Photos by Ralph Freso / Slideshow
When the second to last act was announced, the judges had to ask twice, because the stage was empty.
“Claire Miller?”
A spotlight rained from on high in the back of Grand Canyon University's Global Credit Union Arena, where Miller, in a long blue dress and a violin to her chin, played the first chords of Billie Eilish’s “Lovely” as she sashayed and bowed her way to the stage.
There she worked through a medley of popular songs, the crowd at GCU’s Got Talent competition going crazy for Travis Scotts’ “Fe!n,” singing along to JVKE’s “Golden Hour” and jumping to their feet at the conclusion of lesser-known but lovely “Experience” from Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi.
Claire Miller was found in the spotlight.
The crowd voted her the 2025 GCU’s Got Talent winner in a field of 10 acts who threaten to rename the annual large student-run Canyon Activities Board event “GCU’s Got Variety.” In the first year, a yo-yoer won, the second year a comedian and this year a violinist.
Miller stood among the streamers afterward and beamed, waving at mom, dad, brother and sister who came from Pennsylvania to watch. The psychology and business student often takes her violin on that trip home through the airport and brings it out to play in the concourse.
“I love when they ask me to play a song for them. I can play any song by ear. Whatever your favorite song is, I can play it,” she said, though often it’s “When the Devil Went Down to Georgia.” “They ask me what song I am going to play, and I’m a real person, not like a robot or radio, so I can interact with them.
“Music is a good way to connect with people.”
She’s a resident assistant in Ironwood, and on night desk duty, she does the same, taking requests.
“To be honest, it might be genetic. My whole family just plays by ear. We just pick up an instrument and play a song,” said Miller, who started on the violin at age 6.
“I was raised on classical music, and I would just put on Spotify and start playing, and I got to know the keys for popular songs.”
Another big crowd reaction was for the closing act that followed Miller – freshman Jaylan Watkins, one of three finalists in the voting.
His solo rendition of “Feeling Good,” made popular by Nina Simone and later Michael Bublé, showed off his vocal range, from sky-high soprano to down-low bass.
When judges asked what vocal category he places himself, he said, “I can do it all.”
“I’m trying to find people who like my sound,” said the commercial music major before the show. “I would say its R&B gospel, and a lot of jazz.”
He got started performing in the church, as many performers said, whether it was magician Tim Mullins, who was booed when he performed his first tricks in grade school, only to be inspired by his youth pastor, or singer Bria Williams, who practices her soaring vocals in worship arts.
The former pulled two people from the crowd to pick a card, any card, in classic fashion, but the crowd saved its biggest oohs for his trick with judge Caleb Shaw, whose pick of eight of hearts was actually revealed to be knitted right into the bottom of Mullins’ socks.
Shaw, a GCU men’s basketball player, was introduced by hosts Matthew Stout and Jonathan Fridline as the campus “heartthrob,” student body president Ashley Cote was led in by the sunglass-wearing security detail of Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Tim Griffin and Director of Student Engagement Jeremy Mack, and campus trendsetter Ibinnabo Kelly-Briggs ushered in his own cool vibe as a two-time winner in Lip Sync, the other large student talent event in the fall.
The rock band Varlets (Zach Johnson, Zach Haller, Josh Weide and Noah Paape) raised hairs with a driving screamer followed by a rock ballad, both original songs. Gannon McShane returned with his yo-yo and juggling act, the dorm RA couple of Tristan Carlson and Chloe Brandon performed a meet-cute song Carlson wrote for Brandon before comedian Marshall McNamee came out to act the fool.
“I saw the winner from last year in the magazine and thought, ‘I can do comedy,’” he said before the show. “I’m a goofy guy. Homeschoolers are good at making fools of ourselves. I’m studying Christian ministry, so I’m gonna be a fun pastor boy.”
His set on homeschoolers was a self-deprecating jab at being isolated souls in a minority taught by mom. “One thing homeschoolers are good at is making other people uncomfortable.”
Before the tight dance group Distinction (Alex Noble, Ryan Brady and Joshua Greer) coordinated a hip-hop that got heads bouncing, it was another finalist who wooed the crowd – Reagan James Broome. The singer’s version of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” led to a sing-along.
“I’m just pursuing Jesus,” he told the judges.
Faith was a strong GCU flavor throughout this talent competition – and even before.
The performers at 7 p.m. realized they had a half hour to kill before readying for competition, so they squeezed into a room backstage and improvised 30 minutes of worship, with the sound of guitars, Miller’s violin and those talented vocals flowing into the hallway in unplanned praise.
“They just really love the Lord and decided to break out into a worship,” said CAB event coordinator Emma Hamilton. “It was probably the coolest thing ever.”
Grand Canyon University senior writer Mike Kilen can be reached at [email protected]
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