THE THE - Bishop Watterson

Eagle Review
THE
APRIL 2012
Remembering
Monsignor
Grimes
Shades of
Autumn
Auction Highlights
Bishop Watterson band
members Alec Brown
and Julie Morell.
Make a
Joyful Noise
• Perfect Cadence
• Choir Sings at Carnegie Hall
• Harmony to Liturgies
• Alum Lives Include Music
Dr. Summit Shah
Ohio Domincan
Partners with
Bishop Watterson
Saving Green
by Going Green
The Bishop Watterson High School MAGAZINE
Letter from the Principal
Dear Alumni and Friends,
As you read this newsletter, you will notice that music is
the motif uniting many articles. This is especially fitting
since music enhances our prayer and can impact our
spiritual growth. It also relates to our mission as we
“praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify
him with thanksgiving.” -Psalm 69:30
Our vocal music students certainly exemplified this as
they performed the “Magnificat” in Carnegie Hall under
the direction of internationally known conductor and
composer, John Rutter, accompanied by the New England
Symphonic Ensemble. Before a nearly sold out audience,
their performance was truly one of prayer and worship.
Congratulations to our choir director, Mrs. Meredith
Smith, for all of the work she did to prepare out students
for this prestigious concert. Congratulations are also due
to Mr. Mike Renzi, our instrumental music Department
Chair, who directs our marching band. The band and
color guard reached state competition for the 25th
consecutive year earning a superior rating for the ninth
time in a row and for the 18th time overall.
Although other schools are considering eliminating
their performing arts programs, we remain dedicated
to educating the whole child. The articles in this issue
highlight the importance of the arts in the lives of
both current students and alumni. As you read them,
I hope you will be as impressed as I am with the
accomplishments of many of our graduates who have
pursued professional careers in the arts and the various
ways in which they are sharing their talents with others.
The core values they learned here at Bishop Watterson
have truly shaped their vision of the world.
I can think of no more fitting prayer for you and your
families during this Easter season than
the words of Dan Schutte: “Sing a
new song unto the Lord; let your
song be sung from mountains
high…He has turned your sorrow
to joy, and filled your soul with
song.” I hope you always live
joyful lives filled with the beauty
of music.
Sincerely,
Marian Hutson
Principal
2
IN THIS ISSUE
Remembering Monsignor Grimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Make a Joyful Noise (Music News). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15
Eagle Auction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-20
Style Show and Luncheon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21
Dr. Summit Shah ’98. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23
Alumni News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24-29
ODU and Bishop Watterson Partnership . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Saving Green by Going Green. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Merit Scholars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Blink 180 Empowers Students. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Fall Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Students Create Gift Bags. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Skater Nickerson Finishes 14th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Matt Neary, Math Whiz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Freshman Honored by HCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Watterson Honored by Red Cross. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Senior Leadership on a Mission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Senior Class Trip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
BWHS Wins OHSAA Award. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Eagle Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41-46
New Arrivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Saying Goodbye. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Wedding Bells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Calendar of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Bishop Watterson High School
99 East Cooke Road
Columbus, OH 43214
614.268.8671
www.bishopwatterson.com
Advancement Department
614.268.3041
[email protected]
Jenifer Bernard Rasor ’81Director of Alumni Affairs
[email protected]
Administration
Marian HutsonPrincipal
Ginny O’ConnorAssistant Principal/Dean of Girls
Bill WeisnerAssistant Principal/Director of
Curriculum and Instruction
Vince Lombardo
Dean of Boys
Deacon Chris CampbellRegistrar
Deacon Frank IannarinoChaplain
Mike Roark Athletic Director
Scott Manahan Assistant Athletic Director
Tom Long
Facilities Director
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
Monsignor Kenneth
Grimes Will Be Missed
On October 15, 2011, Bishop
Watterson High School lost a
beloved member of the family
when Monsignor Kenneth Grimes
entered the gates of heaven. A
staunch supporter of our school,
our students and our teams,
Monsignor could always be found
at Eagle football games, pacing
the sidelines and encouraging
Superfans Monsignor Grimes and Father Watson at a BWHS
the players. Although he will be
football game.
greatly missed, as Catholics we
take comfort in his rebirth into
he was called back to Columbus in 1970 to serve as the Assistant
Monsignor Grimes at the
eternal life. Principal Marian
Diocesan Superintendent, and then, fortunately for the Bishop
time of his ordination.
