Very few events bring together the entire Hope Ranch community – Jogathon, club fair, theater productions – but on Jan. 17, the Visual Arts and Performing Arts Departments came together to unveil one more bridge between students: the “Imagine Project.”

The collaborative event, which featured performances from students in Middle School Band, Upper School Band, Jazz band, String Ensemble, and
photography and visual arts classes, was presented to students in grades seven through twelve.

Students poured into the Spaulding Auditorium to listen to different renditions of John Lennon’s “Imagine” as well as a written word piece directed by junior Margaret Lazarovits.

Members of the Drama Club, including juniors Allison Towbes and Erica Keane, freshman Beatrice Tolan, and Theater Arts Instructor Ms. Kate Bergstrom recited a compilation of pieces submitted from faculty members Ms. Staci Richard, Ms. Izabela Santos, Ms. Trish McHale, and Ms. Kate Bergstrom which highlighted their reactions and sentiments regarding the shooting of Pakistani student Malala Yousafzai and why educating girls is important.

“Ms. Bergstrom’s friend wrote the poem [that Erica read] which was based on the idea of imagining a world with a better chance for women’s education,” said junior Margaret Lazarovits.

The project was the result of Music Instructor Ms. Laura Geier’s vision

“I wanted to do something with Ms. Anaya where we have artists painting while [the musicians] play.

Then I heard Herbie Hancock’s album “The Imagine Project” and I thought that it would be so cool if we did our own arrangements,” Ms. Geier said.

The songs performed were accompanied by students from Ms. Delphine Anaya’s Middle and Upper School Visual Arts classes. During the musical performances, artists painted on a giant canvas behind the musicians, to reveal the word “Imagine” silhouetted in negative space.

“I was nervous about the flow because we had never had a run-through but feel like it came together really well,” said Ms. Geier.