Cabaret 2020

Senior Edition

featuring Choir and Camerata Seniors

May 1, 2020

Cabaret from Cabaret……………………………………………………………….Ebb and Kander Combined Choirs

A message from Mrs. Brooks Dearest Seniors, I have treasured our time together making music. There really is nothing in this world that compares to singing with other human beings. Some of us started our journey together in middle school and some of you joined our ranks second semester of this year. I feel honored that I have had the pleasure or serving as your guide through choral music. We have shared the stage and the choir room. We have shared pancakes and laughter and tears. You are strong, creative and resourceful people. All of your amazing qualities shine through when you sing. I wish everyone could know the feeling of standing in front of you while you pour your hearts and souls into a piece of music. Mrs. Kristoff and I feel incredibly fortunate that we have had the opportunity to work with all of you. Thank you all – for sharing your songs.

~ Mrs. Brooks

The tradition of the roses Every year at Cabaret, the seniors in Camerata and Treble Choir present roses to their parents and amazing support people in their lives. This tradition is a way to honor our seniors and gives them a chance to thank those individuals who have helped them grow and flourish at Columbus Academy. Seniors, when you give a rose, give with a full and grateful heart. If you are receiving a rose, know that you are special and loved by an amazing Class of 2020 Columbus Academy Senior.

Rivers and Roads……………………………………………………arr. Claire Budzik ‘19 Dedicated to the 2020 Seniors

Senior Biographies

Sanskruti Admane has been in choir since fifth grade, and has been in Camerata since freshman year. She was a crew member for The Drowsy Chaperone and a cast member in The Theory of Relativity. She plays piano for the jazz band, and dabbled in accordion for Cabaret last year. Sanskruti is also an officer on student council, and was a new student orientation leader last fall. Sanskruti is excited to be attending the Ohio State University to major in astrophysics. She would like to thank her friends and family for all of their support.

Sasha Ahern has been in choir for 7 years. She, along with Alex Phelps are the last founding members of the Treble Choir. She was involved in musical theater in middle school, starring as "Annie" in Annie and played other roles in Shrek and The Little Mermaid. She has played volleyball for five years and has been on the varsity team for three. She will be attending University of Delaware in the fall, and will be majoring in Environmental Science in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment. She will miss Academy in the fall, but is prepared for the next steps in her life.

Maxwell Brown has been in choir for one year. He participated in Camarata his senior year. He also participated in the Musical theatre program for 2 years, performing in RENT his junior year and rehearsed for Tater tots of Love. Outside of the performing arts Maxwell his involved in 2D studio art through Drawing and Painting, is a leader of BOS and the FAM, a member of the Discipline and Honor Committee and played Varsity football for the school. Maxwell plans on attending the University of Pennsylvania in the fall and study architecture. Maxwell would like to thank everyone who had helped him throughout his high school career especially those who helped him find his passion in music again.

Andrew Cahall has been in choir for two years. He has always enjoyed singing and music, and was glad he finally joined camerata with his friends as an upperclassman. He has played cello since the second grade, and has been involved in the CA Orchestra program ever since. Outside of the performing arts, he is also involved in student newspaper, golf, politics club, latin, and many other hobbies he hopes to continue, along with singing, in college at the University of Pennsylvania. He is so grateful for everyone who guided him through this journey, musically and otherwise.

Jay Gokhale has been in choir for 3 years. He's been an alto saxophone in the band since 5th grade, and is involved with Student Council, Debate, Junior States of America, Football and Tour Guides. He is also a Student Orientation Leader and Student Alumni Representative for the Alumni Board. In his spare time, you'll catch Jay analyzing the stock market, spending time with his family and friends, or producing a new episode of his podcast, The Jay Way (shows every Friday, available on Spotify, Anchor or YouTube :). Jay is excited to attend The Ohio State University in the fall as a Fisher School of Business Honors student with a Pre-Law track as well. He wants to thank everyone who has supported him throughout the years, especially his beloved music teachers Mrs.Sneeringer, Mrs.O'Rourke, and of course Mrs.Brooks.

Mahala Howard has been in the choir since her sophomore year. She has been a member of the soprano section throughout her time in the group. She has also been an active member of the band where she plays the flute. When not participating in band or choir, she can often be found in the ceramics studio or in the library curled up with a book. She is co-leader of the upper school's LGBT+ affinity group and is a 3-year member of our school's service board. She is proud to announce that she is going to be attending Miami University in Oxford this fall where she will pursue her Ph.D. in the future. She wants to thank her teachers and friends who have been by her side through her Academy experience.

Simon Iobst has been in choir for one year, and he has enjoyed every moment. He has been at Columbus Academy since his freshman year, during which he participated in a variety of activities including theater, band, bowling, and school clubs. Simon spends the majority of his time writing music, playing music, listening to music, and thinking about music. He will be attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where he will major in Film Scoring. He hopes to write music for films in the future, as well as teach theory and composition in college. In addition to music, he enjoys baking, writing letters, watching foreign films, and sleeping. He will be turning 85 years old this June.

Grant Hillmann has been in choir for 4 years, all of them as part of Camerata. Grant was a member of the ensemble in The Drowsy Chaperone his freshman year and was going to be a part of Lunch Lady: Tater Tots of Love his senior year. Grant misses being able to join his friends to sing every day between classes at school and will miss choir in college. Grant will be attending the University of Vermont in the college of arts and sciences.

