• Article by Bobbie Peers

    Wednesday, March 18, 2015 at 03:42 PM
     
    It's Another Packed House!
    Governor Livingston High School Guitar Club 
    Rocks Out at     Pete's Place in Berkeley Heights

    BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ - The rain did not keep the crowd away on Tuesday, March 10, as the Governor Livingston High School Guitar Club took their Coffee House on the second ever “Road Trip” and performed at Pete's Place Family Restaurant at Yogoccino located at 442 Springfield Ave. in Berkeley Heights.
     
    A total of 13 GLHS students and four GLHS faculty members performed music in front of
    the packed house dinner crowd for a three hour show.     The student performers featured Ryan Hernandez, Teddy Cole, Annabella Hernandez, Adrianna Powers, Kilian Quinn, Sean Hannaford, Ethan Brackman, Catherine Green, Trevor Rittman, Matt Koustaftes, Jack Sullivan, Andrew Clark and Brianna Bilshuk, along with faculty performances by Bud Ayres, Beryl Roman,  Kevin Rafferty and Bob Segear.
     

    The GLHS Guitar Club, now in its fourth year, is a volunteer club that is offered during lunch every Wednesday, all school year long. Student Assistance Counselor Bob Segear started and supervises the club. New students are welcome -- they can bring their own guitars, or use one of the guitars that Segear has. It is on a first-come, first-served basis.


    Since its conception, the Guitar Club has grown in popularity. Segear wanted to be able to involve more students and also give the students the opportunity to show case their talent out of school. He applied for and received two grants from the     Berkeley Heights Education Foundation, which provided funds to purchase musical equipment to allow more students to participate and has also allowed the ability to take the coffee houses on the road.

    The “Road Trip” Coffee House was a vision of Segear.  "The 'Road Trip' Coffee House allows the guitar club members to create 'good will' in our business communities of Mountainside and Berkeley Heights," said Segear. "Throughout the years the local businesses have generously donated money, gift cards, and food to our local schools and their organizations to which benefited our students from Kindergarten through the 12th grade."

    In September 2014, Segear contacted a few of the businesses in Mountainside and Berkeley Heights communities and asked their interest in hosting a “Road Trip” Coffee House and followed-up by asking the businesses what was their slow night. "The plan was to offer the 'Road Trip' Coffee House during one of their slowest business days," said Segear.     The students then had a chance to take the next step in their musical careers by stepping out of their comfort zone and performing live in a new environment. "The cool thing was that the customers were not strangers; they were fellow GLHS students, friends, moms, dads, grandparents and siblings," said Segear.

    Performances included:
    • 11th graders Ryan Hernandez and Teddy Cole opened up the event with Jazz Jam with Mr. Bud Ayres.

     

     

    • Kilian Quinn and Sean Hannaford performed The Piano Man.

    Matt Koutsaftes

    • GLHS hockey player Matt Koustaftes took his skates off and played, The World Has Turned and Left Me Here.

    Kevin Rafferty

    • GLHS computer technician Kevin Rafferty performed The General and Thunder Road

     

    • Beryl Roman
    • Faculty member Beryl Roman sung Fire and Rain  and I’m The Only One
    • Annabella Hernandez
    • Freshman Annabella Hernandez performed  A Team.

    Making their "Road Trip" coffee house debuts were:

    • Ethan Brackman who performed Don’t
    • Jack Sullivan - A Song Called Hope
    • Trevor Rittman - Blackbird
    • Brianna Blischok -  Tear Drops on My Guitar
    • Catherine Green did an amazing rendition of Lay Me Down
    Mr. Segear presented every debut performer a souvenir “Jammin @ GL” guitar pick.
     
     Bob Segear
    After Segear performed the Bob Dylan song, You Ain’t Goin No Where, he told the crowd that the Coffee House event is about promoting natural highs. He said, "The goose bumps that all of you felt, were a result of your bodies responding to performing live and receiving applause from the audience."  Segear said that natural highs cannot be duplicated from using alcohol, marijuana and or drugs.
     

    The reviews were all positive --  parents and performers, alike, could not say enough about the opportunity. "I am very proud of everyone for being great role models and ambassadors for Governor Livingston High School," said Segear.