Stevenson’s high school music students collaborated with their feeder middle school counterparts to perform their annual Consortium concerts the week of January 13. Three concerts took place during the week consisting of band, orchestra, and choir students separately.

The concerts showcase the work done within the music classes at Stevenson and the feeder schools. Each performance features both high school and middle school students, granting prospective middle school students a look into the Stevenson music program.

“I’ve found that it’s really nice for kids to come in and break the ice,” Choir Director Roland Hatcher said, “Even if they don’t remember names, they might recognize faces, might recognize that they stood next to each other, or might just remember that they both had a great experience singing a specific song.”

To Hatcher, middle school students who share the same passion of music are able to create and foster connections by meeting Stevenson students. Patrick Buckley ’26, a singer for the highest level of the Stevenson Choir, feels that another benefit to the consortium concert is highlighting how strong the Stevenson music programs truly are.

“We get to show them how amazing the choir program is,” Buckley said,  “Being part of the Patriot Singers, our goal is to try and show them the potential that they can reach as singers.”

Current juniors and seniors didn’t get to experience the consortium concerts in middle school due to COVID. In the first year post-pandemic, only 90 consortium students attended; this year, there were 130. To band student Ayushi Dalal ’26, this only amplifies their desire to perform in the concerts.

“Being able to explain all the opportunities at Stevenson and seeing them be interested in the performances is super cool,” Dalal said,  “It’s something that I never had, so it’s nice to see them get inspired by that.”

Dalal is happy to help be a student mentor during the consortium to middle schoolers who will attend Stevenson next year. In class, Hatcher wants his students to know the role they play during the consortium.

“We’ve spent a lot of time talking in class about what kind of things that you would want to have heard as an 8th grader,” Hatcher said. “What are the things that people said to get you to a point to want to take this as a class in your schedule? There are a million options for you to take at Stevenson. So what are the things that make choir [classes] special and unique?” 

These reflecting questions Hatcher poses are something that resonates with Buckley. He acknowledges the chance that the students will be inspired to join the choir program that is currently growing. The choir program grew from 114 students last year to 130 this year.

“It’s likely they will come to our school and they’re going to join a choir,” Buckley said “It’s good to build this choir program with lots of talent, you know, and get everyone part of this experience which is what the concerts do.”

Buckley believes there is more to the consortium concerts than just providing middle schoolers with a positive experience and outlook to Stevenson. The consortium at Stevenson acts a segue to their high school careers and future communities within their respective programs. To Hatcher, the mentorship opportunities that these concerts create are equally important, offering valuable guidance and support to both middle school and high school students.

“It might be one of the first times in their lives as high school students’ they can really actively feel the impact that they can make on somebody that they can potentially mentor or bring into something that they really deeply care about,” Hatcher said.