Arts – Page 2 – AHS NEWSPAPER

Andover High School Students Show Off Their Talents

May 23, 2022

Dane Connor
STAFF WRITER

Students demonstrated their talents to the people of Andover at the Andover High School Talent Show on March 6. The competition brought together talented students to compete for a $50 Amazon gift card.

The talent show winner this year was The c+Cgrinatucs, an Andover a capella group, that performed Take on Me.

AHS guidance counselor Kimberly Bergey helped put the show together for all students to show off their talents. “My favorite part leading up to the show is seeing which students sign up to perform and what their chosen talent is,” said Bergey. “I am always surprised to see students who I would never expect to perform showcase their hidden talents!”

Bergey has been a part of the talent show and its planning for many years, and while some aspects of the talent show still remain the same, it has changed quite a bit since the beginning. When the talent show started, it was an in-school event, but once AHS switched to the eight day schedule, it became the talent show that AHS knows today. The talent show started incorporating judges and winners, much like a proper television competition.

AHS Junior Leeyah Soen performed in the talent show and got second place in the competition. Her performance included a mixture of her talents, which include piano and rhythmic gymnastics. Soen found the talent show as a perfect opportunity to show off her talents, because she loves to perform and show others her art. “I have been playing piano and rhythmic gymnastics for 14 years now and I felt I could take it a bit farther,” said Leeyah.

Soen was very proud of her performance and wouldn’t change her experience because of how much fun she had. “I really had fun performing, I don’t think I would have changed that,” said Soen. Her favorite memory was being able to watch everyone grow as they practiced their talents. “Everyone had so much fun just cheering for everyone that was going to perform,” said Soen.

AHS English teacher Krista Paminger was one of the judges for the talent show. In explaining what sparked her interest in the first place, Paminger said that she was interested in supporting her students and their talent.

Paminger was very impressed with all the students and their performances. She was very happy with how much courage all the participants showed by getting up on stage and performing their talents for everyone to see. ”Singing, rapping, songwriting, playing the piano, American Sign Language, comedy, choreography, and dance are only some of the talents that were showcased that night, and the level of talent was remarkable,” said Paminger.

Bergey has seen many talents over the years, but that still doesn’t kill her enthusiasm to see kids go on stage and show off talents that may have been hidden until that moment. ”My favorite part of seeing the kids perform is watching students shine on stage who usually don’t have the opportunity to showcase their talents. They all have a lot of fun!” said Bergey.

Soen has advice to students who may be interested in performing in the talent show. She said that many people have talent and just need to have confidence to show off their talent. ”You can succeed, and if you believe in yourself you can do anything,” said Soen.

Articles Arts

Ink Editors, Advisor Reflect on the Magazine’s Progress Thus Far

May 23, 2022

Anusha Sambangi
STAFF WRITER

After a successful year, the leadership of Ink, Andover High School’s literary magazine, expresses their pride in this year’s activities, as well as hopes for the future of the magazine.

From poems to artwork, Ink offers an outlet for students to express their opinions and feelings in an artistic way. The club meets every Tuesday after school and has released two issues this year. Co-editors Abinaya Ganesh and Avanthika Suryadevara run the club, along with teacher advisors Erin Niles, Rachel Gelinas, and Eric Pellerin.

Several years ago, a literary magazine called Fonts existed within AHS but was ultimately discontinued. In 2018, AHS’s main news magazine, The Warrior, was split into separate bodies. One of these bodies took the Warrior title and has now become Ink. According to Ganesh, “leadership last year started the transition into a literary magazine, and now [they are] Ink Magazine.”

COURTESY PHOTO / Ink Magazine
The cover of the first issue of Ink Magazine, with a picture drawn by Mars Tasiopoulos

Ganesh and Suryadevara are both very proud of Ink’s progress this year. “We have really evolved from what the magazine was in the past,” said Suryadevara, “[we] shift[ed] from research-based articles and some art to much more creativity.” Ganesh shared similar ideas and also added that this year has been a learning experience and was challenging at first. However, after a few months of brainstorming and hard work, Ink magazine was back on track.

