., Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN) hosted its 11th annual Special Needs Talent Showcase (SNTS) at the Santa Clara Convention Center, a day ripe with unique performances from passionate individuals. Ten finalists competed and seven honorable mentions also presented their talents, all of whom were selected from the preliminary auditions held on January 26. The top three winners from last year performed as well, showing the audience their growth over the past year.

SNTS is a unique opportunity for members of the special needs community to present their talents to a larger audience. The showcase began in 2014 as an informal, local event and did not reach nearly as many people as it has in recent years. Eventually, FCSN has expanded to a larger venue (the convention center), and the talent show become a widespread event, inviting various notable and award-winning judges to appreciate and evaluate the talented performances. The hybrid format has helped SNTS grow to include people who cannot participate in person. Participants can also send in videos of their performance if they cannot attend live. This year, cash prizes were awarded to the 10 participants. 

The honorable mentions performed first, followed by a brief introduction of the judges. This year’s Master of Ceremonies and former judge, Christopher Showerman, then announced the list of performers and finalists. Showerman’s lively interactions with the audience through amusing The Sound of Music jokes undoubtedly lifted spirits and kept audience members enthusiastic. 

Afterward, each of the finalist presented their diverse talents, highlighting their skill and dedication. A nine-year-old finalist from Temecula, California, Simon Gaitsgory travelled to the Bay Area two days before the talent show. He played “The Swan” by Saint-Saens and expressed his love for the piano. “I like to play from the heart,” Simon said. “It comes from my soul. It’s just my favorite thing to do. It’s my largest passion.” He went on to receive an additional award for his classical performance, a hallmark of his efforts and musical enthusiasm. Simon hopes to participate in the talent show next year as well and will continue to play the piano, a testament to SNTS’ ability to continuously uplift students. 

Following the finalists, the top three winners from last year returned to perform, further showcasing the diversity of talents within the special needs community. Clarissa Kowalski performed an intricate aerial hoop dance to “Better than Revenge” by Taylor Swift, and Keerat Sharma performed an original composition on the piano, “Coral Facility”. Chris Koraltran, who also won the Showmanship and People’s Choice Awards last year, presented an original song, “Can’t Stop the Way I Vibe,” about remaining confident in the face of judgment.

With the numerous wondrous and unique performances, judges were faced with a difficult decision in determining the top three winners. Mimi Kwan, a three-time Emmy award winner and one of the first SNTS judges, returns as a judge. “I think it’s very inspiring,” Kwan said. “It gives the community as a whole a way to celebrate the abilities of people who are very, very talented, but not in the traditional ways sometimes.” Kwan plans to return in the future as a judge, sharing that FCSN is an inviting community. 

After much consideration, the judges determined the winners. The top three winners of the talent show were the Genre Hoppers (Lawrence Wang and Alice Jen) on the Piano and Soprano Saxophone, Duology (Erin and Christian) as a vocal performance, and Sticky Keys (Frank and Neel) who played the keyboard and drums. Kirrishea Parico won the People’s Choice Award for her energetic performance of “APT,” after receiving the most votes from the audience. Luke Stulhey won the Showmanship Award for his fresh and engaging performance of “Friends on the Other Side.”

Uplifting and inviting, FCSN’s Annual Special Needs Talent Showcase was once again successful with a full and enthusiastic audience cheering on the eager participants. SNTS effectively pushes for the acknowledgement of often overlooked individuals’ talents and encourages members of the special needs community to share their brilliant talents, further motivating participants through valuable rewards and possible future opportunities. SNTS will return once more next year for another powerful showcase. “We’re celebrating what people can do,” Showerman said. “When we get to come together and celebrate everyone’s gifts and talents, it makes us an even tighter-knit and stronger community.”

You can view the event’s major highlights on the SNTS YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@specialneedstalentshowcase7929.