On Friday, August 7th family, friends and visitors experienced something that has been missed by many over the last 5 months; the magic of live music! After a week of collecting LIKES from family, friends and fans on Facebook, Blaine Phebus, Dominik Wiesniewski and Gabrielle Stone were invited to compete during the Final Round of A Cappella & Unplugged and the chance to claim the title of 2020 A Cappella & Unplugged winner and a $500 prize! The 3 finalists each showcased their raw talent and after 30 minutes of open voting via comments on the Facebook Live stream, LIKES on the performers video clips (which went live at 7PM) and in-person votes by the audience, the winner was determined and 16-year-old, Gabrielle Stone took the crown that evening as the winner of 2020 A Cappella & Unplugged and the $500 prize!
Following the announcement of the winner something surprising took place. For those who attended the competition live at the Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center, an improv, mini concert organically took place when the contestants and our very own staff musician and MC of A Cappella & Unplugged, Evan Crider began to collaborate and play music together, unrehearsed and unplugged. The audience rejoiced together as smiles and chills filled the room as the three harmonized, sang and played familiar tunes as if they’d been doing this together for years!
Music brings people together, music is a language that everyone can understand and although we may not always understand the words, we can hear and feel the sound. Together people revel in the joy, the emotions, the memories, the friendships both familiar and new, and the roller coaster ride that the many different musical styles take us on. As we recognize and celebrate many styles of talent in and around Franklin County it was certain that the show should go on and the unofficial slogan of 2020 A Cappella & Unplugged became, “A little different, but still a lot of TALENT.”
Check out this video from the unrehearsed, improv performance from Gabrielle Stone, Nik Wiesniewski and Evan Crider here!
Follow the finalists on Instagram for more great covers, originals and to see where you can catch them performing next.
@_gabrielle_stone_ // @nik_ski_music // @b_laine
Contributed by Lauren Formosa