Hutson expressed the way many
Watterson community, he returned as principal from 1971-76.
were feeling, saying, “We lost
Recognized as a champion of Catholic values and an invaluable
a dear friend on earth but gained an important advocate in
supporter of the school, Monsignor Grimes was made an
heaven. We will continue to feel his presence as we watch our
Honorary Member of the Bishop Watterson High School Alumni
students grow intellectually and spiritually over the coming
Hall of Fame in 2005. He was further honored for his critical
months. We know that he will share in our prayers for their
role in the Bishop Watterson community with the institution
success in the classroom, on the playing field, in their coof the “Monsignor Grimes
curricular activities and in
Soaring Eagle Award” in 2010.
their commitment to service.
He was the first recipient
Monsignor’s spirit will
of this honor which now is
continue to be a guiding force
awarded annually. Recipients
in all that we do.”
One of the newest additions to the scholarship rolls at Bishop
are selected by the Bishop
Watterson is the Monsignor Kenneth Grimes Scholarship
Monsignor Grimes grew up
Watterson Athletic Association
Program. With a current value of nearly $140,000, this
on Columbus’ west side in a
for their extraordinary
endowed fund has already provided tuition for six students
devoted Catholic family and
dedication and service to the
with financial need in 2011, and it will assist even more
was educated at St. Mary
athletic program and the
students over the years as the fund continues to grow.
Magdalene School, and then
young men and women it
at St. Charles Preparatory
serves.
A Bishop Watterson Alumni Association Men’s Night in honor
Academy. After his graduation
of his legacy has been planned to help benefit his scholarship
Monsignor’s legacy at Bishop
in 1953 he decided to pursue
fund. Please join us on Sunday, April 29 at St. Andrew Parish
Watterson will continue in
his vocation and entered
Hall for an evening of Eagle spirit in the Monignor Grimes
many ways, most recently in
the program at Mount St.
tradition. Special guest speaker will be Coach Earle Bruce,
the form of the Monsignor
Mary Seminary of the West
legendary Ohio State University football coach. Space is
Kenneth Grimes Scholarship
in Norwood, Ohio. He was
limited, so contact Jenifer Bernard Rasor, Alumni Relations
Fund which was created last
ordained a priest in May, 1957
Director, at (614) 268-8671 or [email protected] to
April in honor of his eightieth
and his first assignment was
make your reservation.
birthday. Because of his
St. Francis DeSales Church
unique perspective as a former
in Newark, Ohio. In 1960, he
principal and pastor at two of
became the Assistant Pastor
our
feeder
parishes,
Monsignor
knew
we provide our students
at Our Lady of Peace and it was at this time that he first came to
with a solid foundation for a lifetime of learning and continued
Bishop Watterson High School, where he would teach until 1964.
growth in their faith, and this scholarship will perpetuate his
After subsequent assignments that took him to Bishop Ready
goal of making the “Bishop Watterson experience” available to
High School and Notre Dame High School in Portsmouth, Ohio,
as many students as possible.
The Legacy Continues
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
3
Make a Joyful Noise
Band Program Components
Strike the Perfect Cadence
Sit down in the office of one of the Bishop Watterson band
directors for a chat, and you’ll find that rather quickly your
one-on-one becomes a group round-table discussion. The four
directors, Mike Renzi, Jennifer Inscho, Jim Swanson and Brian Sze,
are nothing if not collaborative and it is out of this collegial and
dynamic team environment that the successful and high-quality
Bishop Watterson band program has continued to thrive.
