On Nov. 30, High School Music Collaborative (HSMC) showcased their talents in the Youth Music Festival at the Firehouse Arts Center. The show encompassed a variety of songs ranging from classic Christmas numbers to trending pop songs.
What Is HSMC
Primarily led by high schoolers, the High School Music Collaborative focuses on singing, exploring various music genres, and experimenting with instruments. They put on many different events that include the Music Festival and the upcoming HSMC Cabaret.
“HSMC is a high school lead band where every week we meet on Wednesdays. It’s a lot of fun because there is lots of creative freedom. It also shows people that even though we’re young, high schoolers are more capable than people think we are. We’re also a lot more responsible because if we weren’t we wouldn’t have gotten this far at all,” said performer Rosey Selinger.
Building Confidence Through Community
The welcoming mood of the stage allows the high schoolers to let their inner selves shine. HSMC brings students out of their comfort zone and pushes them to do things they wouldn’t have done before. It takes a lot of bravery to perform in front of family members and friends. The cast members achieve even more confidence by being together and supporting each other.
“I know a lot of people on stage. And I know not all of them are the most confident people. And I could see them shine when they got into a comfortable space that they felt accepted in,” said audience member Robin Fried (‘25).
The Impact of the Youth Music Festival
In addition to helping high schoolers grow as confident performers, the Holiday Youth Music Festival serves multiple important purposes. The festival enriches high school participants as artists in various ways and strengthens the sense of community in Pleasanton.
“HSMC and everything at the Firehouse is centered around bringing the arts to a small town such as Pleasanton. [It] really gives high schoolers the opportunity to perform and to create in ways that they can’t in high school. Programs like these also teach high schoolers communication skills and how to delegate what they want within each other, which is nice,” said show director Kalia Miller.
