BY HILLARY VIDERS
SPECIAL TO NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
ENGLEWOOD, N.J.—As she gasped with joy and donned the winner’s crown and sash, the entire cast of Englewood Idol danced around this year’s winner, Genesis Capellan.
Capellan delivered show-stopping interpretations of “Never Enough” and “My Heart Will Go On” at this year’s Idol competition, held Jan. 11 at bergenPAC.
The annual event—which grew this year to feature younger contestants in “Junior,” “Mini” and “Micro” Idol contests—is a fundraiser for the Dr. John Grieco Scholarship Fund, led by teacher Judy Aronson, which awards academic scholarships to Englewood public school students.
The show is organized and run by Dwight Morrow High School and Academies@Englewood students, whose goal this year is to raise a total of $23,000, $10,000 of which they hope will come from the Englewood Idol show and the rest from community sponsors and other events held throughout the year.
“Students, parents, and staff have come to view Englewood Idol as more than a musical competition; it is an expression of so many of the values that Dr. John Grieco stood for,” Aronson told Northern Valley Press. “It also helps Englewood’s high school students connect on a different level, outside of the classroom, showing a commitment to a show that they love.”
Second-place winner, Lena Graf, sang a dramatic rendition of “Skyfall,” the song by Adele, and third-place winner, Patricia Parker crooned “When the Party’s Over” with great passion.
Audience members voted for winners via text messages and the talented performers brought legions of family to cheer them on, both with votes and congratulatory messages projected on a screen. Other finalists competing were Maggie Colquitt, Donna Gad, Savannah George, Angelica Munoz, Lamyra Newton, and Auhjen Upshaw.
The contestants got feedback from a panel of celebrity judges, who included: Kia Thornton Miller, a member of the R&B group Devine; DJ Wallah, a member of the world-renowned Heavy Hitters DJ crew; Florian Bellanger, the famous pastry chef of “Cupcake Wars” fame; and Josette Diaz, known for her accomplishments on NBC’s hit series “The Voice.”
For the first time in Idol history, the talented teens were joined by younger performers: Englewood “Junior” Idol Sophia Chounoune (grade seven); Englewood “Mini” Idol Jandel Rodriguez (grade five); and the Englewood “Micro” Idol Temple Goldson (grade three). Selected from a pool of more than 20 performers, the youngsters displayed extraordinary musical talent and a level of confidence that goes well beyond their years.
“We were looking to expand the show by sharing with our audience the talent in Englewood from all levels, so reaching out to students in the younger grades was a natural direction for us,” says the show’s Assistant Producer and DMHS Senior Intern Brianna Christie. “Our current Idols are as talented as they are because they have come through the Englewood public schools, which all have amazing music programs. We want to showcase that.”
In addition to a trophy that each contestant received, O. DiBella Music is providing first-place winner Genesis Capellan with four coaching vocal sessions and Honda of Tenafly presented her with a $500 gift certificate.
The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF), a not-for-profit organization that co-sponsored the 2005 Englewood Idol competition, awarded a grant of $1,100 that provides $100 scholarships for each contestant to record one song and the entire group to collaborate and record two songs together on a professionally developed CD in a studio.
Michael Shannon, president of NNJCF, believes that it is important to support the student-run talent competition as a way to raise funds for The John Grieco Scholarship Fund and to bring together Englewood’s public and private high school students through the arts.
“Our initial effort to provide an opportunity for students from the three diverse high schools in Englewood to work together on an arts production grew into an exemplary demonstration of how art brings together everyone in a community,” said Shannon. “The arts provide a universal language that we all speak.”
Aronson, a history teacher at Dwight Morrow High School and Academies@Englewood, has volunteered her time to produce this outstanding show for the past 14 years, alongside show director and English teacher Mindy Rochman.
Platinum sponsors include Englewood Health, Visions Federal Credit Union, Benzel Busch, TD Bank, Health East Medical Associates, and Honda of Tenafly. Gold sponsors are NVE Bank, LG Electronics, Prana Marketing, ShopRite of Englewood, and the DMHS Alumni Educational Alliance. Substantial support for this event was also contributed by the Community Chest, the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, and BergenPAC. The rehearsal dinner was donated by Cassie’s Restaurant, Chick-fil-A, and Blue Moon Mexican Cafe.
