From bittersweet ballads to melodic tunes, attendees could hear the sounds of ambient music and poetry flowing through the halls of Archer during the second after-school coffeehouse.
Sponsored by Archer’s literary and performing arts departments, the event took place in the Zeller Student Center Thursday, March 19. Organized and founded by senior Emerson Cohen, the purpose of the coffeehouse is to allow students and faculty to share their creative works with the Archer community, such as original songs or poetry. Alongside Cohen, arts teacher Chris Kapica and English teacher Kathleen Keelty helped facilitate the event.
As a member of choir and a cappella, Cohen has been involved with music at Archer since sixth grade and said she enjoys creating original songs outside of school. She said she came up with the idea of a coffeehouse after not seeing anything like it at Archer.
“It’s really cool to have this style of event,” Cohen said. “We’ve had Songshare and Archella, which are bigger group events, but coffeehouses have a more intimate vibe where people can share works that may still be in the works.”
Cohen said one of her highlights from the event was discovering her friends’ previously unheard projects.
“A lot of the people who performed I am friends with,” Cohen said. “I know that they’re creating things, but I never got the chance to actually hear what they were working on, which was awesome.”
Junior Phoenix Ferrari is new to Archer and performed an original song at the event. This was her first time participating in an Archer performance, and she said the community helped her get comfortable in the new environment.
“The Archer community is just so supportive,” Ferrari said. “That definitely made me less nervous and able to perform better.”
Librarian Denise Soto attended the event. She said the experience she had this time was different from the inaugural coffeehouse last semester, and she enjoyed seeing the changes in programming.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Soto said. “Last year, I know some teachers performed, but it was so cool to see Mr. Kapica perform a piece he was still working on. I think it just shows that nothing has to be perfect for you to go up there and do what you like.”
Soto also said the small environment made the event more inviting for the community, and she is excited to see what it grows into.
“No matter how small the event, we will always support each other,” Soto said. “That’s one of the ways we connect with one another when it is that small and who knows what happens next. We’re seeing something at the beginning, and I wonder what it’s going to turn into.”
