Alumni Arts Showcase

On March 1st, alumni, past faculty, current students, teachers, and parents gathered for the first ever Alumni Arts Showcase.

The setting of Community Hall was fitting for this meeting of past, present, and future. The space has long been the center of performance at Tandem. It’s the place where we gather for Morning Meeting, Meeting for Worship, open mics, concerts, and plays. The Community Hall is also getting a well-deserved revamp. In true Tandem fashion, the project began with a student. Current senior Sawyer Ruday reached out to Peter Gaines (Director of Major Giving) to learn about philanthropy to raise money to improve the Community Hall. So far, we have raised nearly $110,000 toward an overall goal of $150,000! Thanks to this initiative, that night the stage was lit with new, state of the art, environmentally friendly, LED theater lights!

Between songs and poems, performers shared stories and memories about their experiences at Tandem and how this place has shaped them. Ephraim Firdyiwek ‘04 shared an acoustic set of originals and covers. Angus Murdoch ‘86 jammed alongside his son, current TFS junior, Will. (Will can often be found playing his cello on the back porch of the main building or a bench around campus).

Members of the cast of Mamma Mia!, this year’s spring musical, had us singing along to ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.” Middle school theater teacher Edwina Herring is comfortable on the stage. It’s her classroom after all, but Edwina brought her customary openness to the Alumni Arts Showcase, sharing a series of poems and an acapella rendition of “The Greatest Love of All.”

Emma Johnson ‘19 read from her college thesis, a long poem titled “Litterfoot.” Jay Pun ‘99 introduced us to a new instrument, the phin, a traditional lute from Thailand, and told us tales of his musical education at Tandem in the 90s. 

In a testament to the powerful and enduring relationships forged between students and teachers at Tandem,  Miller Oberman ‘97 and Charlotte Matthews (past faculty) gave a reading “in tandem.” They shared moving tributes about what they had taught one another about writing, learning, and life. Miller read from his poetry collection Impossible Things, and Charlotte read from her latest collection of essays Everything in its Brilliance. 

Thank you to all who came to share their voices and talents and to all who came to listen and be together again. If you’re interested in learning more and getting involved, you can find out more about the Community Hall Campaign by clicking here or reaching out to Peter Gaines (pgaines@tandemfs.org).