Birds chirping, friends laughing, water from the fountain and singing were heard in the courtyard Friday, April 25, during Song Share. Song Share was hosted by senior Gemma Wyles and provided students interested in the music with an opportunity to share their talent with their peers and bring the community together to connect over music.
Students across all grades performed, including Samaira Modgil (’29). Modgil started singing when she started at Archer in sixth grade. She said Song Share is an opportunity to express herself through art.
“I think Song Shares are more of a way to shine the spotlight on yourself than with other people,” Modgil said. “It’s great to share the spotlight with other people, but this one, you get to really express yourself through art.”
Choir and a cappella director Bri Holland said Song Share gives students the space to perform solo. They said although solo performances can come with additional pressure, they offer students freedom and flexibility.
“Choir really requires that everybody is blending with each other and, kind of, sacrificing some of their individuality to become one with the whole group,” Holland said. “And, so, seeing students express themselves with the timbre and the tone that they do whenever they’re singing their original songs or cover music, that pop music that they really like is completely different. It’s a really special opportunity.”
Junior Quinn Evan-Agard said she looks forward to hearing her friends’ voices, as well as students she would not hear from otherwise. Song Share brings everyone together in support of their peers, she said.
“I think that Song Share is a great way to promote community connection, because it is a good excuse for everyone to come out to the courtyard and listen to amazing music being played by their peers,” Evan-Agard said. “And sit on picnic blankets like right now, and talk to their friends and see everyone in their Archer community.”
Song Shares are more accessible to students, Holland said, as not everyone can attend after-school performances.
“Music is such a unifying force. I think the opportunity to support your individual friends in their music-making ventures, whether that’s original music or cover music, is really special, and especially doing it during the school day, when the whole school has the opportunity to be here,” Holland said. “Not everybody can come for the evening concerts that we do or the weekend concerts that we do. So having the opportunity during the school day on campus while everybody is eating — we have a 10th grade bake sale, and we have this music opportunity. It brings everybody together.”
