Lakehouse students rock the Stone Pony for ‘Big Gig’
All age groups showcase their talents after a semester of learning
The Lakehouse Music Academy took over Asbury Park’s Stone Pony on Sunday for their third “big gig,” an end-of-semester performance that lets students showcase the skills and songs they’ve learned in front of a supportive crowd of family and friends.
The event starts at noon with performances by students in the “Get Started” program, for smaller kids up to 10 years old, progresses to students in the 10- to 18-year-old “Core” music program, and ends with performances by several adult groups that participate in night sessions at the Lakehouse. Performances from previous semesters took place at other area venues, including the Wonderbar and Asbury Lanes.
“It was awesome,” said 13-year-old Jack Rallo, after he finished his group performance with other kids in the Core program.
The kids get to pick their own songs based on what they like, according to Jon Leidersdorff, the owner of the Lakehouse building, as well as Lakehouse Music Academy.
The diversity of the songs they choose stretches across genres and time periods. The short list includes current pop hits like Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” to alternative rock selections by Nirvana, punk rock songs by Social Distortion and classic rock hits from bands like U2.
“It’s neat to see how the different ages inspire each other,” said Leidersdorff. “The kids learn from watching the adults and the adults also gain inspiration from watching the kids perform.”
Local Asbury Park performer Anya Schildge’s band, The Hallowed Roots, uses the practice and recording studios in the world-class building. She also works as a guidance counselor in a shore-area school and as a nanny for two children. She brought the kids she watches to the Lakehouse for a class, wound up helping out and now works in the Get Started and Core programs five days a week in addition to her job as a guidance counselor.
“You start working with these kids and you see how much talent they have,” she said.
In addition to the skills they gain from music education classes, many of the kids’ parents say their children have increased confidence, self-worth and have gained a family of friends from all around the state.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Salvatore Del’re. His daughter, 14-year-old Alexis Del’re, is a vocalist and is now taking keyboard lessons. “I never thought she would do anything like this. She’s really embraced it — she’s become herself.”
“She probably has more friends now than she ever did,” said Lisa Del’re, Alexis’ stepmother.
Del’re said she found a brochure for the Lakehouse Academy at a local pizza parlor and brought it home to see if her Alexis would be interested in taking some classes over summer break. Alexis now takes classes year-round, and her father said she has improved her grades as well, since she can’t go to music class if she isn’t performing well in school.
The “big gig” also allows Lakehouse Academy music director Albie Monterrosa to gauge how well the students are progressing.
“I’m so proud of them,” he said. “They are all heart. These guys are fearless.”
Monterrosa acts as the stage manager, shuffling students on and off the stage for their performances, keeping watchful eyes — and ears — on his pupils as he jots down notes for their next meeting.
“I don’t rip them apart,” he said. “It’s like a fishbowl being up there on stage, everyone is looking at you, it’s very strange but you get used to it the more you do it.” For Monterrosa, working with the kids and his colleagues at the Lakehouse is more of a family culture as compared to what kids may experience at their traditional schools .
“If they feel a little left of center at school, they come here and they belong,” he said. “That’s the name of the game — it’s cool.”
The academy also hosted a raffle to support their Play it Forward foundation, with prizes ranging from a three-night stay at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in West Orange, a candy apple red Epiphone SG electric guitar, and gift certificate packages from local shops and restaurants. The foundation provides scholarships to Asbury Park residents who are unable to access music education.
The foundation has already provided a handful of scholarships to area children, according to Leidersdorff.
“It’s music education for kids in our home town,” he said, “who now have friends from all over the state.”
“You see how much these kids are growing and how much they love it,” said Melissa Schnappauf, whose 13-year-old daughter, Georgi, plays bass and takes vocal lessons. Georgi heads to the Lakehouse for lessons three days a week, but would go seven days if she could, Schnappauf said.
Schnappauf volunteered to work at the event for the Foundation.
“To be able to give this experience to someone who maybe can’t afford it, means a lot,” she said.
Councilwoman Sue Henderson [above, standing in center] took the stage with the adult group she practices with on Thursday nights, lending her voice and her skills on the bass guitar to about eight songs including “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band” by the Beatles, “Be My Baby” by The Ronettes, and “Sultan of Swing” by Dire Straits.
She and her partner, Donna DeNoble [standing at right], started taking beginner level lessons and playing with the adult group six months ago.
“I’ve only been playing since August and here I am, on the stage of the Stone Pony,” she said. She credits the staff of Lakehouse Music Academy for her success in such a short amount of time.
“They want so much to share music with people,” she said.
The Lakehouse is located at 619 Lake Avenue in Asbury Park.
Besides the music academy, the Lakehouse building is also home to Cowerks, Bands on a Budget, two recording studios, rehearsal rooms, Russo Music Center and Cafe Mumford’s. For more information, visit their website.
[Photo at top: The Barry girls on stage. In center: Ross rocking his “Flying V”. Both shots provided by Natalie Newbold. Photo of Councilwoman Sue Henderson, Donna DeNoble and their colleague Steven taken from Henderson’s Facebook page.]
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