Coffee house has always been a memorable part of the year at North Point High School. It is a time where people can express themselves in a unique way and show many of their skills. Coffee house has always been a great way for people to share their voice, and this year definitely did not disappoint.

Michaela’s band was a highlight of Coffee house this year. With amazing performances from Michaela Raqueno, Jasmin Ali, Hayley Pinggoy, Christine Baker, and Adebola Oluyede, coffee house 2023 was definitely something you didn’t want to miss. In an interview with Michaela, she details what she thought made her performance so special. “My favorite thing about performing was just being able to create music entertainment for others.” She goes on to explain her favorite thing about Coffee house 2023, “I liked getting to see people who I’ve always known perform at Coffee House and seeing the new people come up and show what everyone has to offer because there was so much variety of acts. It was a pleasant surprise to see the underclassmen getting involved since Coffee house is usually a senior and junior event.” Even throughout Covid, the North Point Theater Community has ensured that Coffee House could continue, which was a big motivation for Michaela and the others in her band. “When I started out, I was still meek and very stage-shy until along the way, I met amazing friends who shared my creative conviction. Everyone comes together to make it a great experience for the audience, especially our performers, hosts, technicians, and waiters.”

We asked the other members of Michaela’s band about their most memorable experiences during Coffee House. Jasmine talks about getting so see her peers perform, “My favorite moments from Coffee House were watching all the talented vocalist singing their hearts out, laughing with my friends from all the jokes the hosts made, and being on stage playing beautiful music as the audience cheered us on.” Hayley says something similar, “My favorite moments were performing with my friends and cheering on all acts together. Ill always cherish the memories of both performing and helping in crew and waitstaff.” She continues, “I appreciate all the hard work put into the event by everyone and hope others can also experience the joys of Coffee House in the future.”

Many people highlighted the larger diversity of acts this year at Coffee house, and explained how it improved on previous Coffee House years. A main criticism was that because of the lack of acts, pervious years had lacked luster. Coffee House 2023 however, improved on this, and increased the variety acts. Some standout moments were the Step teams performance and Christine Baker performing Elton “John’s I’m Still Standing”. Christine talks about her performance with joy, “My favorite moments from Coffee House were the Tyler the Creator performance and bringing my friends on stage with me for “I’m Still Standing”. Coffee House is always so fun to perform in with the supportive audience and I’ll always cherish the thrill and memories of performing from sophomore to senior year.” Haven’s Band performance of “Them Changes” by Thundercat was one of Adebola’s favorite moments along with her performing with her friends under the spotlight. “It is my last year for Coffee House, and though I’m a little sad, I’m sure the fine arts department will continue to spread the spirit of Coffee House years to come.”