The four stay in tune with one
another and conversation flows back
and forth like the notes on a sheet
of music.
“Working with Mike, Jenna, and Jim on a daily basis is great
on many different levels,” Mr. Sze said. “While we all share a
common philosophy in our approach to teaching our students,
we each have our own specialties that we bring to the table.
Because we see each other daily, we frequently have the
opportunity to collaborate, commiserate, and plan with each
other.”
Bishop Watterson’s four band directors all have degrees in Music
Education: Mr. Renzi and Mrs. Inscho from Bowling Green, Mr. Sze
from Ohio State and Mr. Swanson from Otterbein. Mr. Swanson
and Mr. Sze are both graduates of
Bishop Watterson.
“In speaking with some of my other
colleagues who teach at other
schools and at the college level, they
are surprised at how well we get
along with each other and see eyeto-eye on so many issues,” said Mr.
Sze. “I’m thankful to come in to work
with people like Mike, Jenna, and Jim
who not only make my job fun, but
are a key reason to the success of
our program.”
“We change things up to keep the
kids interested,” said Mrs. Inscho.
“You have to evolve or it gets
stagnant,” added Mr. Swanson. “If
you think you know everything then
you’re doing yourself a disservice.”
“I look back at the way I taught
when I started here in 2002 and I
think, ‘Wow! What a difference.’” said Mrs. Inscho.
“I think we help each other keep moving in our careers and
continue to improve,” said Mr. Renzi, who has been at the helm
for 22 years.
“The kids push you, too,” said Mr. Swanson.
“And we want them to,” adds Mr. Renzi.
Missing from the band office at the time was Mr. Sze, another
director.
The Bishop Watterson band program has earned a trip to the
Ohio Music Education Association State Competition for 25
straight years and continues to experience success under Mr.
Renzi’s guidance, achieving a ranking of Superior, the highest
available, for the last nine years. It seems all of the conventions,
conferences, performances, class work and simply playing with
the students the band directors do has paid off.
“Being one of the few bands in the state of Ohio to be so
consistent in state marching band appearances is a source of
pride for the program, school and community,” said Mr. Renzi.
“The Bishop Watterson marching band also has the distinction
of being the only Catholic school marching band in the state
of Ohio that has qualified for the state contest for this many
years. The support that Bishop Watterson has given to the band
program over the years has been a very important reason for
this streak. Personally I am very proud to have been a part of this
accomplishment.”
Mr. Renzi said the marching band competitions are an incentive
for the students, something beyond the fun of performing for
peers and parents at football games.
“We try to challenge the kids in the playing aspect and with
more intricate marching routines,” said Mr. Renzi. “They’re like
athletes: they like to compete!”
4
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
Make a Joyful Noise
For the directors, the competitions place the band in front of
their peers for evaluation.
“From a public standpoint, competitions are good exposure for
the band program and Bishop Watterson itself,” said Mr. Sze.
“Our continued success at state contest is known throughout
the state. When we compete in a regional competition circuit,
Bishop Watterson’s name and the band program are seen by
bands, judges, and parents from states surrounding Ohio who
participate in these competitions as well.”
Marching Band Facts
1982: Marching Band starts (a pep band existed prior)
1984: start of competition
1986: beginning of 25-year streak of state competition
appearances
2003: beginning of nine-year streak of superior ratings at
state competition
Largest BWHS Marching Band: 110, Fall 1985
Fall 2011 Program: Blue Hour
On tour: The band goes on tour to several grade schools
each year to perform for the student body.
support what we were doing. As a student, everything we did
as a band always ran very smoothly due to the planning and
organization of the band boosters and volunteer parents.”
Like Sze, Swanson is also a BWHS band alum (’88) whose parents
were very involved in helping the program; his dad was the first
Transportation Committee chair and his mother was one of the
first uniform moms.
