Lisa Duffy is a program assistant for the PbS Learning Institute. She holds a B.A. in Women’s Studies and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing from the University of Massachusetts Boston. She has extensive experience in writing, editing, and content creation for private, healthcare, and non-profit organizations. A published novelist with three book club favorites from Simon & Schuster, Lisa’s writing can be found in numerous literary journals, print, and online publications.
A Profound and Impactful Performance from a Delaware Trio
This 2022 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight features a group original song titled “My Life,” from the Stevenson House Detention Center in Kent County, Delaware.
Opening the performance with a prayer, the track begins, and we join one of the artists as he holds up the song title scrawled on a sheet of white paper. He stands solemnly inside the doorway of his concrete-walled room, a narrow bed devoid of a blanket or pillow sits in the background.
A moment later, we watch the group wait patiently in a single line behind a locked door. A staff member appears, using a key to grant access to the next hallway, the sequence of events giving the audience a glimpse of what life looks like in a secure detention center.
“Way too easy to be bad/way too hard to be good/Like oh no/sometimes I feel like I’m misunderstood,” raps one artist in lyrics a Selection Committee member called, “full of substance.”
“Your message about perseverance is profound. Keep making music—you are gifted!” raved another Committee member.
We thank this talented trio for sharing “My Life,” and wish them great success with their future creative endeavors!
Watch the performance here.
The annual PbS Kids Got Talent Contest invites all young people in PbS facilities and programs across the country to submit their talents for a chance to show off their skills. This year, Performance-based Standards (PbS) received 55 entries from 63 young people in 8 states and 22 different facilities. After careful consideration, 12 finalist performances were selected and shared with the Kids Got Talent Selection Committee.
Each of the 12 performances will be featured in the 2022 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight blog over the coming weeks as our committee determines a solo winner and a group winner. The winners will be selected based on creativity, stage presence and talent. The winning soloist will perform live at the PbS Awards Night in August.
About the author
Lisa Duffy
PbS has been a partner in assisting this facility to become a dynamic work environment that is not satisfied with maintaining the status quo.