Sound advice: Rockers take to the stage at AHS, will return today to speak with students – Amsterdam Recorder – 10.15.09

Jessica Maher
Reporter

Photo caption: Thirteen Yards to Victory, including singer Anthony DiPerri and Dave Rossi, right, on bass, took to the stage of the Bert DeRose Theater at Amsterdam High School on Wednesday to bring their message of community service.

The performances at Amsterdam High School that kicked off a tour for Boston-based band Thirteen Yards to Victory on Wednesday were not exactly what band members had expected.

“I thought it might have be an awkward situation,” said guitar player Vinny Prezioso. “But it exceeded our expectations. There was a lot of energy for 9:30 in the morning.”

Four hours later when 13 YTV played its second show of the day for the 11th- and 12th-graders, the energy, momentum, and screams had only gained. By the time the band ripped into its fifth song off its new EP, “American Dreamers,” the hundreds of students in the Bert DeRose Theater were on their feet.

“This is all new to us,” said Prezioso. “Hopefully we can inspire someone about something.”

The band’s performances at AHS will serve as the prototype for an upcoming tour of high schools across the nation, as part of a community service initiative the band has dedicated itself to, an initiative that has brought the band recognition from the White House and the late Sen. Edward Kennedy.

“We want to be a band that does more than music,” said Prezioso. “This is a mission.”

Before 13 YTV took to the stage, the band was introduced by AHS Principal David Ziskin, who said that he hopes to be able to provide more assemblies that embrace different types of learning and advocate the positive message of community service. He also praised Gina DeRossi, Greater Amsterdam School District board of education president and 3rd Ward candidate for alderman, who does public relations work for the band and was instrumental in bringing the group to AHS.

And then Ziskin asked the students to do something he’d never before requested of them. He asked them to take out their cell phones and turn them on, which, as students readied themselves to capture the moment, became the only light in the theater.

Student Sicily Bernardo was excited to see the show for a couple of reasons.

“We actually get to do something,” she said. “And the boys are really cute.”

Chelsey Crosby said she’d heard the band before and liked its pop punk/alternative rock sounds, but Gabriella Mercado said she hadn’t heard of 13 YTV until it was announced they’d be visiting the school.

“We looked them up online and I liked their music,” said Mercado.

Eleventh-graders Maria Mosso and Angela Damiano hadn’t heard any of 13 YTV’s music before seeing the band on stage, but both said they liked the songs and high-energy performance.

“They’ll be on my iPod,” said Damiano.

The band members will return to AHS today without their instruments and amplifiers, as they participate in peer education sessions during regularly scheduled music classes.

“It’s really good for us because we have such a strong music program,” said Superintendent Thomas Perillo. “It’s going to send the kids a nice message of what they can do with music.”

The peer education sessions are planned to be an important piece of the band’s upcoming tour of high schools, which also includes a contest where the band will donate proceeds from its EP to music education in school districts.

“For me personally, I was in the high school band and the arts and music and theater is all so important,” said bass player Dave Rossi. “This just feels like a really good thing.”

The group, which recently received a proclamation from Mayor Ann Thane and the Common Council and on Wednesday was presented with a proclamation from Assemblyman George Amedore, R-Rotterdam, said the possibility of returning to AHS on the full tour hasn’t been ruled out.

“The response we’ve gotten so far is so good that I can definitely see that we’d come back to Amsterdam,” said Rossi.

For more information on 13 YTV, visit www.13ytv.com.

Photo caption: ABOVE: Amsterdam High School 11th- and 12th-grade students watch a performance by Thirteen Yards to Victory in the Bert DeRose Theater on Wednesday afternoon. BELOW: Anthony DiPerri,
singer of band, gestures to the crowd while entertaining.

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Contact Jessica Maher at jessica.maher@recordernews.com.
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