In a fierce competition at the 2021 Bach To Rock Battle of the Bands, 23 bands went head-to-head at the John Philip Sousa Memorial Bandshell in Port Washington, NY on Sunday, June 6. Hundreds of proud parents, family members and fans came to support and cheer on students from B2R Port Washington. The groups competed at the bandshell in Sunset Park and rocked the spectacular hotspot.
“The students, who range in age from 8 to 18, and their band coaches worked tirelessly for months to prepare for this tremendous event and I’m beyond proud of all the performers,” said B2R Port Washington Director, Elana Hayden. “After an unprecedented and challenging year, with no live performances, we were thrilled and beyond grateful for the opportunity to perform for a live audience at such a fabulous, outdoor venue.”
Four seasoned music industry professionals, Liberty DeVitto (Billy Joel, Paul McCartney), Amanda Homi (Jackson Browne, Ray Lamontagne), Melissa Cross (Zen of Screaming), and Carl Pfanstiehl (original B2R Director of Operations) judged the performances. Over 100 students performed in three divisions – Elementary, Middle, and High School – all overlooking the beautiful Manhasset Bay. “While this is a competition, the main point is for the kids to have a great experience, to get to perform live – and to have fun and feel like a rock star!” said Band Director, Eitan Prouser.
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 Blvd, including music theory, instrument instruction, recording arts, performance arts, voice lessons and band coaching.
The winners included:
Elementary School Division
1st Place Winner: Homerun Hitters – Ethan Gilbert, Ryan Messenger, Lucas Victoria, Sami Sanghrajka
Runner Up: Vipers – Sasha Mavashev, Jonah Sefick, Preston Zickerman, Manny Mermel, Timothy Kollappallil
Runner Up: Blue… ish Black – Divya Ramphul, Julia O’Flanagan, Tara Rajan, Afnaan Mirza
Middle School Division
1st Place Winner: Vibe – Aneesha Mirza, Aaron Gilbert, Evan Kim, Jacob Ferraro
Runner Up: Shock Therapy – Noemi Bolano, Max Kabot, Robby Dring, Bobby Chen
Runner Up: Vortex – Willow Grosskopf, Tomoki Natsu, Lucas Victoria, Emlyn Thomas
High School Division
1st Place Winner: Boulevard – Becca Packer, Jonathan Goldberg, Aden Neuwirth, Kieran Fink, Zachary Pfiel-Schaub
Runner Up: KonKussion – Ella Pourmoradi, Noa Pourmoradi, Ava Petersen, Wes Petersen
Runner Up: Luminescence – Isabella Bonati, Bobby Chen, Declan Gahan, Aiden Piriyatamwong, Elliot Telacki
