The YCI will hold their final concert in the Cochran Chapel on April 24th.
Under the colorful lights, students eager to witness the annual piano duel packed into Susie’s. As performers Aria Madrid and Matty Regan took their places behind their respective pianos, a hush fell over the crowd. As soon as the first key was played, Susie’s came alive. The students were in for a wild ride filled with music spanning across generations and genres.
News of the event’s infectious energy spread quickly even as it was still occurring. On behalf of her friends’ insistence, Ainsley Muldoon ’26 rushed to the scene, arriving just in time for the last few songs. Luckily, she was able to catch some of the classics performed at the end, with “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen and “Rocket Man” by Elton John being her two favorites.
“Everyone was singing along and swaying together, it was all very wholesome. I wasn’t expecting such a turnout for this event, so I’m very happy I was convinced into coming. There was so much energy the whole time, it was very fun,” said Muldoon.
While the name “The Dueling Pianos” might suggest that the performance operates as a Battle of the Pianists, in actuality, the performance is more about audience engagement and collaboration. Regan describes their experience playing at Andover and the impact of the event taking place within Susie’s.
“This was so cool. This is such a small space, and it’s so intimate. For our kind of show it’s really, really cool to see people right next to us singing, screaming. I loved having all these ladies on the front right here, they were grabbing each other and singing along and when I started playing their song they would scream in each other’s faces, so that’s a lot of fun. The venue and the ambiance totally [changed] for the particular show. So, for this show, this kind of vibe was great. Having all these couches up close was exactly what we needed. I had a great time,” said Regan.
Similarly, Madrid also loved the energy the students were bringing. Cracking jokes with the audience and her partner Regan, Madrid’s presence brought the stage to life. When it was Regan’s turn to play a song request, Madrid was quick to accompany them with the tambourine and back up vocals, adding a new dimension of fullness to the sound. While Madrid is known around Phillips Academy from past performances, this year’s stood out to her as particularly memorable.
“[The audience was] really great this year. There were way more people and they were so into it, they were a lot of fun…When they all started singing the song that we didn’t know, I think it’s ‘2 Days [Into] College,’ [by Aimee Carty] that’s never happened where the students have started singing a random song that we didn’t start playing,” said Madrid.
This sentiment was reciprocated by the students in the audience. Peyton Kennedy ’25 remarked that she wished the students were more formally involved in the performance.
“The [performers] could’ve known more songs and also maybe give the crowds some microphones because I really wanted to belt out some music but I feel like my voice wasn’t loud enough,” said Kennedy.
This audience enthusiasm encapsulated the main purpose behind the Dueling Pianos: a performance that inspired students to create and put themselves out there. Regan ended with a final sentiment that music is available to anyone regardless of their age or past experience, and that everyone should feel empowered to learn and pursue it if they so desire.
“Music is the most accessible thing for any of us, for all humans. I come from a background of teaching myself how to play and playing a lot of punk rock music, stuff that’s very simple and very accessible, and I think there’s a lot of gatekeeping in how music is supposed to be or how you are supposed to learn music. What I want to say is for anyone who wants to learn piano or wants to learn how to play guitar, bass, [or] drums… There are ways you can learn, but the most important way is to learn and have fun. Don’t have people tell you what you are supposed to play, play what you want. Anyone can learn, especially now with YouTube being so popular and all these apps that teach people how [to] play on your phone or your tablet. So dive in and learn music, it’s great,” said Regan.