“My favorite part about running the club is getting to hear all the unique expressions of the student voice,” said Niles. Niles has been a part of AHS’s literary magazine since 2019 and is very happy with the progress that has been made on the style and goals of the literary magazine. She explained that Ink has shifted into “a real literary magazine” this year and expressed her particular interest in the poetry showcased. “We don’t often digest a lot of art in literature in our lives,” Niles said, and Ink magazine is a great way for students to include art in their school lives.

For the co-editors, running this magazine after the leadership of seniors graduating was demanding but memorable. “Publishing our first issue was one of my proudest moments,” said Ganesh. “There were many moments in working on our winter issue where we had to scrap everything we were working on and start over with a new perspective.”

Suryadevara enjoys seeing all the different types of artwork that AHS students submit and publish the most. “When the first submissions start to trickle in, it always makes me so excited and I can’t wait to see how the final version of the magazine will turn out,” she said.

When asked about plans for Ink magazine’s future, Suryadevara said she hopes to get two or three issues out every year, and possibly even special editions such as poetry-exclusive issues. Suryadevera said, “I am really happy with what we accomplished this year and I’m excited to see where we go next year!”

You can find Ink Magazine issues with any English teacher and in room 112. Submit art or writing that you are proud of to the email ahs.ink.magazine@gmail.com at any time.

Articles Arts

AHS Student Composes Original Piece for Orchestra

May 17, 2022

Angela Mac
STAFF WRITER

Jacqueline Zhu, an Andover High School junior, composed and will conduct a piece titled “Waltz in D Minor.” It will be performed by the AHS orchestra on May 18 in the Collins Center.

Zhu, a cellist, wrote the waltz as an assignment for a private lesson outside of AHS. She said, “The overarching theme of the piece is the nostalgia of something you have never experienced before.”

Along with writing “Waltz in D Minor,” Zhu will conduct the piece. Zhu was brand new to conducting. In January, she was introduced to it by Dr. Derek Voigt, the orchestra director. As she took lessons with Voigt, she became more coordinated with the movements. Of being the one conducting instead of playing, Zhu said, “It feels exhilarating, kind of terrifying, but I’m also stoked.”

COURTESY PHOTO / Jacqueline Zhu
Jacqueline Zhu, a junior, playing the cello

Composing music for an orchestra is a first for Zhu. Also the ANDOVERVIEW copy editor, she has written pieces for other instruments in the past. When asked if composing music was difficult, she responded, “It was hard to form ideas, it’s kinda like having writer’s block.” Other challenges Zhu faced were creating the piece she envisioned and composing multiple parts for different instruments.

“Waltz in D Minor” is a modern waltz. Voigt said the “harmonies are rich, the rhythms are clear, and the parts are very approachable by any orchestra.” What makes the piece unique is its use of hemiolas, or three against two poly-rhythms. A hemiola is a rhythmic pattern in which three beats are superimposed over two beats. With hemiolas, there is the effect of a shift between triple and duple time, even though the time signature is not altered. “Waltz in D Minor” also includes interesting cadences and chords. Voigt describes Zhu’s piece as not quite somber, but it is rather dark in the beginning. When it changes keys, it gives the song an entirely different effect.

Camille Miner, an AHS senior and the concertmaster of the orchestra, finds “Waltz in D Minor” riveting. “I enjoy how it has a lot of light romantic themes however in a more modern sense,” Miner complimented. “It also reminds me a lot of Joe Hisaishi’s work” (Hisaishi is famous for his beloved collaborations with Studio Ghibli animation director Hayao Miyazaki). She also revealed that Zhu’s piece has a lot of 8va sections. 8va is an abbreviation of “at the octave”, and when written in music it indicates that the notes should be played one octave higher than written in the score.

Though Zhu has proved to be quite proficient in many aspects of music, she plans to pursue a major in botany or plant science in college. However, she may pursue music, such as composition, as a minor.

