by Elana Hayden
In a ferocious competition at the Second Annual Bach To Rock (B2R) Battle of the Bands, 25 bands went head to head at The Cutting Room in New York City on Sunday, June 5. Over 400 proud parents, family members and fans came to support and cheer on students from both Bach To Rock Port Washington and Bach To Rock Mamaroneck.
Seasoned music industry professionals Bette Sussman (Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder), Bert Elliot (Bernie Williams, Marcus Miller) and Steve Walter (musician and co-owner of The Cutting Room) judged the performances. Over 96 students performed on a stage that has hosted Lady Gaga, Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock and Joan Rivers, to name just a few.
The bands were scored on several criteria including musical ability, technical ability, stage presence, material, creativity and professionalism. All the competitors study a variety of musical disciplines at Bach to Rock Music School on Port Washington Boulevard, including music theory, instrument instruction, recording arts, performance arts, voice lessons and band coaching.
“The students work very hard to prepare for their band’s performance,” said B2R instructor Eitan Prouser. “While this is a contest, the main point is for students to have a great experience performing in a top New York City venue and to have fun.”
The Port winners included:
Elementary School Division
• Winner: The End—Braden Blacker, Blaise Torio, Noah Lapter, Zen Lee (band coach: Eitan Prouser)
• Runner up: Sonic Boom—Gavin Miller, Max Kabot, Kayla Fox, Zach Chaplin (band coach: Eitan Prouser)
• Runner up: Moon Beat—Bernadette Holm, Kieran Fink, Leo Rainone, Matthew Zaromatidis (band coach: Eitan Prouser)
Middle School Division
• Winner: The Statues—Olivia Massa, Nicole Mathis, Yoni Cohen, Jamie Goldman, Matthew Loffredo (band coach: Rick Smith)
• Runner up: The Addidudes—Avery Silfin, Christopher Caprariello, Daniel Kates, Jacob Schorr, Christian Schwirzbin (band coach: Eitan Prouser)
• Runner up: Juvenile Hazard—Ian Miller, Eric Holm, Aden Neuwirth, Dylan Miller, Zachary Pfeil-Schaub (band coach: Jared Winzelberg)
High School Division
• Winner: The Nameless—Arjun Dayal, Eden Harari, Julia Hayden, Rachelle Huitt, Theresa Vargas (band coach: Eitan Prouser)
• Runner up: Zealousy—Drew Brodsky, Luca Bombardiere, Megan Burke, Leonie Lerner (band coach: Eitan Prouser)
