Walking through the halls of Greenhill School, senior Ali Agha stands out with his signature sweater and red scarf.  

His impactful presence in the community is not only marked by his iconic fashion, but also his involvement in band, video production and high-level academics.  

“This is going to sound weird, but I’m a bit of a school fan,” said Agha. “I like my classes and the activities I’m involved in [at school].” 

Scarf Man 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Agha, like all other students, took classes from home in eighth grade.  

Returning to in-person classes for his freshman year, Agha described himself as feeling alone due to his friends staying online for school. 

“It was a weird time for me,” said Agha. “I felt like there was a lot of reflecting and thinking about me as an individual at that age, especially when we were all isolated.”    

When Agha picked up a red scarf from his mom before heading to school one day, he never intended for it to become his signature look.  

As Agha started wearing scarves more and more, he found a sense of comfort in it, both physically and mentally. 

“I think it’s really comfortable, and to me, the scarf helps me to be myself,” said Agha. 

Agha also says that wearing the scarf boosts his confidence, making social interactions more pleasant for him. 

“I think the scarf kind of helps me get out a little bit more, especially in a time when I didn’t have my friends in person with me at school,” said Agha. “It made human interaction more comfortable, acting like a protection kind of thing.” 

Behind the Scenes  

Growing up, Agha says he was passionate about filmmaking. 

“When I was younger, my brother and I used to shoot iMovie films, and [those films] were terrible,” said Agha. 

In Middle School, Agha says he and his friends created simple fight scenes using software on their school laptops.  

“There would be a wizard, and then, we would drag a fireball on him,” said Agha. “It was crazy, but we had a lot of fun.”   

Agha signed up for the Video Production class in eighth grade, but he didn’t get a real taste of the filmmaking process due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I was online, so I didn’t get to help with any of the actual filmmaking,” said Agha. “I didn’t even edit a film.”    

Nevertheless, Agha continued his video production journey as classes returned to normal. He says his interest grew as soon as he got involved in the hands-on process. 

He was able to maximize his creativity and experiment with different ideas with the freedom provided by Upper School Advanced Video Production teacher Corbin Doyle, according to Agha. 

 “The beautiful part is when things start to come together, and you see it on the screen, you know that you made that from nothing,” said Doyle. “You created something from nothing that happened 100% because of you and not because of Mr. Doyle.” 

Out of the various aspects of production, Agha says he is specifically interested in the visualization and the sound in his films. 

“The first ideas that shape the film’s identity come from the visual and audio cues I daydream about, and then those are translated into my films,” said Agha. 

Agha says Doyle has been very supportive of his films, helping him buy necessary tools.  

“He will ask me which version of the [camera] lens to buy, and then he buys it,” said Agha. “He ships it in, and it’s like Christmas.” 

Making a complete and thorough film requires a team effort, as there are so many parts to a production. During this creative process, conflicts are unavoidable, according to Agha. 

“A lot of our disagreements are creative-related stuff,” said senior Andrew Cai, who makes films with Agha. “In those situations, [Agha] handles it really well because he is always able to suggest a compromise that includes a little bit of both of our things.” 

Cai also says conflicts often enhance the filmmaking process, as each person brings a unique perspective to refine the initial idea. 

“In art projects like this, you have to understand that it’s not your vision, it’s our vision,” said Agha.    

Several films by the directing duo of Agha and Cai have been accepted into prestigious film festivals. 

“They are two people who work together to find a shared vision better than anyone in AVP right now,” said Doyle. “They both bring different skills and different focus, but they always have each other’s back.” 

“Hawkshaw Swing 2,” directed by Agha and Cai, got into seven film festivals – the most prominent ones being the All-American High School Film Festival in New York and the Dallas International Film Festival. 

Although Agha doesn’t plan to pursue a college degree in filmmaking, he says he hopes to continue fostering his passion for video production at his own pace. 

It’s All About Jazz 

Music is another important facet of Agha’s life. 

He leads the Greenhill Jazz Combo as a pianist, the culmination of his introduction to piano at a young age. After initially talking lessons, he soon stopped having a teacher and began experimenting on his own. 

“[Playing the piano] was just kind of for fun,” said Agha. “I kind of played on my own for a little bit, until I started picking up jazz, maybe in seventh grade.”   

Agha says he credits his dad – who played trombone in a jazz ensemble in college – for introducing him to the world of jazz. In ninth grade, Agha started working with jazz pianist and trumpeter Mike Finkel, who’s also the artistic director of the Dallas Jazz Piano Society. 

“Mr. Finkel will be an extra perspective on things,” Agha said in an email. “He adds to my musical toolbox and gives me ideas both inspirationally and practically.” 

In his free time, Agha says he is constantly exploring the genre of jazz music and seeing how he could improve. 

“I think what makes him stand out is the amount of listening that he’s done,” said Upper School Band teacher Brian Donnell. “He just understands the context of jazz music and different music styles.” 

Donnell notes that Agha’s talent and dedication to piano propelled him to new heights, earning a spot in the Texas Private School Music Educators Association All-State Band his sophomore year. 

“[Agha] is certainly very talented and intelligent, and he has such a great feel for and control of the instrument,” said Donnell. 

Recently, Agha recorded an audition for the Association of Texas Small School Bands All-State Jazz Band competition. The results won’t be known until mid-November. 

Agha is not only a proficient jazz pianist, but also is experienced in several other instruments.   

“I am something of a multi-instrument person because I also play the drum set and a hint of bass,” said Agha. 

Knowledge of multiple distinctive instruments gives Agha a deeper understanding of how different sounds blend; he says it helps him to write and arrange parts for his ensemble more effectively.  

“When I write parts for people [in jazz combo], I try and make sure that I can play those parts on the respective instruments in case I need to [demonstrate] or teach it,” said Agha. 

Agha adds that his passion for jazz is more than an extracurricular activity.  It’s “addictive,” he said.  

“In jazz, there’s this element of spontaneity in improv,” said Agha. “That’s like the core of it, and much of that is connecting with other people on a psychic level.” 

Looking Forward 

Aside from dedicating time to his personal interests, Agha is a member of the Upper School Arts Board and vice president of the Muslim Student Association. 

The diversity at Greenhill is highly valuable to him, and the affinity group offers him a safe space to connect with others who share similar experiences, according to Agha. 

“It’s not just a safe space, it’s an actively encouraging one,” Agha said in an email. “Our identifier opens the door to a mutual understanding, but it’s through our meetings and engagements that we form a tightly woven community.” 

While being involved in numerous artistic activities at Greenhill, Agha says he hopes to pursue physics in college. 

He says that he enjoys applying well-defined concepts to the real world. 

“The philosophical element of the fundamentals, that’s like math, where everything is true and in perfect form, you are applying that to the world, which is inherently imperfect,” said Agha. “I think it’s just fascinating.”   

Though his stress is building with the college application deadline approaching, Agha says he has been able to remain calm throughout the process so far. 

“I’m usually pretty good at keeping cool,” said Agha. “In the situation, where I am nervous and take my scarf off, I just have to make sure I have a coffee.”