Michael Hoffman has been in choir for 3 years. He started in his sophomore year. He was a part of the theater program through his first three years of high school and was in The Drowsy Chaperone as well as the fall play for each of his freshman, sophomore, and junior year. Michael was also a member of the cross country team as well as the bowling and lacrosse teams. Michael plans on attending Miami University Oxford to study business and computer science. The thing that Michael will miss most will be all of his Academy friends and teachers next year at college.

Praem Jagabandhu joined choir his sophomore year. He loved to be able to be a part of the choir community for 3 years where he could create music in a loving and close community alongside his friends. He will miss his friends and the CA community when he leaves for college.

Ezra Johnson has been in choir since 7th grade, and he joined camerata after transferring to Columbus Academy in his freshman year. He has enjoyed participating in OMEAs and performing in New York City in his sophomore year. He also participated in concert band and jazz band as a tenor saxophone player. Outside of music, he was co-captain of the Science Olympiad team, Vice President of the Black Organization of Students, Co- Captain of the swim team, and a member of the varsity soccer team, track team, and code club. He is excited to attend Caltech where he will run track and play soccer next fall.

Jacob Liu has only been singing in choir for a couple of months – joining midway through this year – but he has been a part of the performing arts scene ever since he joined Columbus Academy in 9th grade. Besides playing viola in the Upper School Orchestra for four years now, Jacob began exploring chamber music this year, recently winning bronze at the St. Paul String Quartet Competition with his quartet-mates. Outside of his artistic endeavors, Jacob serves as the president of Model UN, East Asian Affinity Club, and Code Club. Next year, he will attend Duke University in Durham, North Carolina to study computer science, economics, and mathematics. He wants to thank all Academy mentors and classmates for creating a family that he'll remember for the rest of his life.

Ryan McGraw has been in choir for two years. He started during his junior year. Outside of school he takes vocal lessons where he enjoys singing rock music by bands such as Nirvana. Ryan will attend The Ohio State University starting this fall where he will major in both International Studies and Korean. He will miss being able to come to the choir room every day to improve his singing, learn new songs, and spend time with his friends. Alex Phelps has been in choir for six years. She started in sixth grade and continued into high school in Viking and Treble choir. Alex also participated in three sports at Academy (field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse) and is the co-president of CA's East Asia Club. She plans on attending the Ohio State University in the fall as part of the business honors program and would like to thank her family, friends, coaches, and teammates for always supporting her.

Kathan Reddy has sang in choir for 8 years (not including a choir gap year in the 8th grade). Since he was a freshman, he's been a part of Viking Choir and Camerata, for which he was the Bass I Section Leader. Kathan served on Student Council as Student Body President, helped run the Model UN club, and participated in Debate. Corona- permitting, next year he plans on attending Columbia University in New York, New York. He's going to miss Academy, and wants to thank everyone who's supported him over the years.

Donovan Simpson has been in choir for 3 years now. He started his sophomore year. He has also been in many shows in his time at Academy including, Annie, Shrek where he was Shrek, The Little Mermaid, The Drowsy Chaperone, and RENT: School edition. Donovan also was on the football team for 4 years, where he lettered for 3 and received the Charlie David award his senior year. He also threw for the Track and Field team for 3 years and went to districts his junior year. Donovan plans on attending Miami University in Oxford Ohio in the fall where he will be majoring in mechanical engineering. He will miss every one of his classmates and teachers from Academy next year at Miami and plans to visit his Academy family many times. He would also like to thank his family for always supporting him in everything he does and always being there for him.

Medha Sinha joined treble choir her senior year. She was excited to join the choir her final year at CA because she was able to be a part of a new community that sang and learned music.

Rebecca Taylor has been in choir since the fifth grade, and has participated in both Viking Choir and Camerata. She was a part of A Night of One Acts in the fall and would've been a part of Tater Tots of Love. In her spare time, she can be found either sleeping or drinking far too much caffeine. She will be attending Chatham University in Pennsylvania in the fall, and will be double majoring in Psychology and Criminology and minoring in Creative Writing. She would very much like to thank Mrs. Brooks, Mr. Dillon, her father, and Singin' in the Rain (1952) for being her biggest supporters and sources of inspiration.

Nikki Turley has been in choir for 3 years. She started in her sophomore year and ever since then has fallen in love with the program. She has loved getting to sing with Mrs. Brooks and all her classmates over the years. This year, she and Sanskruti Admane serve as co-presidents of Camerata and she couldn't have been more thrilled to spend her last year in choir with such a special and talented person. She has also been heavily involved in the theatre program since her junior year, and she has loved every second of it. She has done tech for "Twelve Angry Jurors", "RENT: School Edition", "All in the Timing & Check Please", and was cast to play Marie in "Lunch Lady Tater Tots of Love", as well as working all of the middle and lower school shows from this year and last year. She will be attending Otterbein University in the fall to pursue her love of theatre and the arts. She wants to thank every member of the choir she's ever gotten to perform with. As well as Mrs. Brooks, who she couldn't have done this without and has been a mentor to her throughout the years and she will dearly miss. As well as everyone who has supported her and her passions throughout the years.

Leah Valdman has recently joined Treble Choir this year. In middle school she had been involved in several musical theater productions including Annie and The Little Mermaid. She also played tennis and field hockey and is a member of the Service Board. Leah is excited to attend The Ohio State University and wants to thank all of her friends and family for their support.

Special Thanks: Mrs. Jenni Kristoff The parents of the US singers Mrs. Cory Izokaitis, Upper School Head Mrs. Melissa Soderberg, Head of School