The Wantagh High School Senior Variety Show is one of the most highly anticipated events of the school year, and a memorable night for the Class of 2025. Taking place on November 26, 2024, eight acts were giving it their all on stage. I had the pleasure of being a part of one of these acts with the one and only Mr. John Hampson, a singer and songwriter who has performed in some of the best venues in the country.

How did this act come about? It all started with an idea, and an inherent love for music.

My name is Sabrina Albano, and I have been singing and writing songs since I was around seven years old. I come from a family whose lives all revolved around music and writing. My great grandmother Maria Antonia was a poet in Sicily and won various writing competitions. My Nonna (grandmother) Illuminata Buccellato and her identical twin had a passion for singing, and would perform on radio shows in Italy. Music is in my blood, and playing in my home 24/7. From Elvis Presley, to Celine Dion and Carlo Buti to Taylor Swift, I have been exposed to all kinds of music since a very young age. Watching Elvis Presley concerts on the old television taught me something- it taught me the power of harmonies, the impact of melodies, and the significance of lyrics. My family realized my love for music at a young age and encouraged it by signing me up for guitar lessons and taking me to Nashville- “Music City”- to record a cover of a Taylor Swift song in a professional recording studio nestled in The Ryman Auditorium when I was just in fourth grade. This only caused my love for music and performing arts to grow, as I signed up for any performing opportunities I could get- such as the Forest Lake Variety show, NYSSMA festivals, and theatre. 

There was one thing however, that was on my bucket list since the very beginning: to perform an original song of mine onstage with my guitar in front of an audience. The day where this dream came true was the day I reached out to Mr. Hampson. Mr. Hampson is Wantagh’s very own local celebrity, who has performed at one of the most highly anticipated annual events- the Jingle Ball. He starred in a Super Bowl commercial, and is still widely popular for his own original song “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” he wrote back in 1998 with his band, Nine Days. After enjoying his time writing music and touring, Mr. Hampson decided to cut down on concerts and switch to teaching- a profession he has been fond of since highschool. “When I was in high school, I had an awesome English teacher- he was so dynamic.” Mr. Hampson recalled “In that moment I thought to myself that if I can’t be a rockstar I’ll do what he does”. I asked him what it was like making that big switch from musician to teacher and he replied: “There are so many parallels, it’s funny. I’m still performing in front of an audience and reading the room. It really is the same thing as teaching”. He continued by saying it all comes down to the “love of language”, and turning thoughts into poetry. I never had Mr. Hampson as my English teacher, but in my Junior year of high school, I signed up for the creative writing elective that he was teaching. After writing pieces of poetry and short stories, Mr. Hampson introduced the songwriting unit, where my class was encouraged to write an original song. Myself, along with Wantagh High School’s Class of 2024 graduate and former editor in chief of The Warrior, Michelle Smith, compiled an original song- the same one I would perform only a couple months later at the Senior Variety show. 

I began thinking about performing at the Senior Variety show during the summer, but it wasn’t until early November when I spoke with Mr. Hampson and began to rework the song. Practicing after school with our guitars and singing to a song that I wrote in his classroom was an incredible experience. One thing that I tell my non-performing friends and family is that there is simply nothing like being onstage. The vulnerability of sharing your passion, your own work, with an audience is something special and something that cannot be replicated in any way. The feeling I had up on that stage with my peers cheering me on, clapping, and shining their flashlights was something I will truly never forget. It was a dream come true, and I truly cannot thank Mr. Hampson enough for helping to make that possible.