“The family atmosphere really started with the very beginning
of the program when most of the logistical behind-the-scenes
stuff was handled by parent volunteers, a tradition that still
is alive today,” said Mr. Swanson. “I think this contributed
to the success of the band because the members saw that
their parents were interested and involved in what we were
doing. I don’t think there was a time when we didn’t feel like
a close, tight knit group, mostly because we were all new and
experiencing the whole thing together.”
“As a teacher,” said Mr. Sze, “I have really seen how much parent
involvement is needed to support a successful band program.
Need wood covers for the timpani heads? Someone came
forward and custom crafted something for us. Need shelves in
the new uniform closet? A band parent alumnus came and did
the design and work for us. They are willing to assist us in just
about any way possible!”
Scholarships: There are two new scholarships for incoming
freshmen interested in participating in the band program:
the Band Boosters Scholarship and the Joanne L. Walsh
Scholarship.
“We are extremely proud of our Marching Band’s many
accomplishments, especially in reaching state competition for
25 consecutive years,” said BWHS Principal Marian Hutson. “Our
instrumental music program is an important and integral part
of our tradition of excellence.”
In addition to the Marching Band, Bishop Watterson offers
Concert Band, Jazz Band, Pitt Orchestra for the spring musical,
and a competitive drum line. The program is supported by a
parent association, the Band Boosters, who do everything from
chaperoning on busses going to away games and competitions
to fundraising.
“The band community at Bishop Watterson is a very tight knit
family,” said Mr. Sze, himself a BWHS band alum (’99). “New
students and their families are welcomed with open arms and
many families of alumni are still associated with the band.
Through the countless competitions, sub sales, car washes, and
band trips, the parents were ALWAYS there to organize and
Building the strong “band family” that is the hallmark of this
great program begins at the grade school level. Each director
is assigned to several Bishop Watterson parish schools, where
twice a week they teach band classes for students in fifth
through eighth grades. Mr. Renzi works with St. Michael and
St. Agatha, Mrs. Inscho works with Our Lady of Peace, St. Mary’s
Delaware and St. Timothy, Mr. Swanson is at Immaculate
Conception and St. Andrew and Mr. Sze is assigned to St.
Brendan and St. Brigid. Before Principal John Durant started this
feeder program in 1986, it was up to the individual grade schools
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
5
Make a Joyful Noise
to hire their own band directors, but now, as Renzi points out,
“because all of the Watterson band directors work together,
we have the same goals regarding what to teach to prepare
the students to move into the marching band in high school.
It’s more
consistent.”
“Many kids
come here
to be a part
of the band
program,” said
Mr. Swanson.
“The feeder
school
programs are
the life blood
of the band
program,”
said Mr. Sze.
“It is primarily
through the
8th grade
students who
choose to come to Watterson and join band that our program
grows.”
Although they are taught on-site at their individual schools, the
young students come together twice each year as a group to
perform a concert, the first at Christmas and the second in the
spring. They practice together several times at Bishop Watterson
before the concert performance. The program currently has 350
students in the feeder program, referred to as the Area Band, and
this year the Beginner Band of first-time band students has 150
members, the most ever.
The 2011 Christmas Concert featured all levels of the band, from
the feeder
schools up
to the BWHS
concert band.
A spring
concert will
also be held,
May 7 at 7:00
p.m. at Bishop
Watterson.
“With the
elementary
students
we take it
one step at
a time,” said
Mrs. Inscho.
“It becomes
more than
just playing
an instrument because they learn to play together as a group.”
“We work to instill patience in both the kids and the parents,”
said Mr. Renzi. “We tell the parents at the first meeting of
the year that they need to encourage their kids to keep
going. It takes more than just a week to learn how to play an
instrument!”
With students growing up in a world of TV, video games and
instant gratification,
the band directors
find themselves
working harder as
the years go by to
keep their interest.
“That’s the hardest
thing to figure out,
and we haven’t 100
percent,” said Mr.
Renzi.
Students who stick
with it will learn
more than the
mechanics of playing
an instrument. There
are facets that can be
carried to everyday
6
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
Make a Joyful Noise
life, such as working with a group, organization, motor skills and
multitasking.
