Communications High School (CHS) students spent a night at the museum at this year’s annual Coffeehouse on Dec. 13.
Hosted by the Class of 2026, Coffeehouse featured musical acts from bands and solo performers across all four grades. This year, the event was art gallery- themed and also showcased student artwork. Paintings, photography and fashion design lined the back hallway, which guests walked through as they entered.
Sophomore Sofie Grodman of Sea Bright was among the audience of classmates, friends and family members who gathered to watch students perform—practicing their passion or simply taking the opportunity to make music with their friends.
“I thought it was very well planned out. Everybody was so talented [and] the artwork was incredible,” said Grodman.
Fitness teacher and junior class advisor Jennifer Baldaccini believes that the whole event, especially setting up nearly the entire show in only four hours, between the end of the school day and the beginning of the performances, largely relied on students’ willingness to participate.
“We threw people into different roles day-of and they knocked it out of the park,” said Baldaccini.
To ensure the night’s success, the junior class worked together in committees, from preparing the bulletin board to controlling the audio.
Junior Austin Edouard of Ocean Township, who performed an original song titled “2 missed calls, 10 missed texts,” enjoyed not only the performance but also the environment that was created around the show.
“I did like the actual event as a whole and the little ‘family’ that came with being a part of the setup,” Edouard said.
Junior class council member Honora Griffiths of Red Bank agrees, claiming that organizing the event was a unifying experience for her grade.
“It made me so happy to see the whole grade pitch in,” said Griffiths. “Everyone was so willing to help out, and it alleviated a lot of stress and made room for more excitement.”
Juniors Angelina Freel-DiPalma of Middletown and Joseph Calabrese of Tinton Falls hosted the show, guiding the audience through the acts with a mix of dad jokes and “Wicked” references that added to the evening’s lighthearted atmosphere.
“I didn’t expect [the audience] to laugh that much. They laughed more than I thought they would’ve,” said Calabrese.
When he wasn’t on stage, Calabrese enjoyed the performances, noting one stand-out moment.
“My favorite performance was when Mr. P came out for the surprise guest,” Calabrese said. “No one knew about that, so when he came out on stage the whole crowd went wild.”
Television Production teacher Nicholas Pellicano joined The Roaches, a band composed of seniors Tanner Grigoli, Sam Kovach and James Doyle, to conclude the show, shredding on the electric guitar during the last song of the night.
Overall, the night exceeded the council’s expectations, successfully providing students with the opportunity to showcase the talents they do not typically get to display.
“I left [Coffeehouse] with such an appreciation for the event,” Baldaccini said. “I thought it was very cool to see all the students shine in a different light than we normally see them.”
