In Poly’s creative landscape, one name stands out like a resonant harmony. Senior Josephine Hirsh, known musically as JOJO AMERICA, executes her multifaceted artistic talent with passion and purpose. At a young age, Hirsh was already engrossed in the world of music, her dynamic journey beginning in preschool learning piano. After spending ten years training in classical, jazz and blues, Hirsh traded in the ivory keys for bass, guitar and drums. One of her fondest memories is when she gathered a group of seventh-grade friends and taught them how to play the instruments she knew. Hirsh’s deft instrumental skills allowed her to find joy in blending funk, pop and grunge into a unique mix through her music. A current grunge-rock maestro, she explores the tribulations of girlhood through the medium of song. Always nurturing a desire to write, she’s been penning song lyrics and stories inspired by her deep connection to her musician father and writer mother. To her, it’s not just about playing instruments or writing lyrics; it’s about making a statement. Senior Tess Oreck said, “She has the blessing of being someone who is amazing at writing and making catchy music that speaks to experiences uniquely hers.” Defining moments for Hirsh have been playing in bands. One of her gigs was for a group called Denim Heads where she felt the weight of her dreams in front of a 600-person audience. “I didn’t need to be famous. I was doing what I loved,” Hirsh said. Her lyrics, like those in her recent release “Waiting,” reflect a struggle against societal expectations, grappling with the desire to be small for others while embracing one’s bold, opinionated self. One line in “Waiting” goes, “I broke myself to pieces for you and hoped you’d want me better in smaller pieces.” While she spends most of her time in recording studios and immersing herself in songwriting after school, during quarantine, Hirsh also found solace in visual art. Her primary companion during this period of isolation was her expression through visual mediums like drawing and painting. To this day, one of her biggest visual art pieces is a comic titled “Bat-Foot Girl” that explores ideas of female rage. In her second year of AP Art, Hirsh’s current focus is creating her own religion and altarpiece based on personal details like childhood memories. Visual Arts Department Chair Arnor Bieltvedt praised her creativity, saying, “She is a hard worker who shows by example her deep appreciation and connection to art. She allows me to see things in different and new ways through her ideas, and that to me is what a good artist does.” Senior Annie High, a peer in her AP Art class, also highlights her strengths, saying, “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.” Hirsh is also a member of the Poly Arts Student Council (PASC), which allows her to contribute to the artistic discourse of the entire school, shaping Poly’s creative landscape with her talents and fostering an environment where expression flourishes. As Hirsh continues on with her love of music and visual art, she leaves an unforgettable mark on those who encounter her work. Hirsh is a testament to the beauty of forging new paths. You can stream her songs on Apple Music or Spotify.