Articles Arts

AHS Band Influences Lives

March 28, 2022

Dane Connor
STAFF WRITER

The Andover High School band has been around for many years and is a very important part of our school culture. Whether it be the marching band that plays in the football games or the concert bands that are spread throughout the year, it’s important for the students of AHS to get familiar with a few of the members behind the AHS band.

COURTESY PHOTO / Jeffery Kuchan
AHS Marching Band of fall 2021

Arjun Chandra, a junior at AHS, has been playing saxophone for many years in the band and found that it helped him meet many great people. “I feel I always have someone to talk to,” said Chandra.

Chandra described his favorite experiences of making music with the AHS band. “Making music with my closest friends is a lot of fun,” said Chandra. His favorite piece of music to play with his bandmates is a song called “Canzona” that he played during his freshman year of high school.

A junior at AHS, May Wallace has also been a part of the AHS band for many years and has found that it brings her a lot of positive energy.

Wallace described her future plans with the band and if she plans to continue her effort in music.

“I plan on continuing band for the rest of high school but I’m not sure for the future,” said Wallace.

COURTESY PHOTO / Jeffery Kuchan
Jeffery Kuchan, AHS band director

Andover High School band director Jeffery Kuchan is new to AHS this year and is looking forward to a productive year of music. Kuchan had been involved with some form of band for many years of his life and shares why he loves being in the band room so much. “Band has always been a home for me. It’s been a place where I can explore, imagine, and be creative,” said Kuchan.

Kuchan explains what piqued his interest in being the band director for AHS. He explains that the community of Andover has much to offer in terms of music ability and he is hoping to help many young musicians develop and grow. “I love working with students who are always asking the big questions: how, what, and why,” said Kuchan.

Kuchan has been able to experience many things because of his passion for band. In high school, he was able to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and has memories of performing with his friends in the band. “My strongest and oldest friendships were forged through band, and being involved in the arts has opened many doors throughout my life,” said Kuchan.

Kuchan has high hopes for the future of the AHS band and their potential to make music. His main goal is to help the group of musicians have the most successful and memorable high school band. He hopes to inspire the kids to continue spreading music. “I see a lot of hungry music students [here] eager to try new things,” said Kuchan.

COURTESY PHOTO / Jeffrey Kuchan
AHS Marching Band of fall 2021

Articles Arts

First AP Art Class Added to ’22-’23 Curriculum

February 14, 2022

Avi Shapira

ONLINE EDITOR

Andover High School will add Advanced Placement (AP) 2D Design to the curriculum in the 2022-2023 school year.

Taking an AP class could look good on a transcript, and students who do well on the AP test may get college credit for it. AHS offers AP classes in a variety of subjects, but there are currently no AP classes in the fine arts department.

“[The school has been] sending the message that the arts are not as valued at the school as STEM is,” said senior Giulia Panzica, who plans to study art in college.

Since there were no art APs offered, some students, including Panzica, had to study for the art AP tests on their own and take them outside of school. Having AP classes on their transcripts can help students get into art school, and are required by many international schools for American applicants.

COURTESY PHOTO / Giulia Panzica
“The Pinecone and the Tree” created by Giulia Panzica

“Some of us need this on our transcripts and it’s ridiculous that it’s not more of a problem,” said Panzica.

Panzica, who applied to international schools, took AP Art History through Virtual High School (VHS) and is now taking AP Drawing. AP Art History is a test-based course like most AP classes, and AP Drawing requires students to submit a portfolio of their work as their test.

“It sucks. It was the worst,” Panzica said, describing her experience taking AP Art History on VHS. “I feel like I would have learned so much more in a classroom with a teacher who was explaining things, but it was just me researching on Khan Academy.”

Most students take Portfolio I senior year, but some take Portfolio I junior year and Portfolio II senior year. The curriculum is a two-year cycle, so every other year students are taught different content.

Currently AHS upperclassmen who are interested in studying art in college can take Portfolio I or Portfolio II. Portfolio I and II meet in the same class and are taught by the same teacher. In Portfolio, students create a portfolio of their artwork to apply to art school with.

AP 2D Design will replace Portfolio II as an upper-level art class for seniors to take. “Those upper level, second year Portfolio students have a chance to get college credit,” said Sean Walsh, director of the fine arts department. “[They] also get to specialize, work with some of the AP skills.”

