From the King Street Chronicle: Humans of Sacred Heart - Nidhi Ray '26

“Humans of Sacred Heart” – Nidhi Ray ’26

Compiled by by Gianna Rodrigues ‘27, News Editor

What was your role in this year's musical, CATS?

"In this year's musical, CATS, I [played] the drums as part of the live band.  I [played] with eight other musicians, including Mr. Lowery."

What were the difficulties of performing in a live show?

"Performing in a live show means having to keep track of a lot of things at once.  One of the hardest things is having to frequently switch from drumsticks, to mallets, to brushes, without making any noise, and doing it fast enough so that I’m ready for the next song.  There’s hardly any breaks in between, so I have to constantly be aware of cues from Mr. Lowery and make sure I’m playing at the right volume so you can still hear the cast singing.  Playing during this musical [was] one of the [longest performances] I’ve played, so I had to work on building my stamina as a drummer.  There's a lot of pressure to not mess up, but doing what I love with experienced band members and a talented cast made the experience extremely rewarding."

How does performing in CATS differ from your usual performances?

"In school, I perform as part of the orchestra, also known as the Heartbeats band.  Outside of school, I recently graduated from the Manhattan School of Music’s pre-college program in jazz drumming, where I performed as part of a six-person jazz ensemble.  Jazz is a lot of improvisation, so even if there is usually a set melody and form for a song, it's very creative and collaborative, with much of the music being made on the spot.  There's not a lot of improvisation when playing in a musical, as everything I’m playing has to match the vibe of the song, but it's still very collaborative.  The main thing, however, that makes performing in a musical like CATS very different, is that I’m playing with people who are singing with depth and emotion as a means of telling a story.  When I play with them, I feel like I help give voice to the message they’re trying to sing across to the audience.  It's very magical, and I’m beyond grateful to have been able to be a part of this wonderful production."

The King Street Chronicle thanks senior Nidhi Ray ’26 for her contributions to “Humans of Sacred Heart.”

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