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The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

New albums from The Lumineers, (Sandy) Alex G, Charli XCX and Twin Peaks were released on Friday the Thirteenth this year, making the spookiest of days a little less scary.

Full moon tunes

Emma Caplinger, Arts and Entertainment Editor September 24, 2019

The Homecoming parade, football game and a full moon all fell on the infamously unlucky Friday, Sept. 13 this year. In all the (potentially spooky) chaos, you may have missed the drops of new albums from...

History teacher Aaron Bashirian plays a gig at a local fair in his hometown of Elroy, Wis. July 1998. “I would say [my music] is pop-y,” Bashirian said. “It’s a happy-go-lucky sort of pop. There are some rock elements to it but it really is just feel good, fun music.”

The road not taken: Aaron Bashirian, rock star gone teacher

Peyton Gaskill, STAFF WRITER May 13, 2019

When West’s newest social studies teacher, Aaron Bashirian, graduated from college and got his degree in history, it would be almost two decades before he got to use it. Instead, Bashirian pursued his...

Directing the girls Chamber Choir through their daily vocal warm ups, choir director Eric Anthony prepares the students for the day’s rehearsal. Anthony has been teaching in the music department since 2006. “I’m thankful that I’m ending my career in a school that I really like a lot,” Anthony said. “I was blessed to come to this place and am blessed to be finishing my career in a place that I feel safe and the kids feel safe. We don’t have to be the best athletes, we don’t have to be the best musicians, but we put out a good product and we’re happy with it. We know who we are.”

Choir director Eric Anthony sings “so long, farewell” to his time as an educator

Lydia Roseman, News and Sports Editor March 15, 2019

After 13 years of dedicated service to the music department, choir director Eric Anthony is retiring from his career as an educator. While Anthony was hired primarily as a choir director, he found...

Meeting her favorite band Waterparks, freshman Grace Eschbach takes full advantage of the VIP tickets her dad snatched up when they went on sale again. Waterparx decided to sell only ten more VIP passes before their concert after they sold out, and Eschbach and her father, as a result of quick thinking and collaboration, were able to buy the tickets. “It’s a surreal [experience] because [the artist is] a real person, and I can see them,” Eschbach said.

Freshman Grace Eschbach feeds passion for music through concert-going experiences

Brinda Ambal, Conceptual Editor-in-Chief February 21, 2019

The lights suddenly turn off. The stadium settles into a bated silence. The countdown pops up on the vast display and freshman Grace Eschbach finds herself caught up in the wave of anticipation riding...

Strumming his guitar and singing into the microphone, junior Ryan Egan performs with his band The Brink STL at last year’s benefit concert. Egan has been playing concerts in the St. Louis area for four years. “I love performing,” Egan said. “It’s a lot of fun. I enjoy playing in front of a crowd and just playing music in general. I hope to release some music so that I can spread my messages of positivity, perseverance and dedication.”

Junior Ryan Egan uses STEM courses to pursue a career in music

Lydia Roseman, News and Sports Editor January 23, 2019

What kind of art are you interested in? I play in a band called The Brink STL. I’ve been playing guitar for eight years, and I’ve been playing gigs and concerts around St. Louis for the past four...

Senior Noah Wright performs a kazoo solo at the Pwest for Flint benefit concert. The concert was held by the Honors Environmental Sustainability class to raise money for the victims of the Flint, Michigan water crisis. “Playing kazoo was a fun and unique way to spice up our music,” Wright said. “I wanted to contribute in whatever way I could to the people of Flint.”

Environmental Sustainability class puts on second successful benefit concert

Maria Newton, FEATURES EDITOR December 18, 2018

The tradition of altruism from the Honors Environmental Sustainability class lived on in the second annual benefit concert, Pwest for Flint. The city of Flint, Michigan is still without clean drinking...

Embracing the holiday vibes from the previous snow day, senior Sophie Ellis is anxious for the holidays to roll around. “My favorite part about the holidays is being with family. We all get together at least a couple times during the holidays and get to play games like spoons and left center right,” Ellis said.

Top Seven Holiday Songs To Dance To This Season

Anna Pavlisin, STAFF WRITER December 14, 2018

 1.All I Want for Christmas - Mariah Carey   One of the most popular Christmas songs of all time, it’s clear that the reason it’s so prominent is the energy and the beat of this song. Carey’s...

Focused on his music, senior Noah Wright plays his trumpet alongside the rest of trumpet section during his second hour class. Wright has been playing in the Jazz Band since his sophomore year, but this is his first year playing with a full instrumentation.“With there being more people, we’ve really been able to push ourselves,” Wright said. “We really have depth in the parts.”

Jazz Band gets a full instrumentation

Peyton Gaskill, STAFF WRITER November 2, 2018

For the first time since 2001, the Jazz Band has a full instrumentation. This means that the band has players for each instrument required for musical pieces written for large bands, including saxophones,...

Practicing during school, senior Gwyn Allendorph works on music for an outside ensemble. One of her most impactful moments in music was listening to melodies in the strings during a performance of the Peer Gynt Suite at Powell Hall. “One of my favorite pieces of all time to play is Donzón no. 2 by Arturo Márquez, that was the first piece we ever started rehearsing in the YPCO in my first year,” Allendorph said.

Senior oboist Gwyn Allendorph works to make her passion a career

Nell Jaskowiak, OPINIONS AND ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR October 16, 2018

If you want to find senior Gwyn Allendorph, check a practice room, a stage in Webster Groves or perhaps Powell Hall. An accomplished oboist, Allendorph is currently in four symphonic orchestras and has...

Senior Meghan Stanfield, junior Theresa Monteleone and senior Chloe Hershenow perform enthusiastically in Jazz Choir at the First Annual Music Department Showcase Concert. This is Stanfield’s second year in the ensemble. “Singing is my passion, and it’s so nice to come to class to just sing with all my friends,” Stanfield said. “It really helps me forget about all the chaos of the world.”

Showcase concert sets music department off on a strong start

Maria Newton, FEATURES EDITOR October 8, 2018

As parents, friends and students poured into the gymnasium, they were met with the rhythmic pounding of the Marching Band. The strong metronome, meant to keep the marchers in synchronization, was captivating. This...