As a voice teacher, Megan Beltran shares why she is inspired by her high school students’ musical performances.
It’s high school musical season and I recently attended live performances of “Shrek: The Musical” at Woodside High School and “Hadestown” at Henry M. Gunn High School in support of my voice students. While I anticipated feeling thrilled for my students’ hard work, I did not expect how expertly the productions would deliver the show’s messages. “Shrek” illustrated the theme of nonconformity with lightness and comedy. “Hadestown” painted a cautionary tale, be true to yourself and keep moving forward. Live theater is a living, ephemeral thing that can bloom or wither at any given moment.
Some students had spent the last few months building sets or learning a role, while others had been rehearsing the musical score, assisting with director’s notes, or keeping the show moving from the wings and control booth. Putting on a show is a group effort. It is also an act of trust in your peers and requires commitment. The students in these productions devoted an extraordinary amount of time to their school shows while continuing to meet the expectations of those around them, parents, teachers, coaches and classmates. Both productions delivered performances that were at times vulnerable and at other times incredibly powerful. This balance of fragility and strength kept me engaged.
It was obvious to me that the students had a genuine connection with the show’s messages of celebrating diversity and self-acceptance. This is why I love working with young artists as a voice teacher. The singers I work with are at a point in their lives where they’re open to the potential of the world around them. Through experiences like live theater, they may realize that they hold the power to enact change and make their voices heard. Their idealism is inspiring. And their authenticity is refreshing in the face of the world around us. With a Perspective, I’m Megan Beltran.
Megan Beltran is a musician and writer living in the San Francisco Bay Area.