The past year has been very eventful for the WISH Academy music department, and for the music teacher, Mr. Markus Illko. On March 15th,The Aviary’s Nicholas Steinman sat down with him to discuss the recording and release of the department’s first vinyl album,2023 (also available on streaming), the department’s successful biannual concerts, and Mr. Illko’s personal success, which saw him winning a Grammy Award as part of instrumental group The String Revolution and embark on a press tour earlier this year, and more.
Interviews
On Friday, October 27th, Dr. Kimberly Johnson, WISH Academy Principal, sat down with The Aviary’s Nicholas Steinman for an interview covering her background and reflections on her tenure so far, as she begins her second year on the job. The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
WISH Academy’s Student Council is made up of elected ASB officers Gabriel Koppula, Aida Mebea, Samuel Kidane, and Madison Mendoza. Here’s what they had to say to The Aviary.
Janet Landon is the head of the Theater Department at WISH Academy. She has worked at WISH for four years, and in education for 30. She started as a substitute teacher and has even served in administrative positions. She has hopes to strengthen WISH’s up-and-coming theater program and recently received a $53,000 grant from the Ahmanson Foundation, an organization focused on the arts and youth engagement. The Aviary’s Hannah Benveniste sat down with her to ask her about her past experiences, her hopes for the theater program, and the student productions she is most proud of.