Andrew Stewart, Director of Fine Arts

April 10, 2026
Not Because It’s Easy—Because It Matters

A different kind of community, built measure by measure

Spend enough time around 57th Street and Seventh Avenue in New York City, and you’re bound to hear it:

“Which way to Carnegie Hall?”
“Where is Carnegie Hall?”

Almost never does anyone ask the “how” question, because everyone already knows the answer.

You practice.

Easier said than done.

The truth is our students live in a world shaped by instant gratification, curated identities, constant comparison, and validation-seeking. They are implicitly and explicitly encouraged to choose what feels successful quickly. Activities are expected to produce visible results, immediate recognition, or a clear individual spotlight.

At increasingly younger ages, students feel the pressure to specialize; to find their “thing,” excel quickly, and build a résumé that reflects achievement more than experience.
More than meaning.
More than connection.

Choir pushes against all of that.

It asks students to slow down in a culture that prioritizes speed.
To commit to a process where growth is gradual, shared rather than individually owned, and often invisible; rarely validated in real time.

Each day, they step into a space that requires focus, real vulnerability, and trust. There are no shortcuts; only the steady work of listening, adjusting, and growing together. Progress is built measure by measure, rehearsal by rehearsal.

In a culture that allows them to carefully curate how they are perceived, choir demands something different. It asks them to be seen and heard, fully, and often before they feel ready.

There is no hiding.
Your voice is you; an intimate, personal reflection of who you are. Sharing it is a deeply vulnerable act.

And still, they are asked to remain present.

To navigate imperfection in real time.
To keep going.

At the same time, choir asks them to think beyond themselves.

They learn to shape their sound not to stand out, but to belong. To understand what connects us, not just what sets us apart. To bring their own voice while contributing to something larger than any one individual.

To listen;
not just for pitch and rhythm, but for the people around them.

As a futurist, Brian Solis writes, “Community is much more than belonging to something; it’s about doing something together that makes belonging matter.”

Choir becomes that kind of community, built through shared work, shared struggle, and a shared commitment to something meaningful. A place where personal recognition is secondary to collective purpose. Where students set aside the need for immediate validation in order to create something beautiful and communicate something that matters.

This kind of work builds more than musicianship.
It builds awareness.
Resilience.
Connection.

It is this sustained, collective effort that prepares students not just for performance, but for meaningful experiences beyond our campus.

Next week, Oakridge choir students will travel to New York City to join with other choirs from across the country in a performance at Carnegie Hall.

While the stage is iconic, what matters most is what our students bring with them: the discipline, awareness, and connection they have spent the year building together, and the humility and vulnerability to share a part of themselves with the world.

Not because it’s easy. Because it matters.