OES Spotlight

At OES, we often talk about the importance of making connections. Mason D. ’26 is a student who embodies this action every day.

He is close with his family members. His brother Tyler is a ninth grader at OES, his cousin Caiden is a twelfth grader at OES, and his sister Ava graduated in 2024. They grew up making music together in a family band. Mason picked up the ukulele at age six and then learned to play guitar. It was while playing with his family that Mason started to write his own songs.

“I especially like writing lyrics,” he said. “There’s something about rhyming and telling stories. It’s pretty fun and healing, too, to express my emotions and experiences. Music is a great outlet.”

The Covid pandemic slowed the number of band performances, but Mason kept on writing. Then he had an idea. “It occurred to me, after I’d written so many songs, that it would be cool if I could get onto streaming platforms and be able to hear myself.”

Mason decided to record his own EP as his Inquiry in Arts project in 11th grade. This elective allows students to pursue independent, advanced-level creative projects during the school day. Mason used the recording studio at OES to make his EP. “We’re so fortunate to have a recording studio here,” Mason said. “It’s nice to have a quiet space, and the instruments and the mics. I don’t know if other schools have these types of resources—we’re really lucky.”

Once his EP, Wish There Was More, was released on streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple, Mason was excited. “I don't really care too much about views or anything, but it was super cool to see something I created up there with all these other big artists, and to see something that started out pretty small turn into something big and amazing. It’s a good feeling.”

English Teacher Tommy Kane, who was Mason’s advisor for his Inquiry in Arts project, was so impressed with his abilities that he asked Mason to be his teaching assistant for a new music class he was creating. This year, Mason has been the TA for “Songs and Stories,” helping other students make their own music at OES.

“One of my favorite parts of the week is helping these kids. It’s been nice to be able to use the things I’ve learned from songwriting and recording, and help others create their content,” Mason said. 

Kane shared, “Mason is so wonderful at this work because it excites him in ways that make me feel good about teaching. Mason really loves sitting with a kid who’s thinking, ‘I don’t know what sound I want to use for this,’ and then they find it, and it’s the perfect sound. I’ve never asked Mason if he has any ambitions to be a teacher, but he cares about people the way that teachers should.”

Mason actually has his sights set on a different career: becoming a psychologist.

“I think music and psychology really blend together really well—the storytelling and expressing emotion. I’m really interested in how people feel and hear things and experience life, and how they deal with things.”

That includes how people literally see and hear with their eyes and ears. He said that a science class he took was fascinating to him. “I took a science class from Robin O’Hara called the Anatomy of Physiology. That really piqued my interest; we even got to see cadavers. I think I will eventually go pre-med, maybe become a psychiatrist.”

Making connections is important to Mason in his extracurricular activities, too. He plays tennis and is one of three captains on the OES team. “It’s been a great experience, getting to build these memories with my tennis team. One of my favorite things is just getting to hang out with them, like on the bus rides. Recently, we were on our way back from an away match, and we were able to stop at In & Out, and we were talking about life and stuff and playing games. It was super fun,” he said.

His advisor, Upper School Spanish Teacher Przemek Tokarski, shared, “Mason is the definition of a 'team player,' whether it’s in the recording studio, out on the tennis court, in the classroom, or in advisory. He has a natural gift for building community, whether he’s engaging friends in a group project in Spanish class or in our advisory activities. His legacy at OES is one of creativity, connection, and a genuine enthusiasm for every aspect of school life. He is always open, positive, kind, and humble toward everyone.”

As he finishes up his time at OES, Mason will continue helping other students record their music. And he sees music as a way to keep making connections.

“I’ll definitely keep making music, as something I enjoy. Having this knowledge could be a good outlet for finding friends in college, maybe playing in some casual fun bands,” he said. “I will miss the friends I’ve made at OES over the last four years. But I’m looking forward to making new ones.”