Students filing into the Cochran Chapel last Friday were greeted by a video of Pentatonix member Kevin Olusola ’06 composing a celloboxing cover of Down by Marian Hill. Moments later, he walked out onto the stage himself for the last All-School Meeting (ASM) of the year. Olusola reflected on his experiences as a new Upper and the lessons he learned throughout his career, followed by a performance from the William Thomas Gospel Choir and discussion with Peter Cirelli, Instructor in Music.
Olusola’s speech touched on the power of saying no and embracing originality. Drawing from his experiences at Andover, Olusola spoke on the message he sought to convey in an interview with The Phillipian.
“I see these students as a band of misfits because they’re so different from their peers or the spaces they came from. Even though they may feel crazy at times for being who they are, misfits aren’t broken. They’re originals. I want them to know that their uniqueness is a gift meant to change the world,” said Olusola.
Cirelli, who previously taught Olusola, arranged his visit to campus as part of the Bernard and Mildred Kayden Fund and William Thomas Visiting Artist Fund. Cirelli explained how his suggestion to invite Olusola stemmed from appreciation for his character.
“He was always one of my favorite students to work with, and he’s such a positive person. First of all, he’s a great musician, which was the main reason that we brought him here. But he’s also just such a good person. He really wants others to flourish and to have a good life as well. He’s that type of person who wants the best for others,” said Cirelli.
Olusola elaborated on his connection to the fund’s namesake, William Thomas, who served as Director of Performance during his time at Andover. Olusola reflected on how Thomas supported him in pursuing his goals.
“He was my cello and orchestra teacher here, and in so many ways, we were the same person. He was Black, I’m Black. He loved food, I love food. He was from Kentucky, I’m from Kentucky. He played cello, I played cello. He loved classical music, I love classical music,” said Olusola.
Olusola continued, “He was somewhat of an older brother-slash-father figure to me while I was here because I sometimes felt crazy being one of the only people who looked like me playing cello and loving classical music. He made me feel sane. He made me feel like I could do anything. He made me feel like I mattered. Because of that, he gave me a lot of confidence when I eventually made the switch into music, knowing that the things he taught and instilled in me meant I had something to offer the world.”
Before and after his speech, Olusola attended and met with different student groups like Fidelio Society, the Academy Chamber Orchestra, and the student band Goose&Moose. Claire Wang ’26, who introduced Olusola, explained how the band got Olusola to perform at the Den Show.
“During orchestra rehearsal, something came over me, and I said, ‘Kevin Olusola, we have to have a dance battle.’ I am not really sure why I said that. We tried a dance battle, and he realized I am not very good at dancing, so he told me to go back to the orchestra and play my instrument instead,” said Wang.
She continued, “I think that put me on his radar. Afterwards, I was talking to my friend Ethan Liu [’26], who is also in Goose&Moose, about whether we should ask him to perform with us. Kevin overheard us and said, ‘If you have a question, you can ask me.’ He said it playfully. We asked if he wanted to perform with Goose&Moose, and he immediately said yes.”
Reflecting on the ASM, Darian Reyes ’28 explained how he resonated with Olusola’s journey of discovering his passion for music.
“My parents wanted [me] to be a mathematician, like a video game engineer since I used to be into video games and just in general, I was very tech savvy as a kid. Then I decided that really wasn’t for me. Not too long ago, this was freshman winter term, I discovered my love for music and stuff. Shortly after discovering that, that’s kind of where I’ve laid my future. Him talking about his experience reminded me of my own experiences as well,” said Reyes.
Ian Gu ’26 shared similar sentiments, explaining how Olusola’s decision to listen to himself inspired him to stay open to opportunity.
“I was thinking about his life story. He was from an immigrant family, and his parents expected him to become a doctor, he was pursuing his premed path at Yale. Suddenly, one day, he just decided to switch to music and join all these different groups. That story was very inspiring to me because it leaves me to think about how I’m not stuck on one path of life. If there are ever any cool opportunities that I can take, Kevin’s story has really inspired me to be open to those because you never know where that one decision might lead, and it could change your whole life,” said Gu.
Papa Paintsil ’26, who introduced Olusola at ASM, shared how he hopes that Andover will continue to bring speakers who share Olusola’s presence and attributes.
“I hope the fund continues bringing in performers who genuinely care about students and care deeply about their craft. In the video Kevin Olusola showed during ASM, you could tell how passionate he is about what he does. It’s really valuable for students to see artists who truly love their work because it can inspire students to discover their own passions as well,” said Paintsil.
