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Pilibos Art and Acoustic Night

When one comes to Pilibos on any ordinary day, they will see teams and teams of Pilibos scholar-athletes working hard: on the field and off. As far as the eye can see, there is a vast sea of blue and white jerseys. After school, the campus is alive from track athletes running laps around the school to the loud buzzer resounding from the gym. However, beneath all this physical labor consisting of sweat and tears, there is a hidden gem at Pilibos. That hidden gem is the musical, artistic and written talent of Pilibos scholars. And once every year, the school transforms before one’s very eyes. Its traces and fragments of artistic talent all merge into one big beacon of art.

Art and Acoustic Night was held on Wednesday, March 14, this year in the Pilibos gym. As always, the Art Show was first up with contributions from all grade levels and with all mediums. On the bleachers were taped the various sketches, drawings and paintings of Ms. Anderson’s art elective class, which showcased each artist’s individual style. Scattered around the gym were the handicraft works of our elementary and middle school students. Their tiny masterpieces were made from paint, colored pencils, and crayons: the young artist’s arsenal. Also in the vicinity were the ninth graders’ puppet shows, which they had created and produced over the course of several weeks. The ninth graders had written scripts, created their own puppets and decorated their own stages; all this hard work culminated in performances for the elementary kids and a grand performance at Art Night, performed on a rotating basis for passersby. The plays on themes and characters that would be relatable to the kids and would teach them valuable life lessons. The wisdom of the high schoolers was passed onto the next generation. The tenth grade art class had their works on show. Also on display were the World Music poster boards, with each project illustrating and describing the musical culture of various regions. Overall, the Art Night made for an eclectic display, which showcased the individual and collective talent of Pilibos artists.

As the Art Night ended at around 7:30, the Acoustic Night’s program began. Parents and supportive friends flooded the gym to see the performers’ show. Ms. Patil has consistently organized the Acoustic Night for several years now, and the show did not disappoint this year! The show had a nostalgic, yet passionate twist in the beginning as Pilibos’s very own barbershop quartet took it back with old hits, such as “Besame Mucho”, “O Sole Mio” and “Yesterday When I Were Young”. There was a lot of old soul present in the gym with songs, such as “The Chain” and “Moon River”. The Pilibos-inspired rendition of “Hit the Road Jack” was also a hit; it was performed with a loop feedback machine which allowed senior Armen Shahinyan to “play” five different beats at once while senior Ani Thovmasyan sang along. There were also modern hits, such as “Jar of Hearts”, “Aircatcher”, “When We Were Young” and “Young and Beautiful”. There were also written works from original poems to Paruyr Sevak recitations. The night ended with a soulful rendition of “Back to Black” by senior Jasmine Farskayan: her final encore.

Art and Acoustic Night is one of the highlights of the academic year. It is a sort of catharsis for all the performers. It is the one night where they have a platform, an outlet to draw for someone, recite for someone, or sing for someone. After all, it is often said that “art is for art’s sake”, and what is art if nobody else is touched by it.


Written By: Nayiri Artounians


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