Commemorate. Educate. Celebrate

Spotlight on a Student Musician

Grayson Pollard ’22

During Grayson Pollard’s 13 years at Viewpoint, he distinguished himself as a skilled musician with a deep commitment to supporting his fellow musicians. This fall, Grayson is attending the prestigious USC Thornton School of Music, where he will study Music Production in the Popular Music program. As he prepared to embark on the next step in his musical journey, Band teacher Kim Gonzalez said this: “Grayson has participated in nearly all facets of Viewpoint’s Music Department and is a very gifted, diversified, and naturally talented musician. He performs at a level far above most Upper School musicians, skillfully playing numerous instruments, including piano, guitar, bass, and drums. He is always willing to help others learn their part for band and does so with incredible humility. As a member of Wind Ensemble, Pep Band, Jazz Ensembles, and Voices Now, he is an inspiration to his fellow musicians and is a true team player. I look forward to seeing what he will do with his music. His two new original songs ‘Cool Kicks’ and ‘Old Days’ are now available on Spotify and iTunes, and no doubt whatever path he takes he is someone who I know will make our world a more positive place.”

ASTA Orchestra Director of the Year Award

Kristin Herkstroeter

For 21 years, Dr. Kristin Herkstroeter, Viewpoint School’s Music Department Chair and Middle and Upper School Strings Teacher, has been a valued member of the teaching faculty. Among her many accomplishments, she founded the Suzuki strings program in the lower grades, developed the Middle and Upper School

Orchestras, greatly expanded the CAIS Honors Music Festival hosted on Viewpoint's campus, and pioneered the Annual Viewpoint Arts Fest. Her ensembles consistently receive superior ratings and first place awards at adjudicated festivals and competitions. As a result, the Upper School Orchestra has been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York, Symphony Hall in Chicago, and Davies Hall in San Francisco. This spring, Dr. Herkstroeter was awarded Outstanding School Teacher of the Year by the Los Angeles Chapter of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). This award is presented to a teacher with at least 10 years’ experience and a member of ASTA, who has made a significant contribution to a school orchestra or a university program, epitomizing every facet of excellence in string teaching. Her colleagues across campus were delighted to learn of this welldeserved recognition. Photography teacher Charlie Sitzer shared his thoughts, “It is a great honor to be recognized by your peers for the dedication and inspiration you put into your love of teaching, which is so clear to all of us. Congratulations, Kristin!”

The Return of Arts Fest

VIEWPOINT WAS PLEASED TO WELCOME the community on Saturday, April 30, for Arts Fest 2022, a celebration of Middle and Upper School Arts. All ages enjoyed an afternoon of music in the canyon; visual art in our galleries; scenes from this year’s musical and theatre productions; screenings of award-winning student films; and a showcase of our Dance program. Head of School Mark McKee said, “Bringing back live performance and arts programming reminds us how much our community – how much we as people – NEED the arts, to remind us of our common humanity, help us make sense of the world, and show us what is possible.”

Top left: Upper School Orchestra Top right: Music teacher Kim Gonzalez Bottom left from left to right: Daniyar Ali ’24, Avrick Altmann ’24, Ashwin Nanda ’23 Bottom right in back: Grace Zhu ’24 and Thomas Xiao ’25 Bottom right in front: Emily Lawson ’23 and A.J. Williams ’23 Top: Upper School Choir led by music teacher Carrie Dietsch Bottom left, visible on right: Cedar Cummins ’25 Bottom right: Kade Hood ’26

Live Theater is Back!

THE MAGIC RETURNED to the Carlson Family Theater with the Conservatory of Theatre’s live production of Cinderella. With the wave of the Fairy Godmother’s wand and months of hard work, the magic of live theater cast its spell on the actors and the audience on April 22-24, for three performances of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. After a two-year hiatus from live productions, parents, faculty, students, friends and family, filled the theater to enjoy a heartwarming, humorous, and contemporary spin on this classic tale.

Middle School Disney’s Descendants Cast had a Wicked Performance at Three Sold-Out Shows

ON MAY 13-15, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE GRATEFUL AND EXCITED to grace the stage once again with live musical theatre for the first time since the fall of 2019. Based on the Disney Channel Original Movies, Disney’s Descendants explores what it means to choose your own path no matter where you come from. The show had it all: high-energy production numbers, complex characters that have heart, and a timely message that resonates with all of us. At its core, Descendants is a musical about empathy, tolerance, and acceptance. It takes place in two fantastical worlds filled with classic stories and characters we all know and love, seen through a fresh, new lens.

Opposite Page, Left: A.J. Williams ’23 and Emily Lawson ’23 Right column top: Payton Schetter ’23 and Violet Kaltman ’24 Right column center: Fighting over the prince in Cinderella. Right column bottom: Xander Blumel ’22 This Page, Top right, from left to right: Daphne Huffman ’26, Chloe Gitenay ’26 Bottom: Cast of The Descendants