08/12/2026
STARDUST REUNION AND TRIBUTE TO KATHY HUBBARD
Last Thursday, the WHA had the pleasure of helping organize a concert that brought together alumni of the MWCS STARDUST choral group. The event celebrated 50 years since music teacher Kathy Hubbard formed the group, while also paying tribute to America’s 250th celebration. It was an incredible night seeing so many alumni return to join present Stardust members. Following several songs sung by the group—including “In My Life” by the Beatles, a favorite of Kathy’s—her daughter, Jennifer Kessler, performed. Jennifer, a successful musician who teaches at the Crane School of Music, plays violin and sings with several ensembles. She was accompanied by musicians Michael Welch on guitar, Chris Hosmer on bass guitar, and Chip Lampson on keyboard. We have shared Jennifer's moving tribute to her mother below.
A reception followed the concert, featuring an American flag made from 250 cupcakes and a tribute board with photos from all 30 years of Stardust groups led by Kathy Hubbard.
MANY THANKS to the current Stardust director Brianne Sterling who gave her time to organize several summer rehearsals for the over 50+ participants. A BIG THANK YOU to those who committed to learning the music and participating in the concert. It was wonderful to see multiple generations performing on stage together, including mother/daughter and father/daughter duos.
Special thanks to April Sharlow of AJ Sharlow Photography for capturing photos of both the concert and the dedication of the Waddington Historic Walkway held just prior to the start of the concert.
It was a wonderful night and a beautiful tribute to a teacher who cared enough to go the extra mile to create a group that has been part of the Madrid-Waddington music scene for so many years.
HERE IS A DAUGHTER’S TRIBUTE TO HER MOTHER:
Thank you to everybody for coming this evening. It’s a momentous occasion to celebrate our nation’s 250th and pay tribute to a very special person in this community, my mother Kathy Hubbard, who touched many people during her 33 years as a music educator in the Madrid Washington school system. I miss her everyday with my whole being and so it’s an honor to have the privilege to speak about her; someone who has been so beloved and influential to so many.
I personally want to extend heartfelt gratitude to Mary Hamilton who imagined and then brought to life a Madrid Waddington chorus/Stardust alumni reunion and also to Brianne Sterling for the hours of preparation and rehearsing the fabulous music you heard here this evening. Finally, thank you to the alumni who are here this evening.
When I drove here tonight, I’m pretty sure my mother was in the front seat next to me. This is because these are the roads she took for 33 years to come to this community and teach music to many generations of students. She was a person who believed that music should be made for fun, for personal fulfillment and to bring joy to people’s lives. As a teacher, she strove to pass that message to each person she taught. If you knew her well, you’ll recall that my mother possessed a sometimes blunt and matter-of-fact way of speaking. She was also a funny person w/a pretty droll sense of humor, who couldn’t tell a joke, but, in life, was able to laugh at herself.
She believed the world could be made a nicer place through education and considered the profession through an innovative lens— she was not an educator who settled for the status quo. She thrived on being a little bit of an outlier and one who taught off the beaten path. She did this through designing course offerings for students, where it was, indeed, “Music in Their Lives”, where students possessed agency and where all voices were valued. Her desire was to cultivate a safe space for learning so when students crossed the threshold into her classroom, they saw themselves as authentic, real life musicians. From guitar classes where they chose the songs, did the covers… to her own selections of choral repertoire that enabled students to see themselves in the music that they learned and performed.
My mother embodied the stance, “Teacher as Learner”. This was evident not only during her years at Madrid Waddington, but for the 10 years following retirement at the Crane school of music where she taught in the music Ed Dept. You—her students—were always her biggest source of new information and learning. She was continuously excited, and enlightened by the dedication and enthusiasm of the people she taught. She would come home talking about so many of you endlessly, which sometimes made this only child a bit jealous! About your musical tastes, new artists to check out, your contributions to class, and even about your endeavors, post-graduation— long after you went into the world. It’s funny— we speak often about teachers being the ones who make the impact, but each one of you will never fully realize the impact that YOU made on HER.
In her quest to forge new paths as a teacher…I remember how excited she was to start her new pop choral group in the 70’s—-at first called, “Pop Chorus” and then later changed to “Stardust”---. If you recall, she was also a little bit of a fashionista and relished the idea of designing and sewing the costumes! When I was in elementary school, I accompanied her on many many weekend excursions for various school functions that involved Stardust—and at one point rode with her students in an old beat up blue truck which must’ve served as either a parade float or their first tour van—see the pics! As years went on and Stardust evolved and gained more prominence in the school and community, I listened to her stories of the Disney Cruise, Seaworld, Stardust trips to NJ and various other opportunities where the group was able to spread their music far and wide.
That wasn’t all! I recall being by her side during MW parades, weekend rehearsals for spring musicals with Joe Ruddy at the helm and my mother at the piano for hours! The buzz in the auditorium was palpable, lots of adrenaline, the occasional tension, exhaustion… But most impressive was the magic that was ultimately created on stage— how a little school community came together every year to put on a top-notch, quality, remarkable show and how cool it was that my mom was part of all that. Some of my fondest memories were forged later on, collaborating with her when she became the musical director, playing violin for years in the pit, making friends with her students and truly feeling like part of the MW family. How lovely, when as a child, we can see a parent “role model” to us that their choice of work can be fulfilling, inspiring and exciting.
When I wasn’t rollerskating through the building on those Saturday rehearsals, or getting under the feet of some of her students with my Kermit the frog doll, I recall strolling through her classroom, going thru her drawers, drawing on the chalkboards, playing her piano, but also admiring the amazing music suite wall murals that art teacher at the time, Sandra Hildreth had created. One of them depicted my mother as the Statue of Liberty, smiling, complete with subtle references to the Beatles song, In My Life… The largeness and vibrancy of that image captured my mother in many more ways than Sandra could have imagined.
We know good music teachers indeed make an impact on students.
However, a Great music educator’s legacy continues through the students who carry not only the music, but something of that teacher into the world. And this is why we are here tonight. Thank you, Mom, for leaving an indelible mark on my life, on this lovely community to which you belonged for 33 years and on each one here tonight, who had the good fortune to know you.
