The 16th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition Finals was scheduled for Jan. 24 for months. Then a snowstorm hit.
Despite Mother Nature, the show went on, though it was held a day early for everyone’s safety. This last-minute call was the right one, but it took the contestants, including Aragon, by surprise.
“My heart dropped,” lead vocalist Aislynn Spraul said. “It was a big shock.”
For those who haven’t been following the regional competition or young St. Louis-area music scene, Aragon is a local band made up of teens from across the St. Louis metro area, including South County natives Samuel Engel of Oakville and Zion Voegtlin of Lemay, as well as Gavin Martin of St. Clair County, Illinois, and Spraul of St. Peters, Missouri. This year was the second in a row that Aragon advanced through each preliminary round, securing a spot in the final performance with just 13 other groups.
Because of the rescheduling, there was time for only one dress rehearsal, and it was held directly before the show itself. This time crunch, though undeniably high stress, was handled with professionalism, according to the teens; it also helped that Aragon was the last act to perform, giving them additional time to “prepare and present themselves.”
“Basically, we felt like headliners,” Spraul said of their position in the lineup.
To differentiate themselves from the hundreds of hopefuls that tried out, and to grow as an original band, Aragon performed their own song, “Kiss the Sky,” at the competition.
“When I listen to it, all I think about is dreams,” Engel said of the band’s original song. “One of the judges, Steve, had an Apple watch. There was a warning — I guess when you’re around loud surroundings — that came on when we came out with ‘Kiss the Sky.’ That’s rock and roll right there.”
“We went out with a bang,” Martin added.
Following the show, the winners were chosen, though not all awards were announced on stage. The first place (Safiya Austin-El), second place (duo Leia Yogi and AJ Bentley) and third place (Langston Casey) winners — who were awarded $8,000, $6,000 and $4,000 scholarships, respectively — were honored in front of the crowd, though other award recipients, such as Aragon, were told of their achievement offstage following the performance.
By winning the Live & Loud Award, Aragon will soon be receiving a professionally edited sizzle reel by New York–based C.E.Simon Creates, featuring live footage and booking info. This “sizzle reel,” also known as an electronic press kit or EPK, will help the young artists promote themselves, especially important as they transition from a cover band into an original band, and book gigs.
“It seems pretty cool,” Voegtlin said of the EPK.
As far as what the future holds, Aragon plans to continue making and recording their own music. A tour is also high up on their list of goals.
Connect with Aragon on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, or through their website.