From the stage of Deerfield’s 2024 winter musical Alice by Heart to his weekly a cappella rehearsals with the Mellow-D’s, Kabir Sheth ’25 finds inspiration and joy in music everywhere he goes at Deerfield.

Before coming to Deerfield, Sheth had only two years of experience singing in a choir, though he always enjoyed singing with friends and family, both in casual and formal settings. When he arrived on campus in the fall of his freshman year, Sheth decided to dive into the Deerfield music program, joining the Deerfield Chorus and the Mellow-D’s, an all-boys a cappella group. Sheth now serves as co-leader of both the Mellow-D’s and the Chorus.

Choral Director Michael Pfitzer described Sheth as a “community builder, kind, and an encouraging person” in Deerfield’s music ensembles. He also commended him as an “extremely committed, focused, engaged member of our vocal program for all four years of his time here.” Pfitzer praised Sheth for his role in fostering the “focused” culture of Deerfield’s vocal ensembles and credited him as “somebody who has really helped to change the whole culture of the program.”

Vivian Wan ’25, the other co-leader of the Deerfield Choir, appreciated Sheth as a “thoughtful contributor to conversations about music” and an active, guiding force who shows genuine care for the community and respect for singing as an artistic form of expression. “[He] excels in making his voice heard in ensemble discussions as well as allowing all voices to be heard, especially those of younger students,” she said.

In the fall of 2024, Sheth organized a concert focused on environmental preservation and climate change. The idea stemmed from his love for nature and his ambition to educate the community about environmental issues, particularly climate change. According to Dr. Pfitzer, many participants expressed that they “wanted to do a great job for Kabir,” a testament to the respect the music community has for him.

Sheth’s inspiration for the Environmental Concert came from his love for nature, his passion for bringing people together, and Considering Matthew Shepard, a choral work performed by the Deerfield Choral Ensemble about the legacy of Matthew Shepard. The concert featured singing, poetry readings, and instrumental performances, designed to “inspire everyone” through a shared passion for environmental stewardship.

One of Sheth’s main goals for the environmental concert was to bring people together. He partnered with Ella Waag ’26 to create an interactive environmental Venn diagram, where audience members could post their feelings about the environment before and after the concert, creating an immersive experience. Sheth and his team also distributed stress balls after the performance to help attendees process their emotions and reflect on the meaning of the event.

Dr. Pfitzer commended Sheth for recognizing that “people were in different places in terms of how they process environmental issues.” He noted that Sheth balanced the concert’s content by incorporating both “calls for action” and reflective pieces about “the state of the earth and our ideas about it.” Sheth hopes that young people at Deerfield feel “inspired to experiment with their own creative mediums and use what they love to make a difference.” He emphasized that “it’s not just about inspiring those who are involved in singing; it’s about inspiring everyone.”

Sheth also reflected on the challenges of leading large-scale projects: “It’s easy to be ambitious, but it’s hard to actually pull through.” While passionate individuals want to create the best experience for their audience, “there’s only so much you can do,” he said. He stressed the importance of “learning to delegate to other people” to successfully manage all aspects of a major project.

“There’s no perfect singer,” Sheth said, “but there can be someone who is just so, so passionate about it—and that’s what I strive to be.” As he prepares to join Brown University’s Class of 2029, Sheth plans to continue his musical journey by joining a choir or a cappella group on campus. He also hopes to learn the guitar to further explore music through both singing and instrumental performance.

Dr. Pfitzer once told Sheth, “No matter what you’re singing, you have to be happy doing it. It can never be a burden.” Sheth resonates deeply with these words, carrying them with him through all his musical endeavors.