AP 2D Design involves writing and research related to the students’ artwork, which would be more prominent in the curriculum of AP Design than in the Portfolio II curriculum. AP Design will also have specific guidelines for submissions, which could influence student work.

COURTESY PHOTO / Giulia Panzica
“Vaso Siciliano” created by Giulia Panzica

Walsh hopes that after AP Design is introduced, the class will grow. According to Walsh, around five students are expected to take it next year. He also hopes adding an AP class will eventually separate Portfolio I and II and set apart the second year Portfolio students.

“We recognize that [students have] developed already what’s going to get [them into college], now [they can] develop something that’s going to provide [them] some credits there,” said Walsh, explaining the purpose of AP Design.

Despite AP Design being a different class than Portfolio II, students will still be able to get help from an experienced teacher on their art school application. “[Portfolio] gives you insight into the college application processes, which is a lot of what we go over and is very hard to navigate even with Portfolio,” said senior Jillian Boyer.

While most students are excited for an AP art class to be offered, an alumni feels differently. Kai Lonie, who graduated from AHS in 2021 and is now attending MassArt, does not think AP 2D Design is a necessary addition to the curriculum.

COURTESY PHOTO / Jillian Boyer
“Self Portrait” created by Jillian Boyer

Lonie explained there are large differences between high school and college art classes. “[AP art classes] don’t prepare you for college at all, considering all of my studio classes are five hours long and only meet once a week,” they said.

Lonie described studio classes as “made to give you uninhibited time to work on art,” which high school can’t provide. Each studio class also focuses on a different topic, from drawing to the concept of time in art. They “take the semester to teach and expand on that idea.” This is very different from high school and not an experience any high school class can prepare students for, according to Lonie.

Overall, people are looking forward to the new addition to the curriculum.

“Having an AP art class at this school is important because it opens up more opportunities for higher learning in art,” said Boyer.

Articles Arts

Drama Guild Returns to Competing

February 14, 2022

Eva Liss

STAFF WRITER

After a year and a half break due to the pandemic, Andover High School is returning in person to the Massachusetts High School Drama Festival this spring.

The Drama Festival, also known as Fest, is a competition stretching over multiple rounds. The 2020 season was cut short by the pandemic, and the 2021 season was held virtually. However, this year, Andover is back to participating fully in-person. There will be accommodations made for the pandemic, including fewer host sites than usual and mandatory masks and vaccinations. Every participating school competes with a 40 minute long, one-act play and is judged on acting, tech, and general presentation skills.

COURTESY PHOTO / Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild
The Drama Festival’s 2022 logo

“The way [Fest] got cut off my sophomore year… for my grade and the grade below me, [going back to competition this year is] like a comeback,” said senior Gray DiNino. “I think [it’s] going to be great this year, because even though it’s not the same as normal, it’s better than nothing.”

Due to COVID, instead of the usual three rounds of Preliminaries, Semi-Finals, and Finals, there will be two rounds this year: Preliminaries and Regionals. The preliminary rounds are scheduled for March 19 and 20, and regionals will be held April 2 and 3. All audience members, staff, and performing members of high school companies will be required to provide proof of vaccination and wear masks for the entirety of the competition. Additionally, while AHS would host at least one round in a normal year, AHS Show Choir is holding a competition taking place on those days, so Fest taking place at AHS is not possible.

Although this year’s modifications may seem major, there are benefits to a toned-down competition. “[This year] is a good way to introduce Fest at a less intense level for anyone who’s never done it before,” said DiNino. Susan Choquette, director of Theatre Arts, had the same opinion. She said, “Until you experience Fest, you don’t really know what to expect or what you might be missing… but I can tell you—and if you ask one of the upperclassmen they can tell you—that it’s just one of the very best experiences.”

This year, AHS’s play is Portraiture by Katherine Budinger. Budinger is a freshman at Johns Hopkins and graduated from AHS last year.

