Pop Up Concerts

On April 17, Deerfield Academy’s Music Department held the Pop-up concert recital in the Wachsman Concert Hall. This event marked the fifth Pop-up concert of the 2024–2025 school year. The goal of the Pop-up concerts is to provide all students who are currently taking music lessons a chance to showcase their work. “We just don’t have a platform for the students to showcase their work in private lessons,” said Piano Studio Director and Pop-up concert co-organizer Yu-Mei Wei. Deerfield’s Music Program Coordinator and co-organizer of the Pop-up concert Sarah Swersy also mentions how the Pop-up concert is a great chance for students to perform for the first time, saying, “What is special is when a student who has ever performed a solo piece before does so... they feel a huge sense of accomplishment.”

Students can also use these concerts as a way to practice performing on stage, given the generally smaller audiences and lower stakes environment. “Some students go all out—they dress up and they want to do their best. So it’s as formal or informal as you want it,” said Ms. Wei. She also added that, “I always say that a piece is not yours until you perform it, you don’t know where your holes are until you perform it, and the more you perform, the better you’ll be.”

One of the biggest differences between the Pop-up concerts and other more traditional concerts is that it takes place in different locations across campus. One unconventional location was the Caswell library. Ms. Swersy recounted, “In the early part of the year we have them in the Caswell Library. That way people who are coming to interview at the school can see it and be part of our music program.” Ms. Wei added, “They [students coming for interviews] are usually very nervous. Some music lightens up the room a little bit.” Other Pop-up concert locations include the Von Auersperg Gallery and the Wachsman Concert Hall. “It really lowers the pressure, and I think it’s a great way to bring the community together,” Ms. Wei said.

The next and last Pop-up concert of the year will be on May 1 and will take place in the Hess Lobby, which will be another new location for the Pop-up concert series. “If somebody is walking through the Hess Lobby, and it’s 10:05, hopefully they could sit down and listen,” Ms. Swersy explained. Ms. Wei also reveals a new addition to the next Pop-up Concert: “We have a very special instrument being transported. We’re going to have a harpsichord and that [space] would [have the best acoustics] for it.”