School of Rock Alumni Impress Founder
Teacher Paul Esposito founded the School of Rock club in 2003. The group continues to this day, currently providing fifth and sixth graders with an opportunity to explore instruments, music and lyrics.
The club was developed with the support of Joan Fretz, Huntington's director of fine and performing arts. "The first year there were students from both Huntington Intermediate and Woodhull School and we had to bus the students back and forth, including one performance in each building to culminate the club's efforts," Mr. Esposito recalled.
Since that first year more than 100 students have been members of the club. Earlier this spring while performing with his own band at the Special Olympics at Huntington High School, Mr. Esposito said he ran into an ensemble of musicians who were also performing. Many of them looked quite familiar.
"Most of the students had been in the 2005 School of Rock band, which was called Solar Power," Mr. Esposito said. The 2005 School of Rock included Steven Arnoux, Mikah Feldman-Stein, Jasmine Valcourt, Sean Harkins, Alexandra Krapf, Danielle Cerezo, Matt Cohen, Andrew Neter, Brian Pechar, Alexandra Ottas, Tyler Moore, Jon Pena, Natasha Stollmack, John Jenne, Joe D'Esposito, Josh Zimmerman, Kelsey Mowery and Zach Enriquez.
"Back then, they were playing 'My Generation' by The Who." Mr. Esposito said. He did a double take at the Special Olympics when he saw Messrs. Feldman-Stein, Harkins and Zimmerman and Ms. Stollmack playing such classics as "In the Mood" by big band leader Glenn Miller.
"It was interesting and rewarding to see the likes of Mikah Feldman-Stein, Natasha Stollmack, Sean Harkins and Josh Zimmerman showing off their musical prowess as accomplished high school musicians," Mr. Esposito said. "I felt a sense of pride, as well, when I read the articles on the Huntington website about Ms. Stollmack, Mr. Moore and Ms. Ottas and their college plans and high school successes."
Contact Mr. Esposito at pesposito@hufsd.edu for more information about the School of Rock club.