Jan 2008
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Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome CONCERT FOR COMMUNITY!
Upper School students will star in a night of music, dance, and comedy when the lights come up Friday on the 7th Annual Concert for Community.
“It’s going to be a great show because we have the most acts ever,” said parent Kathy Hormel, who co-chairs the event with her husband Jimmy. “We have 25 acts including a couple of alumni acts. We have everything from rock bands to tap dance to two ballerinas … There will be lots of singing kids, and some classical piano pieces this year.”
This year’s show emcees are 8th graders Sarah Atkinson and William Danforth. “It’s a very coveted role,” Kathy says, noting that the repartee between the two emcees is typically very comedic.
Back by popular demand is the sizzling-hot teacher act, The Red Slips. The band features Upper School art teacher Brian Herrick, English teacher Allie Hersh, technology guru Jason Stone, third grade associate Al McHugh, first grade teacher Andrea Green, P.E. teacher Steve Roberts, and Summerbridge Director Nicole Michna.
Inside the Day School, the buzz is strong. By the time kids reach 5th grade, most have either attended Concert for Community or heard about it. Many put a band together specifically to perform at the concert when it rolls around each February.
“All the kids that have garage bands get to showcase their talent in a nighttime concert venue,” Kathy said. “I’ve had people from other schools ask, What is this concert? I heard it’s great.”
John Valente, whose 7th grade daughter Hannah will play in band called The Shes, said, “I think it’s great that all these kids can get up and perform in front of an audience. And it’s great that it’s for a worthy cause — they’re raising money for their favorite charities.”
The first Concert for Community was held in 2001 in response to the 9/11 tragedy. Day School students organized the show and donated all proceeds to the New York City Fire Department. |
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Since then, concert proceeds have been divvied among four charities, one for each upper-school grade. The charities are selected yearly by the students themselves. They research their charity and give a speech about why it was chosen.
This year, grades 5, 7, and 8 chose to support Herb Bool's 24-hour bike ride which will raise money to build a school for the Central Asia Institute in Pakistan. Bool, an upper-school science teacher, hopes to raise $50,000. The 6th grade chose the Marine Mammal Center.
In the past, the show has raised between $3,000 and $4,000 — not bad considering no tickets are sold. It’s a donation-only event.
Concert for Community is run almost entirely by Upper School kids, with minimal involvement from parents. When Kathy and Jimmy Hormel took over as co-chairs four years ago, parents ran almost all of the committees. Kathy fired the parents and put 8th graders in charge.
As a result, the event is very kid-centered. In addition to performing, kids help run the lighting and sound, publicize the event, and man the concession stand.
At the concession stand, audience members can buy cookies, chips, water — and, new this year, hot dogs cooked on the School’s new courtyard grill. To keep lines short, students plan to pre-sell tickets for the hot dogs.
“The event is great for the school,” Kathy said. “It’s great for younger kids and it’s great for the parents, who say this is one event they really like going to.”
Concert for Community starts at 7 pm on Friday, February 1. The show is expected to last 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
Note to parents: Participating upper-school students are required to show up for rehearsals on Thursday and Friday after school. On Friday, rehearsal lasts right up until showtime. Students are also required to stay after the show to help clean up.
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