“It’s not going to pay off after six months,” said Mrs. Inscho. “It
takes longer to get the connections in the brain. We build on
the fundamentals and get better over time. If you want to lift
weights you don’t start off with 40 pounds right away.”
“When I was an incoming freshman, I wasn’t sure what to
expect,” said Mr. Sze. “My parents made me join band because
I had done it at my elementary school, St. Michael. When we
read through our show music for the first time as a full band
that first day of camp, I was hooked! By the first day of school, I
knew almost 90 people already, from other freshmen to seniors.
I made friends that I still communicate with today. Had my
parents not made me try it for a semester, I honestly don’t think I
would be the person I am today.”
At Bishop Watterson, all four grades—9 through 12­—work
together.
“The students are pretty supportive of each other,” said Mrs.
Inscho. “The seniors are taught to reach out to the younger
players.”
“There’s no classism,” said Mr. Swanson. “We’re all working
toward the same goal. Sometimes you see good friendships
develop across grades. And the high school students help at
honor band rehearsals, so when the grade school students get
here there’s often a familiar face. Two years in I forget what
grade the kids are in!”
Mr. Swanson said the band room becomes a home away from
home for band students.
“Students kind of move in during the summer practices,” he
said. “Once school starts, at the end of a grueling school day, they
know that there is one place, one class period, where nothing
else matters ... you leave it all at the doors. You are doing what
you like to do best, with people who are in the same mind set. It
is a place to escape the pressures of high school.”
“We see these kids from start to finish,” said Mr. Renzi.
“And we have a unique relationship with them because of it,”
said Mrs. Inscho. “It’s neat that we can be there for them and
help them grow.”
“We’re now going to their weddings and teaching their kids!”
added Mr. Swanson
“We have a unique program in terms of the atmosphere and
high quality,” said Mr. Renzi. “For 22 years Bishop Watterson
and the band program have been a huge part of my life and
I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work with such
wonderful people—the administration, parents, staff and, most
importantly, the students.”
The biannual band trip to Walt Disney World, December 2011.
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
7
Make a Joyful Noise
Carnegie Hall Debut for
BWHS Concert Choir
You’re on stage. The spotlights are so bright you can barely see
that the 3,000 seats in the audience are nearly full. What is that
beautiful sound? Oh, you realize, it’s your own voice. You’re singing
with all your might, not sure how you know the material. It’s as if
you’ve been practicing for this moment for months, years maybe.
The piece ends and the crowd applauds, many jumping to their
feet and shouting, “Bravo! Bravo!” You smile until you feel like
your face just might stay this way. Forever. “This is like a dream,”
you think. And then you awake, feeling both exuberant about the
performance and then, realizing it was only a dream, disappointed.
A Dream Becomes Reality
For 53 Bishop Watterson students, this dream became a reality
on March 19, 2012, when the BWHS Concert Choir, under the
direction of Choir Director Meredith Smith, performed with
composer John Rutter in the Isaac Stern Auditorium of Carnegie
Hall in New York City. The piece was the “Magnificat” arranged
by the acclaimed Rutter, whose works have been performed in
numerous countries and have recently included “This Is The Day,”
commissioned for the wedding of HRH Prince William of Wales
and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey.
Seven other choral groups—four high school, two college
and a community group—joined Bishop Watterson for the
performance, which was accompanied by the music of the
New England Symphonic Ensemble.
“Singing in Carnegie Hall was an experience that was extremely
humbling,” said senior Amy Stock. “To look up and see four
balconies as well as floor seating almost completely filled with
people and the bright lights shining in your face is one of the
most beautiful things a performer can experience.”
“I will never forget the look on all of the kids’ faces after they
finished their performance,” said parent chaperone Debby
Brahos. “They each looked all around the concert hall with the
Choir Director Meredith Smith, center, with seniors Kate Lampe,
Mary Brahos, Anna Schnitkey, and Amy Stock, ready to perform.
biggest smiles. I could not help thinking, ‘They must realize they
just performed in Carnegie Hall!’ I think it all finally sank in what
a true accomplishment this was for each of them.”
