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School of Rock brings down the house By Marie York newsroom@riverdalepress.com
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welve-year-old Ayelet Bar-David stood in the center of the stage at the Riverdale YM-YWHA, a single spotlight illuminating her as she waited patiently for her cue. The notes from the piano drifted through the quiet, crowded auditorium, and when it came time, Ayelet’s voice soared, accompanied only by the piano, as she sang the opening lyrics of The Beatles’ “Let it Be.” “When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be.” A sense of excitement was palpable in the audience as the refrain of the famous song grew near, and then bam! The stage lights blazed and each instrument of the eight-person band chimed in, causing the crowd to roar with applause. It was a mature performance from the mostly preteen Riverdale band known as Liquid Ice, and for many of its musicians, their first taste of rock stardom. And boy did they rock. Their renditions of such classics as Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” had their biggest fans — mostly their parents — dancing in the aisles, and, what’s more, helped raise several hundred dollars for the Y’s theater program. Sunday’s concert, Kids Rock for a Cause, was the brainchild of Riverdale resident and musician Jeremy Bar-Illan, who has proven quite adept at raising funds for good causes by using talented musicians.
Photos by Marisol Díaz
LIQUID ICE rocks out during a benefit concert to support the Riverdale YM-YWHA’s theater program on Sunday.
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or the past three years, his Purple Hat Foundation has raised money for the North-Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System Foundation and Musicians on Call, an organization that sends musicians to the bedsides of sick patients in hospitals across the country. This is the first of what he hopes to be many concerts at the Riverdale Y performed by young, aspiring musicians. “The support we’re getting from the community is huge,” Mr. Bar-Illan said. “And the kids are having a blast.” Mr. Bar-Illan, who runs a “School of Rock,” worked with the Riverdale band — composed of Ayelet, lead vocals and guitar; Aura Glaser, 12, lead vocals and percussion; Inbal Katz, 12, lead guitar and vocals; Henry Bernstein, 12, lead guitar; Elitzur Bergman, 14, rhythm guitar; Michael Adler, 13, rhythm guitar; Shamma Pepper-Fox, 12, keyboards; Eli Landes, 12, drums; and Julian Bar-Illan, 18, bass — as well as another band from White Plains, N.Y., which also performed on Sunday. They met every Sunday for several months. Mr. BarIllan said the experience not only improves the kids’ music skills, he said, but also gives them an opportunity to do so while helping a good cause. “We all really enjoy it,” said Ayelet, a student at Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy. Mr. Bar-Illan said his budding rock stars will take a short break, and then begin rehearsing in a few weeks for their next concert.
SHAMMA PEPPER-FOX, 12, plays the keyboard and Michael Adler, 13, plays guitar for Liquid Ice, above. EVA INGBER, 14, lead singer for White Plains-based Electric Walrus, claps her hands to get the crowd going on Sunday, at left.
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ELITZUR BERGMAN, 14, plays guitar for the Riverdale’s own Liquid Ice. AYELE BAR-DAVID, 12, leads Liquid Ice, at left.