From Soccer Pitch to Spotify: Finding a Foothold in the Music Industry

By Erik Hately

Two years ago, Beckett McDowell (L18) was an Ojai Valley School sophomore taking conceptual chemistry and suffering through a long soccer season. However, with the rise of COVID-19, Beckett saw an opportunity to change the course of his life.

While many students yearned to return to in-person classes during the pandemic, Beckett embraced online learning because it provided a way to finish high school while putting the majority of his focus towards making music. For the past two years, he has been hard at work in the studio, writing, performing, and producing originals for the world to see.

On October 28, Beckett released his debut single Weirdo, which now has more than 150,000 plays on Spotify. Weirdo was Beckett’s very first release in his professional music career and it has gained a fair amount of traction on both Tik Tok and Spotify.

Beckett, who attended OVS from sixth to 10th grade, is now finding his foothold in the industry. He met Pierre Bouvier, a Canadian musician and the lead singer of the band Simple Plan. Pierre saw the talent in Beckett and showed him one of his old Simple Plan songs called Weirdo

“When I listened to it, it was a poppunk song, so we developed it into more of a pop song,” Beckett said. “Once we did Weirdo, we started working on writing other originals.” Bouvier is now Beckett’s producer. So far, Beckett has been able to create an eight-song album with more originals in the works. In March he released another single, Pale Blue Eyes, on Spotify.

“Hopefully I can get the attention of a label,” Beckett said. “I’ll be able to score a way better deal with a label than I would if I had a great song and nothing else.”

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JUNE 10-12, 2022

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Jeff Hyland (L63), an architectural historian and co-founder and president of the luxury real estate brokerage Hilton & Hyland, passed away on February 16 after a year-long battle with cancer. He was 75. Born in 1947 and raised in Southern California, Jeff developed an appreciation for architectural design at an early age. He grew up in the Little Holmby enclave between UCLA and Beverly Hills, and he became fascinated with the great estates emblematic of Hollywood’s golden age. It was a transformative time in Southern California with rapid residential growth and the intersection of divergent styles. For Jeff, the allure of classic architecture and rarified properties created a lasting impression. He was a great admirer of the architect Wallace Neff, who in the 1930s designed the classrooms at Ojai Valley School, where Jeff briefly attended in the 1960s.

After high school, Jeff was accepted into the prestigious Cornell School of Hotel Administration in New York. Ultimately, however, he returned to California and attended United States International University in San Diego, graduating with a degree in Business Administration. (There was also substantial time spent surfing in the early 1970s.) Jeff received his real estate license in 1975 and began his career first with Coldwell Banker and

Charles Elery (Chuck) Whipple II (L64, U67) passed away on the morning of November 21, 2021, in Ventura, surrounded by family. He was 73. Chuck was born in Ventura County to Louis and Mary Anne Whipple on December 27, 1947. He was raised in Ventura and went to school in Ojai as a young man, continuing his residence in the area most of his life. A Navy veteran, he served his country and acquired skills and stories that he brought with him through life. A citrus rancher for 20 years, Chuck possessed a love of the land, a respect for nature and animals, and a green thumb. He was an avid outdoorsman as well, spending time backpacking with his family, fishing, golfing, and walking on the beach with his beloved wife, Lynn, in his retirement.

Chuck and Lynn married in February 1969, the day after St. Valentine’s, an auspicious start to later with Mike Silverman and Associates. He then became a founding partner at Alvarez, Hyland and Young, where he worked between 1980 and 1990. In 1993, he co-founded Hilton & Hyland with Rick Hilton. The firm has grown from its original intent of a highly personalized real estate shop to the highest producing luxury boutique brokerage in the world. a life lived full of love for each other and the children and grandchildren that followed. Family meant everything to Chuck and the long list of those who are survived by him is testament to this familial devotion. In addition to Lynn, he is survived by their four children, Michele (Whipple) Floyd (L84), Jennifer (Whipple) Muller (U95), Charles Whipple (L95, U99), and Brittany Whipple (L02, U06); grandchildren,Connor Floyd (L11, U15), Gavin Floyd (L13, U17), Corbin Muller (U20), and Paige Muller (L18); and siblings Mimi, Robin, and David. The family wishes to extend their sincere gratitude to those who were his friends and loved ones throughout his life. Chuck had a way about him that touched the hearts of anyone who was counted among that great number of people, and he will be remembered with love by all. A celebration of life was held on April 9, in one of Chuck’s favorite spots, the amphitheater at Upper Campus.