“It was an unbelievable experience to watch our students
perform at Carnegie Hall,” said Principal Marian Hutson. “I
cannot even begin to describe the excitement that we all felt
when they began singing. I was so proud of the students and
of Meredith. The music was very difficult but the intensity
and dedication to perfecting the piece ended with a welldeserved standing ovation. The quality of our choir program was
exemplified by our students’ excellent performance. It was truly
an example of students displaying their God-given talents.”
“I was so proud of our students,” said Mrs. Smith, who, along
with six other choir directors, sang with the students.
Parent chaperone George Caruso, a native of New York, whose
son Michael, a junior, is a member of the Concert Choir, had been
to Carnegie Hall as a member of the audience twice in the 1980s
(he saw Chicago) when he still lived in the Big Apple.
“Just to think the Beatles were on that stage in 1964 and the
top ticket was $5 is amazing,” said Caruso. “An usher told us
Paul McCartney had been on the same stage a couple of weeks
before.”
“After the performance, all of the parents and directors and
chaperones commented on how truly amazing it sounded,” said
junior Natalie Bisciotti.
“They start singing and in the first few notes you’re completely
hooked,” said parent chaperone and BWHS Alumni Director Jen
Rasor ’81. “Vocally they were pushed, performing a very complex
level of choral repertoire with a world-renowned composer.”
Ready to board the buses at BWHS.
8
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
Make a Joyful Noise
“The students’ levels of musicality, etiquette, and
professionalism were truly worthy of a Carnegie Hall concert,”
said teacher/chaperone Tony Carfagna. “They received a highquality education that most people never get to experience
throughout their entire life.”
How Do You Get To Carnegie Hall?
Practice, Practice, Practice!
“At first he seemed like a really scary old British man, but after
15 minutes of working with him, my mind completely changed,”
said senior Alec Brown. “He was so animated and lively.”
“In rehearsals with Mr. Rutter, it amazed all of us how much
energy he had,” said Stock. “He made it very clear how
Mrs. Smith was on a mission to prepare the students for the
challenging music they were undertaking. In the fall she began
breaking the “Magnificat” piece down by analyzing the syllables,
key changes and repeated patterns. She encouraged the
students to practice and scheduled weekend practices leading
up to the trip.
“They have to understand what they’re singing in order to do it
correctly,” she said. “The students have to know how to be able
to understand their tone. I worked on teaching them the tools
which build into the music, which is a LOT more difficult than
they’re used to. If they understand the music and truly enjoy
what they’re doing, then they can enjoy being on stage and
focus on the conductor.”
“I was scared going into rehearsals!” Mrs. Smith said. “But
then some of the students came up to me and said thank you
because they knew the material.”
Composer/conductor John Rutter sits for a photo with
junior Natalie Bisciotti.
passionate he was about his music, and he would do anything
to make sure we sang it with the right emotion and energy level.
At certain points in rehearsal he would literally jump up and
down and dance around, snapping his fingers making the altos
and sopranos face each other to see which section would sing a
section more ‘fiesta like.’”
Bisciotti agreed, saying, “He wanted the singing to make him
want to get up and do a salsa dance. He knew exactly what
he wanted the piece to sound like and he pushed us to give
everything we had to produce the sound, tone, dynamics, pitch
and energy that he had imagined when he composed the piece.
And while always humorous and professional and polite, there
was absolutely no mistaking the fact that this was his piece and
that it was being sung in Carnegie Hall.”
The BWHS Concert Choir, along with seven other choirs,
performed at Carnegie Hall on March 19, 2012.
In addition to all of the work done in the preceding months, the
choir had two days of rehearsals in New York just prior to the
performance—for a total of 13 hours—all with Rutter.
“John Rutter was great to work with,” said Mrs. Smith. “He was
really good with the kids, able to incorporate a lot of humor
while being precise about what he wanted, so they responded.
