By Chloe Lister
From pop songs played on melodicas to poetry, students at the first Coffee House event of this year on Nov. 22 were exposed to the varied artistic talents of classmates.
Blended drinks, baked goods and gummy snacks adorned the tables where students sat to watch their classmates.
People cycled in and out throughout the afternoon, although around 30 people were in the room for the entirety of the event.
“I thought it was a really fun way to spend my free time before Peer Support,” Amanda Allen ’12 said. “I liked getting to see my friends perform, as well as people who I didn’t know were so talented.”
Some performers were Hank Adelman ’11, Alex Scharch ’11, Jake Chapman ’12, Noah Weinman ’12, Chris Freedman ’12, Gil Young ’13 and Daniel Sunshine ’13, who played a rendition of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” on a keyboard, guitar, tenor saxophone and two melodicas.
“A melodica is basically a piano you blow into,” Chapman said, who came up with the idea and decided on the song with Adelman. “We wanted a bubbly pop song that was still relevant, and I think people enjoyed it.”
Riley Pietsch ’11 played a piano cover of “I Gave You All” by the band Mumford and Sons, a band that he wanted to expose more people to, he said.
“My friend who has heard me sing wanted me to perform, and also I just enjoy singing,” Pietsch said.
Organized by the Prefect Council, this Coffee House was the fourth ever, occurring between the end of the school day and the beginning of Peer Support. The other three events were put on last year, led by prefects Brooke Levin ’12 and Chris Holthouse ’11.
This year, Levin and Holthouse were assisted by Sam Wolk ’13. However, all of the Prefect Council was involved in the project.
Holthouse said that he felt the event was successful as a whole, and said that in the future the Prefect Council is going to try to incorporate more faculty talent.
“[Ryan] Wilson from the dean coordinators’ office has been our faculty rock,” Holthouse said. “He’s amazing, and I think kids really like it when their teachers come out.”
Wilson performed at two of the three Coffee Houses last year in addition to this past one, Holthouse said.
