Disney Trip

With each and every new school year, there seems to be more and more new additions to the Cresskill High School band and choir programs, and this year is no exception. Most obviously is the trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, which only happens once every four years and is scheduled to take place in March. All students participating in band and chorus are permitted and encouraged to attend the four day, three night excursion, where the instrumentalists will perform in the Main Street Parade, the singers will perform at the Innoventions West Stage, and everyone participating will have the chance to enjoy the many rides and amenities that the park has to offer. Mr. Von Glahn, the choir director at Cresskill High School, is very enthusiastic about the trip, mentioning that he really enjoyed it as a student, and can’t wait for those who choose to attend to have the same amazing experience.

A Capella

Specifically in the vocal sector of the music program, big changes have come in the form of a capella. While in previous years the co-ed group of around twenty mixed-grade singers, Sound Xplosion, has been the only high school vocal group at Cresskill and conducted mainly by Mr. Von Glahn, that is no longer the case due to the growing interest in this new genre of music at our school. The appeal of a capella prompted the introduction of an all-female ensemble, as well as the addition of two new, full-time coaches, Mrs. Ofshinsky and Mr. Mello. The new group is filled with students who will have to take on difficult vocal challenges in the absence of the lower male voices, they have proved that they are most definitely up to the challenge, quickly picking up the tricks of singing a capella music through songs such as “Royals” and “Stitches.” The addition of these new singers will definitely make for an interesting and exciting year of music!

Marching Band

Moving away from the chorus aspect of the music department, the band, conducted by Mr. Verderese, has very compelling events coming up in the near future, as well. This year, for their halftime shows that are always greatly enjoyed, the band will be (and has been) performing songs from the groups Chicago and Earth, Wind, and Fire, which will surely continue to be a great success. As far as contests and public performances, on October 9th, the marching band headed to Bergenfield for the Bergenfield Band Competition, where they competed as a Class A school, and then on October thirtieth, they will be participating in the North Jersey Band Festival. All of the students and teachers who make up the band are extremely talented individuals who put on a great show, so don’t be shy- go out and support them, and hear some awesome music in the process!

CEF Concert for the Arts

While also not exactly new, the CEF Concert for the arts is a staple of the Cresskill High School Music Program. This concert, held in our very own auditorium to support the music department, consists of many incredible performers from the school, the town, the county, and even some more well-known and relatively famous groups. This year, the premise of the concert was animal-themed music, and included selections from Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens.

Fall Drama

Whether this is your seventh year at Cresskill Middle/High School or your seventh week, you most definitely heard on the morning announcements during the first two weeks of school that if one is interested in being a part of the fall drama, they should see Mrs. Ofshinsky. Now that the interest meetings, auditions, and decisions on casting have been completed, the production of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare is in full swing, with set rehearsals and, according to Mrs. Ofshinsky, the largest and most age-diverse cast the drama has ever seen. She is very excited to get people up on stage, from new eleven-year-old faces to the ones we have seen since they themselves were in sixth grade, and all of the cast members are working extremely hard to understand and portray the difficult language of the play and its complex characters.

So, when Twelfth Night hits the Cresskill High School stage in early December, grab a friend, a ticket, and a seat in the auditorium. Immerse yourself in Shakespearian culture for one night, for Shakespeare plays are only performed once every four years at Cresskill, and saying you’ve watched one will definitely make you feel smarter. Keep an eye out for those ticket sales!