Kevin Elaba

Senior Kevin Elaba walks out onto the stage, microphone in hand. As the lights in Assembly Hall dim, he is left illuminated by a spotlight overhead. Students’ hushed voices whisper excitedly as the opening guitar chords of “Harder to Breathe” by Maroon 5 echo through the room. Elaba begins to sing, and heads bob among the crowd to keep the beat of the song. Students are smiling—not only because of the beautiful way that Elaba sings the song, but also because they know his kind nature and are happy for him.

Elaba's passion for music began at two years old when he began learning English songs in the Philippines. At age four, Elaba’s family moved to the United States, where music became even more crucial to him—it allowed him to overcome the barriers caused by his foreign accent. “When I was on stage at six years old, singing ‘Puff the Magic Dragon,’ I didn’t really notice the difference [in my accent] at all,” Elaba said.

Now, Elaba serves as a co-head of Exeter Association of Rock (EAR) and he often performs for the Exeter community. He first gained interest in the club as a lower, when he attended an EAR concert and was “blown away” by the voices. He immediately knew that he wanted to join. NAs a co-head, he helps to organize EAR concerts, performing and inspiring others to do the same.

“He’s obviously an extremely talented singer and I’m really lucky to be able to play onstage with him. Oftentimes, we’ll go to the music building and jam out a couple songs with friends.”

Later this year, Elaba hopes to compile a senior recital that blends the best elements of classical and contemporary music. He considers himself less of an orthodox technical singer and believes in letting his emotions show through. Students say that the passion in his songs is palpable, as he often sings well-known pop songs with a catchy beat.

Elaba is also a co-founder of Pinoy Society, a group for students of Filipino descent. Last year, he visited the Philippines on a service trip. He also tries to return each year and visit extended family. “Whenever I go back to the Philippines, it seems like something out of a book. It’s so surreal and everyone there seems to live in the present,” Elaba said. “They don’t really want to worry about what they have to do for tomorrow or the next day. It’s a very different environment from Exeter, where we’re all worrying about our 333s, or squash tryouts or college essays. It’s very refreshing.” The change in culture served as a release for him and allowed him to reconnect with his family, some of whom he hasn’t seen in over a decade.

Elaba’s impact on other students is unmistakable. As a proctor in his dorm, Abbot Hall, he is always there to give advice or motivate his dormmates. Senior Chris Nivera, who is one of Elaba’s best friends, said that Elaba is known in the dorm as being “an easy-to-talk-to, really funny and bubbly person.” “In the dorm, he’s really kind to everyone and also jokes around with them a ton. People always go to his room just to chill, listen to different kinds of music he’s blasting and have fun,” Nivera said. Elaba also demonstrates his leadership as a co-captain of the JV tennis team, leading the team to a 9-3 record last season.

However, Elaba said that his main priorities are academics and music. Nivera, who often accompanies Elaba on piano, says, “He’s obviously an extremely talented singer and I’m really lucky to be able to play onstage with him. Oftentimes, we’ll go to the music building and jam out a couple songs with friends.” Elaba has succeeded in getting some of his friends to open up and show their musical side by performing onstage or in the dorm.

In spite of looming college applications and the duties of a classics scholar, Kevin still manages to remain upbeat and put on great shows for the rest of the Exeter community. His dedication goes far beyond his music, extending to his sports, setting an example for others in his dorm and studying Latin and Greek simultaneously. As he moves through his last year at Exeter, Elaba is optimistic about experiencing the college music scene and working with people as invested in music as he is.

Nevertheless, there are things he will miss, chiefly his dorm. “I’m probably going to miss Abbot Hall the most,” Elaba said. “Even though the dorm has been changing throughout the past three years, it seems like whenever I go back to check-in, Abbot’s always there for me.”