Jeff’s passion for architecture and history led him to co-author The Estates of Beverly Hills, published in 1984 and re-published in 1990. He also published The Legendary Estates of Beverly Hills, a meticulously researched and lavishly illustrated history of 50 estates in Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, and Holmby Hills. He was named “The Gatekeeper of Beverly Hills” by Town & Country and is frequently quoted in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, London Times and Wall Street Journal. He served as President of the Beverly Hills Board of Realtors, President of the Los Angeles County Board of Real Estate and State Director for the California Association of Realtors. He recently received the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art’s Legacy Award and The Will Rogers Real Estate Lifetime Achievement Award from the City of Beverly Hills. Jeff is survived by his wife of 35 years, Lori Hyland, and leaves a lasting legacy as a philanthropist, author, and historian.

Neil Marcus (L68, U71), an award-winning playwright, actor, teacher, and pioneering disability rights activist, died on November 17, 2021, at his home in Berkeley, California. He was 67. Neil was best known for his play Storm Reading, which chronicled a journey through a disabled man’s typical week and reminded audiences that, in his words: “Disability is not a brave struggle or courage in the face of adversity. Disability is an art. It’s an ingenious way to live.”

Neil was born in Scarsdale, New York, in 1954. His family relocated to Ojai in 1960. Neil started as a fourth-grade day student at OVS, having by then been diagnosed with a rare neuromuscular disease, dystonia musculorum deforman, which affects muscles and speech. The disease progressed quickly, and Neil underwent three cyro-surgeries over a fiveyear period. He lived on campus for his three final years at OVS, jetting around the Upper Campus in a golf cart, and graduating in 1971 as class valedictorian.

After traveling alone to Laos and white-water rafting in Utah, Neil hitchhiked all the way from Ojai to Bellingham, Washington, where he attended Fairhaven College. He moved to Berkeley in 1980 and joined other activists to advocate for accommodations for disabled people while also writing plays. Storm Reading was written in collaboration with his brother, Roger. The pair took the play on the road, starting in Santa Barbara and eventually winding up at the historic Ford Theater and The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. In all, there were 300 performances of Storm Reading at theaters, colleges and schools throughout the U.S., as well as England and Canada. The play won numerous awards, including the Outstanding Achievement in Play Writing Award from the U.N. Society of Writers, the Critics’ Choice Award, and Drama-Logue Magazine’s Best Leading Actor and Best Ensemble Awards.

Neil performed in the Bay Area and traveled to Europe and Australia. He has also served as a guest lecturer on arts and disability, and he co-taught a class at UC Berkeley entitled “Disability and Digital Storytelling.” In 2009, he collaborated with Petra Kuppers, a disability culture activist and Associate Professor of English, Theater, Dance, and Women Studies at the University of Michigan, to produce a book entitled Cripple Poetics: A Love Story. Neil also published Special Effects: Advancements in Neurology, which documents the early days of the disability rights movement. In 2014 the Smithsonian National Museum of American History commissioned Mr. Marcus to write a poem dedicating its online exhibition “EveryBody: An Artifact History of Disability in America.”

In 2018 OVS alumna Elizabeth (Curran) Hermes (L66, U69) interviewed Neil for The Family Tree prior to a commemorative performance of Storm Reading at Santa Barbara’s Lobero Theater. He described his dystonia as a condition – not a definition. “It affects the muscles in my body. They do not follow my command; they follow their own,” he said at the time. “I don’t want to dwell on having dystonia. I have a life to live. I have a heart and soul. I have a passion for living.” Neil is survived by his sisters, Wendy Marcus and Kendra Marcus, and his brothers, Roger Marcus and Russell Marcus.

Rory O’Conor (U72) passed away peacefully at his home in Northfield, Illinois, on December 26, 2021, after a courageous year-long battle with cancer. He was 68. A native of Glenview, Illinois, and lifelong Chicagoan, Rory leaves behind many friends and family members who will remember him for his kindness, humility, and his great sense of fun and laughter. Rory graduated from OVS and went on to attend the University of Wisconsin, Madison and Loyola University, Chicago, where he studied political science. He was an Associate Director at Cushman & Wakefield, and founded O’Conor

William Clark Von Essen (L82), a proud father and avid fisherman, passed away on July 4, 2021. He was 53. Clark was born to Elisabeth Jackie MacLeod and William Arthur Von Essen on December 9, 1967, in Newport Beach, California. He grew up in Fallbrook on his family’s Avocado Ranch before enrolling at Ojai Valley School. Clark graduated from Robert Lewis Stevenson and went to USC for a few years. Clark and his mother shared a deep love of the ocean and fishing, and he spent most of his time outdoors and on the water. Clark also spent a lot of time in Mexico growing up and he learned to speak the language fluently. He always called Mexico his home.

