When you ask people about Coffee House at Solebury, their faces light up. It’s not a cafe or hangout place on campus where people go to get their favorite beverages, Coffee House is so much more. Coffee House has nothing to do with coffee. Indeed, it shares the ambiance of fellowship in a modern coffee house where people commune but serves a different purpose—to support and uplift a performer’s artistic talent. Coffee House is a student-coordinated event of performances happening three times a year. It has spoken word, dance, vocal stylings, bands, ensembles, and any talent a student wants to share with the community. Like enjoying a warm drink, Coffee House is soothing to the soul.
The History
Coffee House started at Solebury in 1990 or 1991. When asking the community about the history of its origin, three names quickly entered the discussion: Steve Buteux P’27, Scott Eckstein P’22 ’25, and Peter Ammirati ’82.
Steve Buteux P’27, Associate Head of School, started working at Solebury in the fall of 1991 and remembered Coffee House as an event that quickly became a tradition. It was a “student-centric” event where they planned, produced, and advertised the show. He described Coffee House as “a cocoon of comfort” that has become something that parents and alums have come to support over the years. He shared, “You certainly hear a lot of older kids and alums talk about Coffee House being the first time they felt validation for something they found really important to them artistically.”
Scott Eckstein P’22 ’25, Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid, describes Coffee House as an “open-mic night” for everyone to showcase their talent, including staff and faculty. Scott has rarely missed a performance since joining the school in 1993. He first performed at Coffee House in 1999, where he played the guitar and sang in what he described as a “mediocre” performance. He admitted to sounding much better on guitar when accompanying a student who could sing well. His most memorable performance was singing an Indigo Girls song with Anna Vangala Jones ’03, Lauren Smerkanich ’04, MacKenzie Pennington ’04, and Ashleigh Linkenheimer ’04. Scott also recalled the story of Elana Green ’04 performing a fire-juggling act to the amazement of attendees.
Peter Ammirati ’82, English and History Teacher, experienced Coffee House after he graduated from Solebury. He remembered its beginnings as a “free-form” event lasting well into the evening, which has since been transformed into a more formal showcase. “Coffee House is one of the only arenas for students to show their talents as performers of rock, hip hop, folk, jazz, and so on,” shared Peter. The draw for him is the consistent positive spirit of acceptance and support for all of the performers. Peter also recalled special performances by singer-songwriter Sean Scolnick ’99, better known as "Langhorne Slim," and credited Coffee House for providing an audience for Sean’s early performances.
Coffee House Today
It is debatable exactly when Coffee House started, but it is still one of the most talked about events at Solebury. Coffee House remains student-run with a group of two to three student hosts. The most recent production of Coffee House had 17 acts and was hosted by Karys Rattray ’26 and Kaz Jahanbini ’25. They worked together on previous Solebury Theater Collective (STC) projects and enjoyed collaborating. Kaz noted this was the largest number of performers since he has been at Solebury. They coordinated the show and created an impressive opener by performing a choreographed dance to Freakum Dress by Beyoncé (Kaz’s biggest muse). “It wasn’t difficult for me to say I wanted to open Coffee House with Beyoncé,” shared Kaz, who was also the choreographer for the last two musicals at Solebury.
Karys is no stranger to performing at Solebury, but this was her first Coffee House performance. “Coffee House is the biggest moment where I felt the love and support from my peers, teachers, and random people,” she shared. “I would also describe Coffee House as a talent show, but I think the difference is the artists who perform for the love of it and want to share their craft with peers and their teachers and the community as a whole.”
The show also included a skit performance by STC actors and a feel-good finale. “We have a dear friend, Lovena, who is undeniably an incredible vocalist with a lot of stage presence,” shared Kaz. Lovena Agyei ’25 gave a captivating performance that was accompanied by Josh Eckstein ’25 on guitar.
Recent Coffee House Artists
“Traditions like Coffee House are important at Solebury. People get to step on stage and share something they are passionate about with the community, whether poetry, dance, music, or playing instruments. It is an open, accepting space where people can try new things, make mistakes, and still get applause for putting themselves out there.”
– Lovena Agyei ’25
Lovena actually performed in her first Coffee House before attending Solebury. She performed with her sister Elizabeth Agyei ’21 during the pandemic version of Coffee House. Lovena has been singing in Coffee House since her freshman year and has only missed one show. Songs in her repertoire include Symphony by Zara Larsson, the Fugees version of Killing Me Softly, and Unthinkable and If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys.
Sydney Greeley ’25 performed in the fall of 2023 and remembers the feeling of singing at Coffee House. “I like performing for and with my peers in a low-stress and extremely supportive environment,” she shared. Sydney sang Gold Dust Woman by Fleetwood Mac and acted in a skit by the STC.
“I like Coffee House because it provides an outlet for performers to put on something personal, no matter how experienced they are,” shared Nathaniel Ferenchak ’25, who sang Rhythm Section Want Ad by They Might Be Giants at the most recent Coffee House.
