As Winooski reached its 100th year of cityhood, the Winooski School District put forth prolific young talents to engage in the celebration.

High school junior Aymard Math and his teacher, Will Andrews, are collaborating on an original song and music video to pay homage to the city of Winooski.

*Aymard Math, a junior at Winooski High School, is responsible for writing and performing an original song for the Winooski Centennial Celebration. March 17, 2022. Photo by Jenny Koppang*

Math, 19, is a Congolese singer, rapper, and songwriter who goes by the stage name Abizo. With two albums already under his belt, Blessed and Positive Energy, he said he’s been creating music for about 5 years.

“I love making music. I feel like each new song brings a new energy, I just keep pushing,” he said.

When he first came to Winooski in 2019, Math didn’t speak English. Despite a communication barrier, he was able to find a mentor in Andrews through their shared love of music.

“There's an age difference between us, but we both understand music the same way. We can speak that language,” said Andrews, 38.

Andrews has been teaching in the Winooski School District for 15 years. A lifelong musician, this educator has a dual identity, in which he performs as Willverine and writes, records, and produces his own songs.

In this partnership, Andrews supports Math’s vision by creating beats and sampling the instrumentals.

“As a producer, I want to make sure I create what the artist wants,” Andrews said. “It's really important to make sure that the artist feels connected to the music.”

After weeks of hard work, they are almost done recording and editing their song for Winooski’s Centennial Celebration.

In his songwriting, Math wanted to communicate his love for Winooski in French, his native language.

“It’s a good way for me to express how much I love this city. I feel like I’m home now, this is my home and I am comfortable here,” he said.

The first verse of the track begins with a rap from Lil Ranch, a fellow Winooski student, that details places in Winooski that hold a special significance to its residents. The song then opens into Math’s French lyricism, where he sings of his personal connection to Winooski.

The school district has set aside a budget for the Centennial Celebration, and Math will be paid $200 for the contribution of his art. Andrews is donating his time and energy pro-bono for this project.

Students of all ages within the Winooski School District are involved in the Centennial Celebration. The walls down one hallway are carpeted in colorful Happy Birthday cards for the city, courtesy of the elementary school students.

They are also preparing for a school-wide celebration on June 3rd to commemorate Winooski’s 100th birthday.

*Aymard Math and Winooski teacher Will Andrews collaborate on an original song. March 17, 2022. Photo by Jenny Koppang*

“It was nice to talk to [the students] about the centennial birthday, like, what does that mean? What does it mean to be from Winooski or to be part of Winooski? Explaining the history was a great learning opportunity,” said Emily Hecker, the WSD Communications Director.

Hecker said that she appreciated the collaboration between the city and the school to engage the students in this celebration.

“It’s important to include the students because it’s their city and their shared history,” she said. “They’re a large part of what makes Winooski so wonderful.”

If you’re interested in listening to music by Abizo or Willverine, Abizo is dropping a new music video to YouTube on Saturday, 3/19 and Willverine is releasing an album on May 1st.