Clark married Nancy Von Essen on September 9, 2019, on the boat he worked on and loved, Shake n Bake, owned by Mike Colbach. Clark and Nancy shared a passion for the ocean and fishing and resided in Ilwaco, Washington.

Keith Lee Kirby (L99, U03) passed away suddenly on October 2, 2021 at his apartment home in Los Angeles. He was 37. Keith was born in Ojai to John Kirby and Patricia Strahlman on June 29, 1984. He attended elementary and high school at Ojai Valley School, and went on to pursue business law at Pierce College. He was an avid reader, and he enjoyed physical fitness and a healthy diet. Keith loved spending time and Associates tax consulting in 2008.

Rory enjoyed his work, his life-long friends, golf and travel. Most important to him were the great loves of his life; his best friend and beloved life partner Susan Hendry McDonough, and his son Chase Carey O’Conor. Rory was a loving and devoted father to Chase, and a wonderful and caring partner to Susan. He is also survived by brother Vincent J. O’Conor III, sister Andi O’Conor, and nephew Sean Pete O’Conor. Rory left us far too soon, and he will be fondly remembered and greatly missed.

Albacore fishing was his forte and he was truly one of the best in the Pacific Northwest. Clark was an amazing father and taught his two daughters, Amber and Corinne Von Essen, from his first marriage to Aimee Von Essen, at a very young age the love of fishing and the outdoors. His family motto was to “Hold Fast” and he loved to watch his girls mature into strong independent women. Clark would tell them to “kick ass and take no prisoners” and “do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” with his Mom during holidays and weekends, and with his dad watching sports and being with his pug, Willie. Keith is survived by his father, John Kirby; mother and stepfather Patty and Steve McGillivray; brother Kyle McGillivray and sister Elizabeth McGillivray; his beloved girlfriend Rosie Lone Elk; aunts Mary Lewis and Patrice McGillivray, and a large Strahlman family in Chicago. Keith will be missed by all.

Clark loved all life and had a soft spot for animals. He was an amazing chef and his wife, Nancy, absolutely loved to boast of his skills in the kitchen. Tacos were his most favored food, and he could eat them all day, every day! Clark had so many friends and made them easily. He had a larger-than-life charisma, and he made a huge impact on so many people’s lives. He will be truly missed and loved forever.

Faculty and Staff

Sheri Usher, a beloved middle school teacher at Ojai Valley School and Matilija Middle School, passed away on December 22, 2021, in a traffic accident traveling home from the Bay Area. She was 56. Sheri was born in Santa Barbara, California, on July 5, 1965, and moved to Ojai in 1977. She graduated from Villanova Preparatory School in 1983 and went on to attend Loyola Marymount College and San Diego State University. She later received her bachelor’s degree and teaching credential from Cal State University Northridge and a special education credential and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Cal State University Channel Islands.

Sheri began her teaching career at Ojai Valley School, where she taught for 19 years. After her time there, she joined the teaching staff at the Ojai Unified School District, and fulfilled her dream of teaching at Matilija Middle School, where she was a student 44 years ago. Throughout her many years of teaching, Sheri was an enthusiastic advocate for her students. She encouraged creativity and collaboration in the classroom while making learning fun. Sheri met the love of her life, her husband of

28 years, James Usher, when she was directing a Boy Scout summer camp up in the Sierra Mountains. They were married in 1993. Six years later, they welcomed their son, Bodey, and two years after that, their daughter Rosey. Sheri was so proud of her children and their accomplishments. She wanted nothing more than for them to have a wonderful life.

Sheri traveled to many places in the world but was happiest when she was in the mountains. She spent many vacations in the Sierras with her family and friends, camping and hiking in the summers, and skiing in the winters. She also enjoyed camping at the beach, long bike rides with her husband, and walks with her much beloved dogs, Blue, Toby and Mary. A memorial for Sheri on March 19, 2022, drew hundreds of her former students, friends, and colleagues – a testament to the positive impact she left on so many who knew her and learned from her. We know that Sheri would want us to keep her legacy alive by living life to the fullest. Although we wanted more time with Sheri, we can be thankful for the memories, her sense of humor, infectious laughter, positivity and our times together with her.