Bloomfield Teen, Bandmates Win Tri-State Battle of the Bands

Bloomfield High School student Hadar Sagi beat out 200 other musicians from the tri-state area in a recent Battle of the Bands contest in New York City.

Hadar, a singer who plays lead guitar, and her bandmates performed at the Highline Ballroom as an Allman Brothers tribute band at Highline Ballroom in Manhattan.

"Hadar's band blew the other kids off the stage," said Tom Nadolski, who coached the band in preparation for the show, in a press release. "She has a level of poise, grit, and talent that’s beyond impressive, and she and her bandmates were leagues above all the other contenders."

The teens are students at School of Rock Montclair, an afterschool music program. Hadar is also part of the school's performance program, which puts on themed concerts at local rock clubs.

After performing this summer at Just Jake's in Montclair and Mexicali Live in Teaneck, Hadar and her bandmates were chosen to represent the School of Rock at the Highline competition against other tri-state area School of Rock bands.

"Hadar’s band performed the classic Allman’s song 'One Way Out,'" said Nadolski, the music director at School of Rock Montclair. "They were competing against amazing young musicians from Manhattan, Chatham, Princeton, Randolph, Tenafly, Farmingdale, and more – and our guys came out victorious. 

"Given the power of their show and the amazing confidence they displayed, it’s clear that Hadar and her bandmates have many more awesome performances in store – and we can’t wait to see them."