Video: ‘No Cinderella,’ by MHS senior Domenico Randazzo
Video removed by artist.
By Kevin Coughlin
Most kids wait until after high school to change the world.
Domenico Randazzo plans to start on Tuesday.
The Morristown High School senior is the only student scheduled to speak at the first TEDxMorristown, on Oct. 20, 2015. His topic: How to Destroy the Millennial Stereotype.
“It’s a four-step plan to inoculate the negative behaviors and mindset that have plagued my generation,” Randazzo, 17, explained last week, during a break from rehearsing his presentation.
“I want to replace this with a generation that evokes positive change and originality. It will be fueled by students’ passions,” he said.
TED is short for “Technology, Entertainment, Design” — pet subjects of founder Richard Saul Wurman, an architect and graphic designer. The first TED conference in 1984 showcased the Sony compact disc and the Apple Macintosh computer.
TED Conferences LLC, a nonprofit, licenses hundreds of global TEDx events to independent presenters like Morristown resident Michael DePalma, to promote “ideas worth spreading” via online videos. Rules are strict.
Talks cannot exceed 18 minutes. No pseudo-science. No commercial pitches. No conference themes. Audiences are limited to 100 spectators, who must apply to attend. Sustainable Morristown and the Morris Educational Foundation are sponsors of TEDxMorristown.
Because Morristown High School agreed to provide its auditorium, along with student videographers from teacher Mike Butler’s broadcasting classes, DePalma hoped to add an engaging student to a lineup loaded with heavy hitters.
Speakers include award-winning choreographer Carolyn Dorfman, America’s Grow a Row founder Chip Paillex, author and autism expert Kerry Magro, and stem-cell researcher Michael Cantor.
Entrepreneur Ray Wang, author Richie Etwaru, Iranian-American journalist Roya Hakakian and international lecturer Troy Neuenberg round out the program.
‘FORCE FOR GOOD’
Randazzo, the only child of two doctors, outshone 10 other gifted MHS students to land the gig. He was visiting New York University, where he hopes to study music production next year, when MHS Supervisor of Instruction Tamar Spitzer called with news of his TEDxMorristown nomination.
“I didn’t think it was legit, and kind of blew it off,” Randazzo recounted. “Then I did some research and found out it was the real deal. It’s definitely a force for good.”
And, he acknowledged, it’s also “a little pressure.”
Yet the word everyone uses to describe Randazzo is poised.
With his band, Art of Play, he has performed at such legendary venues as the Apollo Theater and the Stone Pony, competed before 1,300 people at Morristown’s Got Talent and hosted benefits for Hurricane Sandy relief.
Before he was old enough to drive, Randazzo was recording and producing artists such as Red Bank singer-songwriter Eli Rallo and Travis Weber, formerly of Crash Romeo.
Nor is he shy about tackling controversial subjects. Last year, in his basement studio in Morris Township, he produced an original rap song, Affluenza, about the sense of entitlement he thinks is crippling his peers. He submitted it to his creative writing class and got an A.
Randazzo was an easy choice for the TEDxMorristown slot, said Spitzer.
“We had to remind ourselves we were talking to a high school student,” she said.
Students and faculty respect Randazzo as a “Renaissance kind of guy,” added MHS Principal Mark Manning.
“He’s very well rounded, very grounded, very sure of himself. Having a conversation with Domenico is having a conversation with an adult, not an adolescent. I walk away from him learning things,” the principal said.
DePalma, an entrepreneur, said his admiration for Randazzo has grown as he has helped him refine his talk.
“He’s so far ahead of his years,” said DePalma. “He has such a poise about him, and he thinks differently. You look for an idea, not a person. All the stuff he’s working on is dynamite.”
Video: Michael DePalma talks about TEDxMorristown
FROM BASS TO BRACELETS
Randazzo’s projects include an “Il Dottore” jewelry line. Proceeds from his $19.99 bracelets benefit NJMS Squared, a mentoring program pairing medical students with high schoolers, and Real World Academy.
He co-founded that nonprofit to transform high schools into academies, aligning studies with students’ talents.
“As an artistic person who’s tried to stand out from the crowd, I think it’s important for others to do the same, to find the same passion and drive,” said Randazzo, who has been studying talks by the late Apple founder Steve Jobs.
Music has driven Randazzo since he began thumping his dad’s drums at age 2.
Now he’s accomplished on drums, guitar, bass and keyboard, as well as audio and video production. He said he wants other students to have as many opportunities as he has enjoyed. And not just in music.
“Everyone has a unique X factor. Everyone can bring something to the table. It’s about finding that, to find a fulfilling lifestyle.”
The world should have Randazzo’s road map by Christmas, if the TEDx gods approve his talk for video sharing.
Video: Domenico Randazzo leads his band, Art of Play, as a middle schooler.