Other performances included spoken word and a ballet. Mischa Lokhandwala ’26 chose to read one of his older poems titled Baker-Miller Pink. This poem was originally written for someone to recite at an abortion rights rally he was unable to attend. He wanted the poem to elaborate on the ways that women, girls, and feminine people are seen as either "weak" or "submissive" by society. “One of the main reasons that I love Coffee House is the way it brings our community together,” he shared, remembering his first Coffee House. “I was blown away at how friendly and supportive people were to everyone who performed. Even when I felt that I had done an inadequate job with my performance, so many kind people made me feel empowered. I think Coffee House is one of the events that represents our community the best.”
“I adore the amazing audience and the tremendous support and love they give to the performers.”
– Charlotte Woodward ’27, ballet dance performance from Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty
Alumni Reflections of Coffee House
Many of our Solebury artists who performed at Coffee House have continued to pursue professional music careers. We interviewed James Booth ’11 and Clover Stieve ’14 to discuss their Coffee House experience and careers. James has a band called, James Booth & The Return, who performs at local and national venues throughout the year. Their latest single titled The Devil In Me was released earlier this year. Clover is a passionate songwriter and independent musician. She teaches songwriting and art classes through her Soulstice School for Creativity when she is not performing.
What is your fondest memory of Coffee House?
James: I regarded every Coffee House I could perform in as special. There would be this electricity in the air every time it rolled around. People flexing their performance muscles or go out on a limb to try something daring and new. If it didn't work, everyone in the audience would be supportive and appreciative of the effort, never making a big deal about it. But if it was good, the response was incredible. I performed at Coffee House enough times to experience both of these extremes.
Clover: I have so many fond memories of Coffee House. My first Coffee House was in the dining hall, and I performed In My Life by The Beatles with my dear friend Eliot. It was so sweet, and everyone was so supportive! One special memory was when some French exchange students were visiting, and some of them were musicians. Only a few days before Coffee House, we decided to perform The Scientist by Coldplay together. How cool is it that Coffee House allowed us to connect, make art, and share it with others? Amazing!
What did you do for Coffee House?
James: I played guitar and sang. My memory on the timeline is a bit hazy. I'm not sure what came first, singing in Phyllis Rubin-Arnold P'12 '14's chorus or doing Coffee House. One of these was my first time singing in front of a Solebury crowd. My very first performance at Coffee House was one of the "Hell of an effort, champ" moments. I did this very shaky Cream cover. The second time around, I just came out with great determination and went for it with one of my originals ("The Wanderer"), and that was my first taste of an enthusiastic reception.
Clover: I performed my favorite cover songs and eventually started performing my own original music.
How has Coffee House influenced your decision to pursue music?
James: Coffee House was important for me for a lot of reasons. I came into Solebury just as the last remnants of 90s culture had their death rattles, and the millennials were on the cusp of assuming control. I saw Coffee House as something cultivated by kids older and wiser than me. I don't know if any students who came in while I was a senior felt the same way I did. One thing that never changed was the no judgment rule. It was okay to come in and fall flat on your face; nobody would drag you about it or make you feel ashamed. At its very best, it was a place to come in and shine. It was a chance to share, an opportunity to fly without wings. Coffee House was the ultimate release for kids like me. Coffee House (and, in addition, the annual Christmas concerts that Phyllis would hold where we could have individual solo performances) was the place where I could come up for air and, for just one moment, forget about everything else and focus on the performance on hand. It made me want to make life out of moments like those. Even after all the shows I've played and the crowds I've been around, it has never felt quite like it did at Coffee House. I suppose nothing ever feels like it did in high school.
To learn more about James Booth or to listen to his music, check out his channels:
Website: http://jamesboothandthereturn.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JamesBoothAndTheReturn/
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jamesfritzbooth/
Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/artist/6psfubJto7gIeJJaQwL2Xl
Apple Music: http://music.apple.com/us/artist/james-booth/77685587
Clover: It was important for me to have a space like that to express myself and safely push myself outside of my comfort zone. My experience with Coffee House has influenced my decision to pursue music. It allowed me to perform my first songs and get real-time feedback. It helped me build up my confidence to perform very vulnerable things in front of people, and I am forever grateful.
To learn more about Clover or to listen to her music, check out her channels:
Website: http://www.cloveronthemic.com/
Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/artist/6DAReYeYUzQh9YOSqvPYyo?si=lRVoawZFS0i2Twtv5bSFtw
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg_I4Iqr05kHr1nK8dTZLXg
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cloveronthemic/
Coffee House has been a very special event for more than 30 years at Solebury. Over the years, it has showcased budding artists and been the background for legendary performances. It continues to evolve, but one thing remains constant—everyone belongs and is celebrated.
Check Solebury School’s calendar for the next Coffee House event.