Senior Josephine Hirsh, who performs as JOJO AMERICA, is a central figure in Poly’s arts community. She has cultivated her love for music early when she began piano lessons in preschool. After ten years of training in classical, jazz, and blues, she shifted to bass, guitar, and drums. In seventh grade, she even taught her friends how to play so they could form a band together.
Since then, Hirsh has blended funk, pop, and grunge into her own style. Now a grunge-rock performer, she writes songs that reflect on the challenges of girlhood. Writing has always been part of her life, shaped by her musician father and writer mother. “She has the blessing of being someone who is amazing at writing and making catchy music that speaks to experiences uniquely hers,” said senior Tess Oreck.
Performing live has been a major part of her journey. At one show with the band Denim Heads, she played for 600 people. “I didn’t need to be famous. I was doing what I loved,” Hirsh said. Her recent release, Waiting, explores the tension between societal pressure and self-acceptance. One lyric reads, “I broke myself to pieces for you and hoped you’d want me better in smaller pieces.”
Visual art is another outlet for Hirsh. During quarantine, she turned to drawing and painting, creating work like Bat-Foot Girl, a comic about female rage. Now in her second year of AP Art, she is developing an altarpiece inspired by childhood memories. “She is a hard worker who shows by example her deep appreciation and connection to art,” said Visual Arts Department Chair Arnor Bieltvedt. “She allows me to see things in different and new ways through her ideas, and that to me is what a good artist does.”
Her peers agree. “Hirsh is not only a phenomenal artist herself, but she is great at collaborating and is always able to provide useful feedback to her peers,” said senior Annie High.
Along with her personal projects, Hirsh contributes to the Poly Arts Student Council, helping guide the school’s arts programs and encouraging others to express themselves.
Through both music and visual art, Hirsh has left a mark on Poly. Her work shows the power of creating something original and sharing it with others. You can stream her songs on Apple Music or Spotify.
