. . .
Mike Kabash
Director. Educator. Musician.
Scroll Down
Mike Kabash is a respected and dedicated self-starter with 12 years experience in education and directing with proven expertise in creating musical community on campus that promotes the school and develops students to their fullest potentials.
To bring some color to my black and white professional resume (click link to view), I created this page to offer another window into my work in music and performing arts education. Thanks for taking a look and a listen.
A short biography:
Mike Kabash - music director, program founder and coordinator, and recipient of the 2016 Teacher of the Year award - taught at Saint Mary School from 2009-2017. Prior to coming to Saint Mary Campus Schools, he taught Global Studies at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in New York City and then briefly directed the music program at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, marking both a turning point in that program and in his future role in education. After recently spending two years at Trinity Hall as history teacher and then technology coordinator, he is refreshed and ready to return to music and the performing arts.
Mr. Kabash received his Bachelors degree in History with a Music Minor from Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland and then his Masters in Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University.
At Saint Mary School, Mr. Kabash taught, created, integrated, and directed student centered performing ensembles at many age levels. When he first arrived at SMS he taught K-8 music and there were not yet any extracurricular arts programs. He created and directed the Saint Mary SoundWaves Band and also the Mater Dei Prep Band. He arranged music for and directed the Saint Mary Singers at our weekly Friday liturgies and at off-campus events both within the community as well as on the radio and arena stage. He was deeply involved in the TheatreWorks program, in which the company performs to the music of our own student pit band, operates lighting and sound tech, creates choreography, costumes, and more. He also coordinated the Saint Mary SoundWaves lessons program which gives young musicians experiences in solo, small group, an ensemble playing as well as develops their general musicianship and proficiency on an instrument as all our students grow and develop their artistic potentials.
Music is fun.
In designing and building a cohesive and thriving campus performing arts program - choir, band, lessons, theater - our TheatreWorks company, which included about 80 students, was an organization that really showcased the different elements together. We produced and directed 3 middle school musical theater productions per year, including set design, t-shirt design, live student orchestra, choreography, stage and technical crew, you name it. Productions included The Music Man, Beauty & the Beast Jr., Aladdin Jr., The Little Mermaid Jr., Lion King Jr., Alice in Wonderland Jr., Godspell Jr., and also included lesser known shows including Camel Lot, In a Galilee Far, Far Away, Press Start, Not Your Average Joe, original musicals, and more.
Why so many shows? If both rehearsals and performing are seen by the students and staff as fun experiences, then why not? Whether our goal is a big stage production, a holiday specialty, a hot cocoa house cabaret, or whatever you can think of, we like to enjoy a well planned, fun and rigorous rehearsal schedule that keeps us in motion and develops our sense of team and our performance goals. Being on stage and getting to the stage is fun, and this is evident the videos, pictures, and audio recordings I share on this site.
Take a look at the two video selections below to get a taste for how I like to open up a show. Then continue to the bottom of this webpage for more videos, including clips from our fun fun fun 2017 production of Godspell Jr.