HCHS Eng/CT Dept hosts Why Art & the Human Voice Matter with Ali Dineen (HS'08)

The HCHS English, Communication and Theatre Department initiated a series of talks called Why Art & the Human Voice Matter on Monday, March 2, 2026.  Ali Dineen spoke and performed to an assembly of classes about her journey as an artist and performer who got her start at Hunter College High School.  She shaped her talk around the Carrie Mae Weems quote "Art has saved my life on a regular basis" and preformed some of her original songs and encouraged HCHS students to explore what makes you feel alive. 

ALI DINEEN (HS Class 2008) is a songwriter, composer and visual artist from Queens, NY.   Known for her introspective and emotionally-driven songs, Ali’s music moves beyond pop trends, prioritizing authenticity and vulnerability. Her work challenges systems of power and the divisive narratives that separate us from one another and from our own truths. Ali is guided by a heart she has practiced listening to, and in doing so, invites others to do the same.

Ali has performed her music at many wonderful venues, including the Museum of Art and Design, the Caramoor American Roots Music Festival, the American Folk Art Museum, and the Brooklyn Folk Festival. Ali worked as Musician in Residence for the political performance group Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir from 2022-2024, which included opening for Neil Young on his 2024 Love Earth Tour. Ali received a 2025 NYSCA Support for Artists Grant for her opera based on the life of Joan of Arc, and was awarded the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Residency in 2020. She is also the Music Director for the local anti-capitalist puppet troupe The Boxcutter Collective.

In addition to writing and performing, Ali teaches vocal harmony and guitar workshops at the Jalopy Theatre and School of Music and music camps around the northeast, and leads the Chorus afterschool program at the Brooklyn New School (P.S. 146).