Beatstock Highlights Talents of Milton Community

By Annabelle Chen ’28

Last Friday, May 29, Beatstock, one of the most commonly attended arts events at Milton, took place in Straus Library. This year’s rain disrupted the tradition of its usual location on the quad, meaning that only the first two dance performances occurred outside, while the rest of the event happened indoors, like a typical Beatnik. However, its location did not reduce the joy it brought attendees. In comparison to regular Beatniks, Caira Rahim ’28 noted Beatstock’s “higher energy due to its higher turnout,” and AJ Coleman ’28 lauded Beatstock for how “you can be crying one second and laughing the next and then screaming your head off, and it’s all part of the atmosphere.” According to Ms. Lisa Baker, Beatstock’s name derives from a combination of the words “Beatnik,” an homage to the Beat generation known for influencing 1950s American literature and politics, and “Woodstock,” the 1969 art and music festival that highlighted the counterculture at the time. This Beatstock highlighted a wide variety of Milton’s talents, from the typical institutions of Ritmo and the Miltones to performances such as Niam Shah ’28’s dance and lip-sync to “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson and a traditional Chinese flute performance by Thomas Hong ’26.

Since Beatstock is the last chance for seniors to perform at Beatnik, seniors often perform with their friends—as happened this year, for example, a group of senior friends performing the sentimental “Super Trouper” by ABBA. Themes of sentimentality also often run throughout the performances: sisters Harper Simoneau ’29 and Amelia Simoneau ’26 performed “Never Grow Up” by Taylor Swift, a song that, as its title suggests, reflects on the beauty of childhood and reminds listeners not to rush their adolescence—perhaps an important message for Milton students especially, who tend to accelerate their courses and gather extracurriculars only to pad their college applications. Later in the night, Victoria Kirkham ’26 and Seline Shahzad ’26 performed “Astronomy” by Conan Gray, a song that reminisces on a past relationship and the distance between the ex-lovers. Kirkham noted that they and Shahzad chose the song because it reflected the idea of growing apart, even though their own situation was not exactly the same: they were “going to different colleges far apart.”

However, there were also more nostalgic reasons for each performance. Thomas Hong ’26 and Teddy Choe ’26, this year’s co-heads of the Miltones, explained that their performance was “more than a year in the making,” as they had been planning it since before even last year’s Beatstock. They went on to sing a mashup of songs selected from “The Greatest Showman.” Iko Lee ’26 prefaced his performance of “High and Dry” by Radiohead by labeling it “redemption” from his original freshman rendition of the song, in which he had forgotten some of the song.

In addition to tying up loose ends, this Beatstock featured several sweet events. Gustavo dos Reis ’26’s promposal to Chloe Yeo ’26 at the end of their performance of “Rein Me In” by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean certainly won’t be forgotten anytime soon, and the ring of seniors singing “Piano Man” by Billy Joel at Beatstock’s end cemented the bittersweet memories of this year’s Beatstock.

Overall, Beatstock was a wonderful event that showcased a range of student talents. As we head into the summer and seniors savor their last few days as Milton Academy students, remember not only to reminisce about the amazing memories of this past year, but also to look forward to the future. Life doesn’t take place in the past alone, and each summer bookmarks a pocket of time to enjoy before the next school year brings new classes, events, friends, and memories.