On March 21, students from all around Nashville stepped out of the real world and into Wonderland. Since 1994, USN has put on a one-of-a-kind music festival called Zeitgeist, better known among the students as “Zeit.” Here, students can perform for their peers and fellow Nashville residents in a way that is authentic and representative of their true selves.
Zeitgeist is always one of the most exciting nights of the school year, but not everyone knows all of the hours dedicated to making it the best night possible. A group of teachers and students work throughout the year to make sure that everything goes off without a hitch.
Zeitgeist 2026 could not have been put on without its committee of six: Breckyn Forcey ‘26, Henry Knowles ‘26, Caden Carrabba ‘27, Amelia Scanlan ‘27, Miles Lewis ‘27, and Zazou Gray ‘28. This group first comes together in the fall and continuously schedules meetings to talk about all things relating to the event. They discuss merchandise, theming, gathering materials, and sending out forms to see who wants to perform. Once they decide which USN students will be performing and what outside bands are coming, they can figure out what all they need to accommodate the guests and performers.
Like any large event, organizing these meetings and making these decisions can be difficult. Everyone’s schedules are different, and some people may have differing opinions on things like what decorations to include. Despite these obstacles, the committee ran a smooth and successful event.
One of the biggest parts of these meetings is picking a theme. This year, the committee focused a lot on adding new elements to Zeit, while preserving what makes it so special.
“We wanted to do something whimsical but something everyone would get,” Gray said. “Wonderland was cool because you go from the outside into this other alternate universe, and that’s such a unique experience. We wanted Zeitgeist to be a unique experience this year.”
A couple of the changes they made this year were having everyone on the committee dress up and returning to the pre-pandemic structure of having multiple stages. Instead of having one outdoor or indoor stage, both the back field and auditorium were utilized for performances. The Riverbank stage was outside, while the Queen of Hearts and Cheshire Cat stages were on the stage and in the back of the auditorium, respectively. They made this decision because they wanted to cut down transition time between sets, and it worked perfectly. Once one band was done performing, the audience could just turn around and watch another performance. The committee prioritized making Zeitgeist an immersive experience, and with their decorations and attention to detail, they did just that.
Many of the performers this year have expressed how much fun they had preparing for and performing at Zeitgeist. This was Olivia Westfall ‘27’s first time singing at Big Zeit, and she made it a point to just have fun and not overthink anything.
“Just view it as ‘this is me, this is my band,’” Westfall says, “and if you like it, great, and if you don’t, there’s the door.’”
Westfall also appreciated how many different musical styles were presented at Zeitgeist, which is also one of Lila Hemphill ‘26’s favorite parts of the event. Hemphill has sung, played piano, and played guitar at Zeitgeist since her freshman year, and she praised how it expands students’ musical tastes.
“Zeit is a great way to see all of the talent that USN has,” Hemphill said.
The variety of music styles presented at Zeitgeist continues to be one of the big reasons why students attend the event.
After seeing the creativity, collaboration, and dedication at Zeitgeist, students quickly learn that this is not just a one night performance, but rather, the result of months of hard work. The USN community comes together to make Zeit an amazing experience that students will never forget year after year, and this event will continue to evolve with new things to come.
