Beatstock Rings in Summer, Featuring Bittersweet Goodbyes

Nic Lau ‘28

By Amy Khaing ‘27 & Madeleine Wu ‘27

On Friday, May 30, as the sunset dimmed on the quad and Spring Fling ended, anticipation swelled for this year’s Magus Mabus board’s final hurrah: Beatstock. This renowned event occurs every spring as the last of the year’s performances organized by Magus Mabus. Beatstock, however, surpasses a simple concert. It is an amalgamation of student talents and diverse arts at Milton, and above all, Beatstock serves as a bittersweet, final goodbye to the Milton school year.

“I feel like Beatstock always has the best performances,” audience member Abby Robson ‘27 declared, and this Beatstock was no outlier. Robson stated that she was “absolutely amazed by the breadth of talent.” Notably, this year, performances represented all grades, from freshman to senior.

One of the most memorable performances was from Resonate: the all-gender a cappella group’s rendition of “Sweet Escape” by Gwen Stefani. Soloist Claudia Krishnan ‘25 has been a longstanding pillar of Magus Mabus events, and in this Beatstock alone, she performed three times. Other standouts included a juggling act from Gideon Weiss ‘28 and spoken word poetry from Ruth Chen ‘26. As always, Asa Straus ‘25 and Victoria Jones ‘25 electrified the audience with a duet. They gave the audience three song options: “Cardigan” by Taylor Swift, “How to Save a Life” by the Fray, and “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles. Ultimately, the audience demanded “Sign of the Times,” indicative of the sentimental energy. Meanwhile, Robson stated that “the Ritmo performance” was her favorite showing of the night. Bree Legrand ‘25 and Gabby Brown ‘25 spent a month perfecting choreography, and the group’s energy was palpable through the audience.

Beyond its role as a talent showcase, Beatstock offers a chance for Milton students to bond as a community. For Indra Li ‘27, this year’s Beatstock was meaningful because she had grown closer to “a lot of friends” over the school year and even found “new friends” to hang out with at the event. What made it “extra special,” she added, was knowing “a lot of people who were performing” and cheering them on. Meghanaa Balasubramani ‘27 echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that Beatstock is a unique event to celebrate the diversity of “students with high talents,” and a major reason why she “loves Milton.” Additionally, Balasubramani also noted that compared to other Beatniks, Beatstock stands out because it happens at the time of the year “when everyone is much closer to each other.” Hence, it’s not a typical event with an “audience versus performer” dynamic, but rather, one where “everyone is friends” and “everyone performs for friends.” Montse Martínez-Vindas ‘26, the new Magus Mabus music head, added that the “foundations on respect and kindness towards the performers” foster a greater sense of community. “Beatstock is one of the few events on campus where one can really feel the support and community from their peers,” said Martínez.

For seniors, Beatstock served not only as their goodbye to the school year but also as their final farewell to Milton. The date itself marks one week out from graduation, something that Safina Abramova ‘25 felt particularly “sentimental” about. By sitting alongside their friends on the quad and celebrating the arts at Milton, seniors got one final chance to soak in these extraordinary Milton moments. Abramova observed that seniors “were really getting quite emotional,” and continued, “We don’t quite know how to say goodbye to Milton yet, and especially for Beatnik regulars, Beatstock is hard to part with.”

For Ladia Khaing ‘25, this year’s Beatstock was her first and final performance. She, Kailin Shi ‘25, and Julie Atkeson ‘25 belted out “Night Changes” by One Direction, which reflected their own journey to Milton. Ladia hoped to have “a final performance with [her] good friends for good memories.” As their year comes to a close and they part their separate ways, Beatstock is one of their last ways to “[support] each other and [cheer] for their friends.” Lila Cobb ‘25 attended as a spectator but stated that “all of these last moments are so much more special now that we know we’re saying goodbye.”

As the last music notes echoed through the quad and the crowd dispersed to the warm spring night, Beatstock left behind memories that the Milton community will cherish. For performers and the audience alike, the event was a moment for shared talents, joy, and friendships. As Abramova remarked, “Beatnik and Beatstock are core Milton traditions,” and for the seniors, it “feels like a closing of the Milton chapter.”