Meet The Finalists of Dartmouth Idol 2020!

At the Hop, winter term means one thing: it's Idol season. Now in its 13th year, Dartmouth Idol, directed by Walt Cunningham, is already in the works. The semi-finals on January 31 saw twenty-nine students compete for a spot in the finals. A few days later, six semi-finalists found out that they would be performing in the finals in a month.        

The theme for this year's finals is the long-running children's program, Sesame Street. When I asked Walt why he chose that, he recalled the history of the program. He said Sesame Street aimed to provide early childhood education to socioeconomically disadvantaged children, all while doing it with a diverse cast (which was not as common in the '70s). It's the diversity of the cast, Walt said, that connects Dartmouth Idol to Sesame Street.

Now, with the finals less than two weeks away, I sat down with each of the finalists to find out more about them and their thoughts heading into the performance.

Daniel Abate '23

Only a short while after the semis, a friend asked Daniel to check the list of the finals. When he did, he stared at the screen, excited and overwhelmed. His performance of "Something's Got a Hold on Me" by Etta James paid off. As a member of both Soyeya and the Dartmouth Aires, Daniel has a strong musical foundation, not to mention his participation in choir in high school and ability to play the guitar. When asked about how he feels to be performing in the finals, Daniel replied that he was so grateful and that "nothing in this life makes [him] happier than performing." In terms of the finals, he is also looking forward to performing in front of his largest audience yet.

Summer Cody '20

Summer "almost started crying" when she found out she made the finals with her rousing rendition of "Home" from The Wiz. Now, with the rehearsals in full swing, she is excited to be playing with a live band in the finals and seeing how the whole production plays out. For Summer, this is just another step in her long journey in music. At a young age, she started to sing and play the piano, and now, she writes music and sings a capella as president of the Dartmouth Sings. Summer said that regardless of the outcome of the finals, she "feels like she already won" and is excited for the show, which she believes will be "uplifting, playful, [and] very high-energy." 

Matt Dempsey '23

Matt was "really happy" when he found out he made the finals. As a member of Glee Club and the Dartmouth Cords, some may find it surprising that he sang "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash in the semi-finals. From being in Glee Club to working in the Box Office, Matt spends a lot of time in the Hop and is spending even more time as it gets closer to the Finals. Matt is most looking forward to just giving the best performance he can give and having a lot of fun doing it. He is also excited to be performing in front of his family and friends. He believes that this year's theme will affect the "overall aura" of the production as Sesame Street has been such an influential show.

Soomin Kim '20

For classically trained Soomin, this is not her first time participating in Dartmouth Idol. Having been a finalist in 2018, Soomin remembers being pushed outside of her musical comfort zone as she sang non-classical music for the first time. She also said that being in Idol her sophomore year really shaped her overall Dartmouth experience. This year, she expects nothing different as she anticipates being pushed outside of the scope of classical music to sing more contemporary songs. For example, she sang Sam Smith's "Writing's on the Wall" in the semifinals. Soomin is excited to be working with Walt again and sing with all the other finalists. She thinks the audience should look forward to not only the diversity of the finalists, but also the diversity of the set list and how each number is uniquely crafted for each contestant.

Molly McQuoid '23

After a knockout performance of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep," Molly was excited and surprised to have made the finals, as she found every semi-finalist to have been "amazing." As a member of the Sings and having a musical background, performing is nothing new for Molly. What's more, Molly, who grew up as a big fan of Sesame Street, is really excited to see how the theme is incorporated into the production this year. She is looking forward to performing with all of the other finalists, especially fellow Sings member Summer and floormate Matt.

Caitlin Wanic '21

As the third-place finisher in last year's Idol, Caitlin, who sang "Hollow" by Tori Kelly in the semis, is no stranger to the process of preparing for the finals. Having that experience last year "adds an element of comfort" since she now "knows what to expect and "feels confident in [her] performance capabilities." While she is a Native American Studies and Studio Art pre-health double major, music remains a large part of Caitlin's life as she is a member of the Dartmouth Dodecaphonics. She is looking forward to seeing the songs they have prepared come to life during the performance.

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At the time that I spoke with each finalist, full rehearsals had not truly started yet. However, now with Idol under two weeks away, rehearsals are in full swing and everything is starting to come together. The final performances will feature a backup singer, a live band and even a children's choir!

When speaking to these talented singers, one thing stood out to me overall: the excitement and enthusiasm each and every contestant has for the performance. The production is sure to bring joy, diversity and great entertainment.