At Charter Arts, May is widely known as the busiest month of the school year. This year was no different. Filled with standardized testing days, performances and bittersweet goodbyes, May is, in many ways, the last hurrah for our seniors. As a senior myself, May has been incredibly exciting for me. Planning out the next steps in my life, committing to college, preparing for graduation, the whole thing feels immensely gratifying. But it’s also sad, in the way all endings are. May is the month for us seniors to take all we’ve learned, all we’ve grown artistically, and showcase our achievements. It’s the culmination of all of our hard work.

The month immediately began with the Spring Choral Concert. The concert featured the 9/10 Choir, 11/12 Choir, Treble Choir and Touring Choir. The finale tied together the whole event, showcasing every singer in the show. A diverse set of musical genres was involved, such as gospel, jazz, chant, folk song, spiritual and modern choral repertoire. The week, which began with the choral concert, ended with the Spring Instrumental Concert. The instrumental concert included the Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Orchestra, and Guitar Ensemble. It was certainly a musical week, to say the least.

The following week, after several days of AP testing, the school put on the final dance performance of the year, Dance Quilt, on May 12 and 13. The show highlighted faculty and guest choreographers, as well as select student choreographers. This performance was especially impactful for the seniors involved. “Since I was a senior, it was super fun and I felt so grateful to be a part of such a talented group of people for my last show with Charter Arts,” says student Rylie Barr. “I was in Weak in the Knees and Sunburst, a jazz and ballet piece respectively. They were both so different, but beautiful in their own ways, and I couldn’t have asked for better dances to be cast in.”

The next two weeks were sprinkled with Keystone exams and performances. The senior vocalists and instrumentalists put on beautiful final showcases, presenting a culmination of years of intensive musical training and dedication. Finally, the last performance of the month was the Senior Literary Arts Showcase. Each senior literary artist worked throughout the entire year to create a senior project. Students produced films, novels and poetry collections. The night included both “booths” to showcase each project, as well as a reading of excerpts. “The variety of senior projects at Senior Night this year was incredible, as was the number of seniors who used more than one genre to create multifaceted projects,” says Literary Arts Department Director, Kristen Liemberger. “I also cannot overstate the quality of these projects. They were professional caliber. I am honored to have worked with such talented artists through their times of inspiration and their times of struggle. Writing is an art that is often solitary and often goes without recognition. Nights such as Senior Night allow students to see the culmination of the hours spent behind a computer screen or buried in a journal and to share it with their artistic community and their families. I join in recognizing them for their talent and their dedication.”

Seniors and Juniors enjoyed a magical night at prom 2023, which was themed Victorian Masquerade. And just like that, May was over. In what feels like the blink of an eye, we have gone from our first days of school, where summer sighs into autumn, to our final exams, our tearful goodbyes, our graduation and plans for the future. As artists, we will likely never feel like our work is “complete”. But, as far as endings go, this one feels pretty close to perfect.