The AHS Tech Crew is very excited to be a part of the production. DiNino and sophomore Anat Briskin are set designers, sophomore Hannah Lehmann is the costume designer, and senior Alex Worthley is the stage manager. On the acting side, auditions were held on January 19 and January 20, with callbacks on January 21. The first rehearsal was held January 27.

Briskin expressed that she’s been looking forward to Fest since her freshman year, when she first learned of the intensity of AHS theater. Freshman Jonathan Oatman had the same opinion, expressing a feeling of anticipation towards the production.

“I almost didn’t do [Fest] because I’d heard it was super stressful,” said Oatman, “because we have a short time to put together something we’re competing with, but I talked to [an upperclassman] and here I am… I’ve always loved the feeling of being that close with a group of people because of a performance.”

Articles Arts Opinion

“Cruella” Movie Review

January 13, 2022

Anusha Sambangi

STAFF WRITER

Many people know the classic story 101 Dalmatians, which follows two dalmatians and their adventure to get their puppies back from the movie’s antagonist, Cruella DeVille. However, the story doesn’t provide much of a backstory for its main villain. In May of 2021, Disney released an action-packed PG-13 comedy/crime movie titled Cruella, which follows Cruella as the main character. We find out that Cruella was an orphan, and her love for fashion is what powers her through the events of the movie. Cruella focuses on Cruella’s life before the events of 101 Dalmatians, and features Emma Stone (Cruella), Emma Thompson (Baroness), and Joel Fry (Jasper). From gripping drama to unexpected twists, this movie has it all. You will be on the edge of your seat as there is never a boring moment in Cruella.

Cruella is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.

Articles Arts Community

Actress Julia Kole Pursues Public Health

January 13, 2022

Angela Mac

STAFF WRITER

Julia Kole, the lead from the recent play Mamma Mia, plans to major in the field of public health rather than performing arts.

STAFF PHOTO / Angela Mac

Kole is a senior and a widely known performer at Andover High School. Being a performer takes a lot of time and work, and Kole doesn’t know if that’s something she wants. She stated, “You have to know what you want and you have to go at it full force.” She may love theater, but she isn’t interested in that type of tough and intense environment.

Kole takes interest in public health for a multitude of reasons. She has always been fascinated by different diseases and loves measuring and experimenting; however, what she loves most is helping people. Though she doesn’t plan on majoring in theater, she plans to continue it on the side. All the colleges Kole applied to have acapella and theater groups, as they are a “requirement for [her].” Another option she considered was either minoring or double majoring in music; however, it would be along the lines of music production or theory instead of performing arts.

Kole’s love for theater started in second grade. She always enjoyed the feeling of being on stage. Though Kole’s been on stage countless times, she still gets nervous because she wants to give the audience a good show. The people in the Show Choir and the AHS Drama Guild have always been family for Kole. After rehearsals, she would hang out with her fellow cast members in the dressing room. “I talk to them a lot,” Kole said. “They were my people. I like to think I was kinda their person. But you gotta find your people.”

To students that are interested in doing theater in high school, she said, “It never hurts to try.” Kole explained that theater is a great community and that in a tough environment like high school, it’s good to have that kind of support. It also opens up opportunities for students interested in theater, show choir, and performing arts.

Besides acting and performing, Kole loves playing guitar, songwriting, and learning American Sign Language (ASL). She loves ASL because “you have to be so expressive when you’re signing to get the proper meaning across and I just love being expressive.”

Being expressive is something Kole excels at and is one of the reasons why she loves theater and performing. Though Kole has plans in the field of public health, theater and performing arts will always be a part of her life.

Articles Arts Opinion

“2 Hearts” Movie Review

November 19, 2021

By Shravya Sathi

CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

If you opened up TikTok anytime this summer, you must have seen the rage about “2 Hearts.” Featuring Jacob Elordi, Tiera Skovbye, Adan Canto, and Radha Mitchel, the 2020 drama is based on a true story. The storyline follows two love stories between Christopher (Jacob Elordi) and Sam (Tiera Skovbye), who are both students at Loyola University, as well as Jorge (Adan Canto), a Cuban exile, and Leslie (Radha Mitchell), a flight attendant. With an unpredictable ending, the story descends from the promise of lasting love to sacrifice. It is a great movie to watch if you are in the mood for something that will surely leave you in tears.