It was nice to hear the technique and similar phrasing, some of
the same words that I’ve used, echoed right back to them by the
conductor.”
Rutter left an impression on the students as well.
Mrs. Smith said the rehearsals were a great opportunity for the
students to get the composer’s perspective on the music and to
learn how to perform as a professional.
“The kids loved the rehearsals. They were entranced!” said Mrs.
Smith. “It was not drudgery. They were having fun and working
hard. In fact, I think they had just as much fun at rehearsals as at
some of the other fun things we did in New York.”
Touring New York
And there were many fun things. In fact, Mrs. Smith’s strategy
in planning the trip was incorporating activities to keep the
students busy and give them the experience of visiting the
Big Apple.
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
9
Make a Joyful Noise
“When we arrived in New York, we pulled right up to Times
Square and let them off the bus and oh my gosh! They were in
culture shock! I loved seeing their reaction!” she said.
When not rehearsing, the students were shuttled to key
attractions in New York. See student Maddi Rasor’s daily journal
on page 46 for more on the extra fun.
“They saw the whole spectrum of New York,” said Caruso. “They
got a good taste of living in New York, the hustle and bustle of
Mrs. Smith’s Vision
A performance at Carnegie Hall represents the culmination of a
career for many performers, so where does the Bishop Watterson
choir program go from here?
Just prior to the Carnegie Hall trip, seven students and the
Ladies Concert Choir received Superior ratings at the Ohio Music
Educators Association Solo and Ensemble Competition. Among
the seven individuals were one senior, one junior, one sophomore
and four freshmen.
“We’re going to keep moving on ‘as is’ and I would like to bump
them up another level in terms of quality and knowledge,”
said Mrs. Smith. “The trip is an incredible experience and an
incredibly motivating tool, but it doesn’t change my long-term
progression of the department. I think the kids have a better
idea of what it takes to be a good choir. They get the idea that if
they push themselves and trust me to push them they
can excel.”
The Carnegie Hall performance has been a bit of a catalyst
within the school.
The choir visits the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
With a twinkle in her eye and a wry smile, Mrs. Smith said, “Being
in the choir is almost deemed cool, from what I hear.”
people going to work. It’s an enormous venue and I think they
got to see that. The whole trip was fabulous.”
Not only was the group in New York on St. Patrick’s Day weekend,
but they were able to attend Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral
and were surprised when Cardinal Timothy Dolan—appointed
Cardinal just weeks prior—turned up to say Mass.
“For me, a lot of this is bucket-list quality,” said Brahos.
Brahos said the students had a ball on a post-performance
dinner boat cruise provided by MidAmerica Productions, the
company that organized the Carnegie Hall event.
“It’s interesting to see when kids are in that environment they
get out of their comfort zone and go talk to kids they might
never have a connection with outside of the trip … the trip itself
was a common bond,” she said.
Caruso said the Bishop Watterson students were extremely well
mannered.
“We got a lot of compliments from strangers all over—at
Carnegie Hall, at the opera, at the hotel—about how orderly and
organized our group was. People would say, ‘What a great group.’
The kids were very respectful and in awe of everything. That
reflects on Meredith Smith and the administration and teachers
at Bishop Watterson.”
10
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
Make a Joyful Noise
Music Brings Harmony
to BWHS Liturgies
The music at Bishop Watterson’s liturgies has come a long way
from 1977 when Deacon Frank Iannarino joined the staff and
was recruited by Monsignor John Cody who was director of
religious education, to play his guitar. “It was just me and my
guitar for liturgies,” he recalls. “I was a novelty with my guitar
that first year!”
Throughout the decades of the 1980s and 1990s Deacon Frank,
now Chaplain and Director of the Religious Education and
Ministry Department, recruited many students and faculty
members to join him and they jokingly called themselves “A
Wing and a
Prayer.”
“I would pull
them together
an hour before
Mass and they
did a great
job,” he said.
“But it was
so close to
the liturgy
time that we
said we were
performing on
a wing and a
prayer.”
