Almost immediately as they arrive, students start unpacking their instruments and begin practicing.  Soon the room becomes filled with the sounds of music- some high trills and others low trombone sounds. Every week, these students come together to explore their passions of music and helping the community.

At Stevenson’s Pass on the Beat club, students find an outlet for their musical creativity.  From 3:30 to 4:45 after school on Wednesdays, they come into the MIDI lab and work on pieces that they will eventually perform.  Students choose their own pieces, practice them, and offer each other advice to improve.

At the beginning of the meeting, older members walked around, asking if anyone needed help and taught less experienced members how to find pieces that suited them.  Soon, these new members were hard at work on their music, such as Anthony Lin ’21, who attended his first meeting of the year.

While Stevenson already offers a variety of music courses, Pass on the Beat offers students an opportunity to play music that suits their own interests.  Some members, for example, practiced popular pop song “Havana” on their violins.

“They’re all communicating and working as a team, and I think that’s a great life skill,” said club sponsor Stacy Shub. “Being able to work with others, being able to share ideas is important.”

E-board member Helen Han ’20 hopes that through their time in Pass on the Beat, members are able to continue to develop musically.  She joined the club her freshman year after her brother recommended it to her, and said it has been a great way to get involved in the Stevenson community.  

“Doing Co-curricular Fair has been really fun, and so have performances in general,” Han said.

Pass on the Beat is already working on pieces for their next performance. The club also performs for those in the local community, such as playing for senior citizens.  

Lin hopes to continue attending Pass on the Beat.  He has already learned the importance of preparedness and preparation by extending the amount of time he practices for Pass on the Beat.

“I am very excited about sharing my love for music and playing music,” Lin said.