Bulldog News

Finding the right note for creativity

Thursday, May 21, 2009

With warmer weather and its plentiful offering of outdoor activities, spring is always a busy time of year. This year, especially, we’ve witnessed an exciting mix of traditional and new activities which have been welcomed by the Hillside community.

The ninth graders once again benefited from their trip to Washington D.C., the rite-of-passage journey that took place this year in mid-April. The seniors enjoyed touring highlights of the nation’s capitol that included the Air and Space Museum, the Holocaust Museum, the Lincoln Monument, the World War II Memorial and the Washington Mall.

Thanks to the efforts of the HPFA and, in particular, Monica Mansfield (mother of Greg ’11) our students enjoyed a special songwriting program in early April. Acoustic rock musician Adam Ezra and his band, the Adam Ezra Group, introduced our boys to the highly dynamic, collaborative and creative process involved in writing and performing songs.

Adam and his fellow musicians helped students write lyrics to their own songs. Students also selected and applied song elements – guitar and bass chords, percussion and keyboard riffs – presented by the band to their songs. The result was a combined student composition that was performed by the Adam Ezra Group at Spring Fling on May 1. By all accounts, the song – as well as the entire concert – received rave reviews from all Hillsiders!

Also participating in the Spring Fling concert were Chris Barry ’11, who performed with the band on drums, and Hillside’s very own music teacher Shah Salmi, who exhibited his vocal talents as well as contributed a trumpet solo. A highlight of the evening was Jack Humsey ’09 who offered his own rap during the Hillside song.

“This project not only provided students with keen insight into the artistic process, it also gave them a wonderful opportunity to be creative themselves,” noted Headmaster David Z. Beecher.

Speaking of Spring Fling, this year’s traditional celebration of spring at Hillside offered an especially diverse offering of events. On Friday, May 1, our tennis, track and field and JV lacrosse teams participated in highly competitive contests on their home turf. Meanwhile, the varsity baseball team traveled to nearby Rectory School for their contest.

Special to this year’s Spring Fling celebration was the dedication of the Krasnow Track in honor of Charlie Krasnow ’05. Both Charlie and his family, parents Todd and Debbie Krasnow, were on hand for the dedication ceremony which took place on the track’s all-weather, six-lane professional grade surface.

Charlie expressed gratitude to Hillside while also voicing the hope that he would soon “read about the first student to break the five minute mile at Hillside.”

Todd Krasnow, meanwhile, offered enthusiastic support for his son’s alma mater. “Hillside did much for Charlie and we welcome the opportunity to honor this schools continuing, incredible focus on the growth and development of young boys,” he said.

Friday evening’s activities got off to a roaring start with a silent auction, sponsored by the Hillside Parent and Family Association, and a student karaoke contest. Several student groups enthusiastically participated in the contest, displaying “American Idol-worthy” stage presence combined with dancing and singing talents. Crowd participation was evident with audience members cheering and even singing along with the contestants.

Other weekend highlights included parent/student softball, tennis and lacrosse competitions, plus round robin games and student house challenges. As always, the weekend festivities concluded with a delicious lunch buffet enjoyed by all participants.

Next up on the spring calendar was DAR Day, during which Hillside honored its long association with this national organization. Soon after, Hillside offers a final farewell to the 2008-2009 academic year, as well as our departing seniors, with commencement activities in June.

Jack Humsey '09 (right) raps with musician Adam Ezra.

Napoleon Sylvester '13 and his mother, Elizabeth Sylvester, enjoy the HPFA auction.