In 2008, Chris Rockwell ’85 and Maricel Albarracin Frommeyer
’82, who played with Deacon Frank as students, wanted to
get involved again. They had been members of Station 14, a
contemporary Catholic rock band, since its creation in 1999. The
band’s mission is to help young people form a closer relationship
with Christ through praise and worship music which is used in
the liturgy and outside the liturgy where teens come together in
faith.
liturgically correct,” said Rockwell. “We pull from many sources
of contemporary and traditional worship music. We have to
look very carefully at the content and composition of the music
before we can use it in a sacred context like the Mass. “
“It has become a ministry where Chris and Mar teach the kids
how to enhance liturgies through music,” said Deacon Frank.
“The purpose is to enhance the prayer life and the liturgies with
respect and dignity and the great talents God has given us.”
“Music ministry is a powerful tool to help the congregation
pray. It can enhance the liturgy by drawing the student body
closer to the Eucharist,” said Frommeyer. “ Being a member of
the worship band also gives a student an opportunity to be an
active part of the liturgy. I try to impart to the student vocalists
and instrumentalists that there is no better place to share their
God-given talent than at Mass. It is a way to offer thanksgiving
for their musical gifts and an opportunity for God to use them to
bring the student congregation closer to Him.”
A New Tradition
After every gathering that involves music at Bishop
Watterson, the alma mater is played and students
sing along, arm-in-arm, swaying to the music.
“Let us praise our Alma Mater
Proudly we behold
Sing and honor her forever
Garb’d in red and gold
We her loyal sons and daughters
‘Round her colors come
Hail to thee our Alma Mater
Bishop Watterson!”
The result of Rockwell and Frommeyer’s involvement for Bishop
Watterson is a worship band which combines contemporary and
classic music to complement the atmosphere of the traditional
Masses and liturgies. Rockwell and Frommeyer read the scripture
for the day, pray, and then submit a plan to Liturgy Coordinator
Beth Simmonds who reviews and then gets final approval from
Deacon Frank. Students will also offer song suggestions.
“We work hard to ensure that music selections for the
Mass are simple, singable, scriptural and, most importantly,
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012
11
Make a Joyful Noise
Rockwell agrees, saying we are called to “Worship the Lord in spirit
and truth” (John 4:23) and “Shout with joy to the Lord” (Psalm
98:4), and he adds, “Worship is our upward expression of thanks,
adoration, and awe. Music in the liturgy should help us focus
together on Jesus and His sacramental grace in the Eucharist.”
During school liturgies, Choir Director Meredith Smith or
Frommeyer play the piano, Frommeyer and Rockwell play
acoustic guitar, Dave McClandish plays bass guitar, students play
guitar and drums, and Greg Svatora serves as sound engineer.
Faculty members are always welcome to join in and math
teacher Tony Carfagna often does. McClandish and Svatora are
also members of Station 14.
“We continue to see increased student involvement which
reflects that the students are engaged in the music ministry and
they then draw others in,” said Mrs. Simmonds, who as Liturgy
Coordinator is responsible for organizing the services that range
from a blessing of the students at the beginning of the school
year to full Masses.
“We are most who we are called to be when we gather together
for liturgy,” said Mrs. Simmonds. “The liturgies call us into deeper
community, to the mystery of God, and to go forth and live that
out. The students involved in the music ministry really get that
they’re helping the community to pray.”
When the students file into the gym for Mass or a service, they
are in their usual school day mode but that changes very quickly.
“It’s chaotic when they come into the gym and as soon as I call
their attention, they quiet down and are prayerful,” said Deacon
Frank. “Then the music begins and it brings a sense of order.”
“The most important songs are the opening song, to draw us
into prayer, and the closing one that sends us forth. For youth in
particular, music speaks to them,” said Mrs. Simmonds. “Music
speaks to our hearts and engages us on a different level. It
shapes us into a community, being together and praying in
that way.”
12
Eagle Review Magazine - April 2012