Cultivating Community: Bush Arts Prepares for Upcoming Performances

Last semester, Middle and Upper School musicians learned the importance of building connections while prepping for the Middle and Upper School Music Showcases and Venue, an all-comers musical performance show. Students enjoyed creating bands with their classmates and sharing various skills among their multi-talented groups. Middle School students formed bands with names like Fluffy Stuff, The Cowgirls, Rage Quit, and 2003 Honda Accord, then chose or wrote songs to accompany their unique band presence. Middle School Showcase bands performed live for friends and family on Thursday, January 16. 

“My big-picture goal was to culminate a musical performance as a motivator for students,” shared Matt Swanson, Middle School Music Faculty and Performing Arts Department Chair. “As John Dewey said, ‘Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself;’ so if you’re going to be a musician, you’re going to perform, create a shared experience with an audience, and become part of a musical community.”

Students made new musical connections through their practice sessions and performances and continue to grow stronger each time they see each other on campus. Matt shared that there are plenty more Middle School Music events ahead, including the Spring Music Showcase and Open Mic, which will take place on Tuesday, March 18, and Friday, April 25.

Musical connections were also formed in the Upper School during Venue and the Music Showcase on Tuesday, December 10, and Thursday, December 12, last year. The Upper School Music Showcase hosted a rock and jazz band, which practiced several songs every Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning for several months until showtime. With each performance, they gained more confidence onstage and strengthened their harmonious bonds.
 

“The Music Showcase was a great turnout,” said Upper School Music Faculty Landon Ashby. “Many of the Ensemble and Jazz bands had the opportunity to perform twice, so if something didn’t work as well Tuesday night at the Showcase, they could try something different at Venue on Thursday night.”

This spring, the Upper School will have a Music Showcase on Tuesday, June 3, and a Venue on Thursday, June 5, inviting new Ensemble bands, talents, and perspectives to the Benaroya stage.

“A whole new Ensemble group will start in the spring,” Landon said. “I’m excited to see what they will be interested in playing genre-wise. Jazz band will begin performing more advanced tunes in preparation for both events.”

Landon hopes to create a bigger orchestral band by adding vocals, violins, and flutes to the ensemble. 

On Thursday, December 19, the Music and Performing Arts Departments collaborated for Bush’s second Lower and Middle School Choir Concert. Inspired by the song A Crowded Table by The Highwomen, the concert theme mirrored Bush’s theme of ‘connections.’

“We wanted to highlight the importance of community by bringing students of different grade levels together,” said Lower School Music Faculty Juliana Cantarelli Vita. “Lower School students got to vote on songs that best fit the theme, which was a fun and interesting process.”

During the concert, the students chose songs from around the world, danced, and even sang in other languages. Performing the collection of cultural songs brought students from all backgrounds together and highlighted Bush's unparalleled diversity and sense of community.

“A highlight was seeing how invested and excited the kids were when practicing,” Juliana said. “Different songs had different ethos and feelings, and they did a great job conveying those feelings in their performance. The students were part of the process, thus part of what was shown to parents onstage.”
 

The two departments worked together to help make the second joint choir concert a hit, including Third Grade Faculty Anna Belknap and First Grade Assistant Max Bommarito, who helped as choir assistants before and during the concert.

Lower School Drama’s next performance, on Thursday, March 13, will feature adaptations of beloved children's stories. A student-led orchestra will play music in each scene to bring every story to life.

“The department’s big event is Fine Arts Evenings,” Juliana said. “It’s Wednesday, May 28 and Thursday, May 29. The kids will perform multiple songs about a specific theme. Last year’s schoolwide theme was ‘roots,’ so the lower school students sang songs about ‘things that make us grow’ and ‘what roots us.’”

Middle School Performing Arts is also gearing up for its next spring production, A Day on Mount Olympus, which will take place from Monday, May 5, to Thursday, May 8, in Benaroya Theatre. The upcoming spring production brings Greek mythology to life with a comedic twist and features Broadway-style show tunes woven throughout.

“It’s very tongue-in-cheek, more of a spoof than pure satire,” said Middle School Faculty Joanne Keagan. “It has the spirit of Forbidden Broadway, with its playful take on classic musicals.”
 

After the fall production of A Little Visit, many drama students were eager to dive into another comedy, while others hoped for a musical. Fortunately, A Day on Mount Olympus fuses comedy, music, and theatrical storytelling, offering something for everyone to enjoy.

"Putting on a successful play is all about the ensemble working together," Joanne said. "The students take charge behind the scenes, managing everything from set transitions to quick costume changes. Through the elective play process, they gain hands-on experience in backstage production, developing essential theater skills that bring the show to life. It's magical to see it all come together on opening night."