“2 Hearts” is currently streaming on Netflix.

Arts Community

Mamma Mia: Post-COVID Production Running Smooth

November 19, 2021

By Ethan Zabar

STAFF WRITER

Andover High School’s 2021 theater production, Mamma Mia!, is going great in a post-COVID-19 year as the November 18 debut grows closer.

The cast and supporting crew of Mamma Mia! were more ready than ever to pick back up with shows as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Tessa Barcelo, a senior and lead role in the play explained that the acting crew had settled back into pre-COVID theatre well and was making notable progress towards a great production despite the setbacks last year.

“We’ve learned to roll with the punches,” Barcelo said, “[The production] has gone right back to the Collins Center stage, so we feel at home again.”

The production this year is not without its difficulties, and according to Barcelo, wearing masks during the performance has an impact on the cast’s ability to sing. However, she and other cast members have found workarounds for the potential issues of wearing masks on stage that still ensure COVID safety. “Disposable masks, because they’re more flexible, let you open your mouth more and sing better than the cloth masks,” Barcelo noted, “They’re better for projecting.”

GUEST PHOTO / Anat Briskin
Tech crew member Jillian Boyer painting tiles for the Mamma Mia set

This year there have been a few notable additions to the production staff that according to the Director of Arts at AHS, Susan Choquette, have helped boost the potential for the show. “Typically Mr. Desjardins is the musical director of the play, but he recently just had a baby,” Choquette said, “…so I invited a colleague of mine,…Thom Smoker. He’s a great musician and singer, he works well with young voices, and also he’s now teaching music…at Berklee School of Music and Endicott College, so he’s really fitting us in.”

Choquette also explained that Mamma Mia has a new choreographer, Stephanie Morris: the owner of the local dance studio Creative Arts Academy. “She’s working really hard because there’s a lot of dance in this show,” Choquette stated.

This year’s show has had a demanding regiment thus far, and according to Choquette, that was not likely to let up until the day of Mamma Mia’s debut. “Somebody’s rehearsing…six days a week, whether it’s me, or Thom, or Stephanie. Sometimes there are even two rehearsals in a day.” Choquette said, “We’re a busy group trying to get ready for this performance…it takes a village.”

Despite the strenuous schedule and minor COVID-related nuisances, Mamma Mia’s cast is keeping a positive mentality and has set the bar high for the production this year. Choquette described Mamma Mia as the perfect fit for production in a post-pandemic year: heartwarming, well known, and all-around fun.

“What I’ve learned is that we can do anything,” Choquette said. “Bring on a global pandemic, we’re still going to make theater.”

Another major cast member of Mamma Mia, Sadie Rooney, matched Choquette’s praise of the production’s progress thus far. “It’s been a long journey, but we have overcome a lot of the roadblocks put in our path by COVID… The sets and lighting this year are truly gorgeous and I’m so glad to be back on the stage.” Rooney said, “Because of the lack of theatre in many places last year, the cast is even bigger than ever and so excited to be performing once again.”

Rooney spoke for the entire cast when she described her excitement for this year’s production. “From what [the production staff] have said to me, they seem to be just as excited as we are. They all give up so much time and energy to this production and we are all so incredibly grateful.” Rooney continued, “ABBA is a fan favorite for many, so I think Mamma Mia is a perfect way to bring back theatre [to Andover].”

Barcelo, Choquette, Rooney, and the rest of Mamma Mia’s staff urge everyone available to check out the show and have exclaimed high expectations for this year’s production. “It’s such a fun show and not something you’ll want to miss!” Rooney concluded.

Tickets will be sold at the door or online at the Andover Theatre Arts website. Be sure to check out Mamma Mia’s debut at the AHS Collins Center:

Thursday, November 18 – 7:30 p.m.

Friday, November 19 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 20 – 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 21 – 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday, November 23 – 7:30 p.m.