Stuyvesant Hosts Third Songwriter’s Hall of Fame

Stuyvesant held its third Songwriter’s Hall of Fame on May 6. High school students from around New York City were able to listen to the advice and experiences of professionals in the music industry. Students also learned about music production, songwriting, and the music industry as a whole. Additionally, students were able to perform for musicians and receive feedback.

The event was planned with the goal of offering students the chance to experience something outside their normal educational routine. “I believe that songwriting empowers students to express themselves in ways that are outside of the academic area that Stuyvesant would normally encourage and foster,” said music teacher Harold Stephan, who organized the event.

This master session included younger local musicians in an attempt to connect with students. “With this event, we were trying to get younger, highly expressive artists who were doing their work at a high artistic level [and] who are close to the age of high school students because we thought there would be a better connection. And I think it was definitely successful,” Stephan said. He also noted that the shift led to a “significantly higher [turnout] than the prior event,” he said.

Students’ feedback was positive, with many citing the event as a great opportunity to explore the music business. “It was great to get advice from people who understand the industry and to get instant feedback on our work,” freshman Andrea Khoury said.

Freshman Benjamin Hamel agreed. “It was inspiring to hear from so many people who had to overcome countless hurdles to make it in the industry,” he said.

Students also expressed an interest in expanding the event for the next session. “It would be great if we could have more people perform [and if there were] more artists on the panel,” freshman Alina Dufenyuk said.

In addition, Stephan hopes to host more workshops centered around the supportive roles in the music industry. “There’s everything from attorneys to booking agents to other more technical jobs. [There are] tons of jobs in the entertainment space, and part of what I would like to do is open those opportunities up to students as much as possible,” he said.

Overall, the event was regarded as a success by both students and staff. “The goal of this event was to focus on the creative part of [music]—to focus on self-expression—and it was about being able to empower students to express themselves at a high artistic level,” Stephan said. “I think we succeeded in doing so.”