Like many Northfield High School students with musical chops, Caroline Brice performed in the biennial Rock & Roll Revival at Northfield Middle School earlier this spring.
But what differentiated one talented singer from the others may, in fact, be that elusive “it” factor.
The “it” factor, according to Pauline Jennings, performing arts manager of the Northfield Arts Guild, may just mean that the teen could possibly have a future in music.
While Jennings said she was impressed by her composure, her unique tone, her delivery and with how comfortable she was on stage, there was something else.
“I can’t really explain what that something else is … it’s ineffable … it’s that ‘it’ quality that show people talk about. And it’s something that I can see and hear in someone’s performance within seconds.”
Jennings added, “And whatever that thing is, I saw it in Caroline. I see it in Caroline. She belongs on stage.”
Jennings said she was so wowed by Brice’s solo of John Prine’s sad song “Summer’s End,” that she immediately texted the Raider junior: “I want to book you.”
She later asked Brice if she wanted to put a set together to open for a 411 concert, and Jennings said she was thrilled when Brice said she’d love to do so.
Brice said that, after she received the text, she in turn was thrilled with the offer, but said she didn’t want to perform alone on stage. So, she asked good friend Maren Coudret, who plays bass and guitar, and sings, to accompany her on stage as the opening act for the May 5 411 concert headlined by three Twin Cities vocalists in a band called “Three.”
Brice, a senior this fall, and Coudret, a graduating senior on June 9, said opening for the 411 Concert on the Guild Theater stage was a bit daunting. But after some stage coaching from Pauline, a singer, and husband Steve Jennings, an acclaimed percussionist, the teens said they felt more comfortable as they prepped for their first official stage debut.
Working on their stage presence with two seasoned concert veterans certainly paid off.
“I spent a couple of hours coaching Caroline and Maren as they prepared for the show. We discussed putting together a set of music: where to talk, what to say, and song order,” Jenning explained. “We also discussed the way to build a song: where to have one guitar lay out, where to add harmony, where to simplify the strumming, etc. Mostly, I — along with input from my hugely talented musician husband, Steve — helped to fine-tune the set.”
Reflection
After school one day last week, Brice and Coudret took time away from studying for finals to talk about the experience of appearing on stage as a duet for the first time.
“We started small and added emotion,” said Brice. “We worked on our harmonies and our stage banter.”
“We tried to layer our songs to get a different sound,” said Coudret. Sometimes, that layering was achieved by strumming and picking and pulling parts out. Brice, who writes her own music said she was looking forward to having time this summer writing poetry and playing her guitar.
Coudret, who said she’ll be taking three guitars with her when she starts her freshman year at New York’s Sarah Lawrence College, said she’d like to also buy a banjo. She said she might use the money she received as an Honors Art student when one of her art pieces was purchased by NHS art teachers Katherine Norrie and Karna Hauck. Buying one piece from a student is a longstanding NHS art department tradition that showcases excellent student artwork each year.
Norrie said working with young people who are motivated from within like Brice and Coudret is “a true joy.”
“Maren and Caroline are deeply invested in the visual art community at Northfield High School where they have taken countless visual art elective courses,” said Norrie. “They both thrive in a creative environment where they are able to develop new ideas and skills. They are incredible role models for others in Honors Art because of their drive and love for creating.”
Fellow art teacher Karna Hauck said that while she hasn’t had the girls in her class, she has been noticing how lovely and talented they are. “Maren and Caroline tend to be YES gals and we all admire their optimism and joy,” said Hauck. “They are plugged in and willing to be out on a limb artistically. They are truly emerging artists in more ways than one.”
When they are not playing their own music, Brice and Coudret said they are constantly listening to the music of others. Favorites now for Brice include Big Their, Sufjan and Lutalo, while Coudret likes Filipino singer-songwriter Beabadoobee, Cotton Jones, Alex G and King Krule.
“Caroline’s talent, practice and effort, with Maren’s very talented help, did all of the rest,” said Jennings. “I could not have been more proud of their performance. It was engaging, charming and most of all, their music sang.”
If You Go The Northfield High School Honors Art exhibit will be on display in the Main Gallery of the Northfield Arts Guild, 304 Division Street, until June 8. aecad239-af53-4e22-9e2f-1f8e26eebb83
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