|
Mahopac High School’s auditorium was packed last week, as 27 of the high school’s student-musicians and crew members took to the stage for Illusion, the school’s annual rock concert. The beloved concert has been bringing the house down for the past four decades, and this year’s performance was no exception.
"Our musicians and crew do two practices a week for eight or ten weeks leading up to the performance," said Stas Pryzmylski, the concert’s architect since 2006. "Every year we get professional sound and lighting in. We get the same gear that they use at music festivals with 100,000 attendees. Very few students get the chance to use or perform with that sort of gear."
| |
|
Just before the show, some performers and crew took a moment to reflect on Illusion and their own experience with the annual concert. Many of this year's performers and crew are seniors who will be moving on from Mahopac High School, but they believe the experience of participating in Illusion will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
"Illusion has given me a rare outlet to express myself and perform," said third-year singer and senior Ella Atkinson. "Not many kids get the chance to rock out on stage in front of a big crowd. I'm excited to find new opportunities to continue to sing after I graduate."
| |
|
"I love to perform, and last year was the first time that I got a chance to play for so many people," said senior and second-year drummer and singer, Ricky Vega. "Some of the people who came to see the show last year recruited me into their band. We're going to play in front of a crowd of a thousand people in June."
"I've learned a lot from Mr. Pryzmylski about music and production, but also about working with people and managing a show," said senior Brooke Geller, who is a third-year veteran of Illusion, production assistant, and Pryzmylski's right hand. "We have so much creative freedom. I made the intro video and students got to pick the songs.”
| |
|
"I take my academics seriously. I'm pretty set on biomedical engineering, but I might want to do something finance/business related," said fourth-year guitarist and senior, Rob Dusovic. "But I'm definitely going to keep playing guitar. When I go to college, I hope that I can find some people that want to play too."
For a crash course in Illusion’s long history, check out last year's Q&A with Pryzmylski.
| |
|
Mahopac Middle School Musicians
Perform for Community
| |
Mahopac Matters is continuing to celebrate music at all grade levels this month by highlighting our middle school musicians. The Mahopac Middle School Band, Chorus, and Orchestra all performed at winter concerts earlier this month after working hard to master their respective pieces. | |
|
"After months of practice, the students had a good time and sang well - first leading the audience in singing ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ and then singing several winter favorites, as well as a few pieces that were new to the audience," said Mahopac Middle School Chorus Teacher Heather Palkewick. "The eighth grade closed the performance with a rousing version of 'Jingle Bell Rock.'"
"The orchestra played everything from ‘Exhilaration’ to ‘Remember Me’ (From the movie, ‘Coco’) and ‘Afterburn,’ said Katelyn Tai. "The audience was so full of community members, friends, and families of the students that we had to add extra chairs as more people arrived. It was great to see the community coming out to support the music program."
| |
|
German Honor Society Students
Volunteer at Repair Café
| |
|
Mahopac High School encourages students to connect the lessons they learn in the classroom with the real world, and that's exactly what the National German Society did at Putnam County's first Repair Café.
According to Sustainable Putnam's website; "a Repair Café is an event where anyone can bring a broken but beloved item for a free repair. Visitors are expected to stay, perhaps enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, and learn about repairs with the help of an expert Repair Coach."
The cafes are run by volunteers who want to help people learn how to maintain and fix things, rather than throw them away. Katrina Bauerlein's German 3, College German, and AP German students have been learning about the environment and sustainability in the German-speaking world. The repair cafe provided members of the National German Honor Society with a chance to see sustainability in practice. The students even volunteered their own time at the event, acting as hosts, helping bring items in, directing the public, and serving refreshments.
| |
|
Success Classes Spread Holiday Cheer to
Mahopac Seniors
| |
|
Christine McNeil and Paula Frey's success classes are giving back to the community this holiday season as part of their unit on empathy. Sixth-grade students took the time to make some custom holiday cards for local seniors, working with the William Koehler Memorial Senior Center to spread holiday cheer beyond the District and out into greater Mahopac.
"The senior center was so appreciative of this idea," said McNeil. "They said their senior citizens are often very lonely this time of year, and this will certainly help to brighten their spirits."
"I liked doing the artwork," said sixth-grade student Juliette. "Everyone likes getting cards, and I think the senior citizens are going to like what we said to them. I hope this makes them happy."
| |
|
Ad Hoc Advocacy Committee Opens
Suggestion Box
| |
|
The Ad Hoc Advocacy Committee invites our community to provide any concerns/issues/policies for the Advocacy Committee to discuss and consider advocating for/against. Your information will remain confidential and only your suggestions will be shared.
On behalf of the Mahopac Advocacy Committee, thank you for your participation!
Advocacy Suggestion Box
| |
Ninth grade students take a course called "MHS Life" designed to acclimate them to the rigor and expectations of HS life and embed character education, community, and culture. | |
|
Mission Statement
The Mahopac CSD develops educated, upstanding citizens with practical life skills through rigorous preparation for the real world.
| |
|
Mahopac Central School District
100 Myrtle Avenue, Mahopac, NY 10541
Phone: 845-628-3415 Fax: 845-628-5502
| | | | |
