Over the years, Blue Valley West High School has had the honor of claiming some pretty great feats.

It’s ranked as the second best public school in Kansas according to Niche, is home to some of the top performing athletes in the Blue Valley district, and has award-winning staff member Alex Lahasky.

BV West not only produces good role models within the school but also successful adults in the real world.

Something that may not be as well known by the students of BV West is that the music department is just as impressive as the athletics and academics. Among the hundreds of performers that are part of the West performing arts groups, several of them have gone on to pursue their music careers, with many others planning to do the same.

Spotlight News asked current performing arts faculty for notable current and former students who might want to reflect on their time at BV West and share how they’ve had continued success with musical careers. Here are just a few of the talented BV West alumni who have gone on to grow in their music after high school.

Lindsey Hailes

Lindsey Hailes grew up in Overland Park, Kansas, attending Blue Valley schools from kindergarten through graduation. While a student, she split her time between the track and cross country teams and the theater wing, eventually catching the performance bug after participating in a few school musicals.

After high school, Hailes went on to study Musical Theatre at Point Park University. But it wasn’t long before she was called to the professional stage, leaving school to join the national tour of “The Wizard of Oz.” That opportunity opened the door to another tour with “Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story” on stage.

“I have this deep internal knowing — something I’ve felt since I was a kid — that I’m meant for something big and something special. That sense of wonder and hope about what it could be has always fueled me. It keeps me curious, keeps me dreaming, and reminds me that the magic is still unfolding.” Hailes said.

In 2017, Hailes made the move to New York City to further her performance career. There, she immersed herself in the world of Off-Broadway and developmental theater, landing roles in numerous new works and workshops. Her hard work paid off when she was cast in the national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical “Hadestown,” touring for two years before joining the Broadway company.

Outside of theater, Hailes is also a passionate songwriter and co-producer. She creates and releases original music under her artist name, Hailes, blending powerful vocals, soul-baring lyrics, and a deep love for storytelling.

From Blue Valley stages to Broadway lights and music studios, Hailes continues to forge her path in the arts, staying true to her Kansas roots while reaching for something bigger.

“Trust your gut — always. Never shrink your voice, your opinions, or your ideas to fit someone else’s vision. Creativity is a practice, and if you keep showing up for it, it will keep showing up for you,” said Hailes.

Kate Cosentino

Kate Cosentino, a 2017 graduate from BV West, pursued her music career after high school and even after college in many forms. One of those is competing in the popular singing competition, “The Voice.”

“I knew I was meant to be an artist and a songwriter. I’ve never felt a passion and a love for something as strong as I have for music, so it seemed like an injustice to my true self to do anything else,” Cosentino said.

Talking to Cosentino, she had nothing but positive things to say about her experience at BV West.

“West was a nurturing environment for me as a person and a creative. Everyone supported me performing, releasing music, and wearing the crazy, colorful outfits I always wore,” Consentino said. “Teachers like Mrs. Modelski let me share my own writing and sing songs from genres and artists I loved while also pushing me to learn new things. Having that big of a support system definitely helped me believe in myself.”

Cosentino was 23 years old when she appeared on “The Voice,” singing her own take of Aretha Franklin’s “I Say A Little Prayer.”

Three judges turned around in her blind reaction: Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan, and Chance the Rapper. All three eagerly urged Consentino to become part of their team, but in the end, she chose Niall Horan.

Although she made it to the Knock Out round, her journey on “The Voice” ended there, losing the battle to Gina Miles. Despite her exit from the show, Consentino continued in her career.

She has gone on to produce several singles along with her album “Note to Self.”

Caroline Epp

Caroline Epp is a sophomore at Kansas University, where she majors in violin performance and minors in psychology. She is a 2022 graduate from BV West who enjoyed orchestra all through high school under her teacher, Mr. Book.

Epp also had a passion for the violin, playing since she was a child.

“I have been playing the violin since I was four years old, and I’ve known for a long time that it’s something I could never give up. I found myself always looking for opportunities to play music because I love the music community, and playing an instrument is such a beautiful way to express my feelings,” Epp said.

Now, while music has always been something that Epp has loved to do, she originally went into college as a behavioral neuroscience major on the pre-med track. However, a year and a half into her sophomore year, Epp decided that she would change her major.

“The most important thing to think about before pursuing a career in music is if you are willing to spend a lot of your time working for it, but if you really love music, then I believe it is worth it,” Epp said.

Lance Carter and Aaron Watts

Both lovers of musicals and performing arts, current BV West seniors Lance Carter and Aaron Watts have created a brand all their own with their band “MoonFollowers.”

Watts has been involved in theatre outside of school since 2017, though he wasn’t as interested in music until recently. In his freshman and sophomore years, Watts played the cello in orchestra and now uses his skill to play the cello for the band.

“When I took Honors Music Theory with Mr. Love last year, I’d say that’s when my love for music truly began,” Watts said.

Carter, on the other hand, has always loved storytelling and the performing arts. His history in performance began in the third grade. Recently, Carter directed his first play, “Our Town,” at BV West, for his Repertory Theatre class.

It was through that class several years ago that he and Watts met, and last year they started performing music together. They started by using the piano in the performing arts center to play music during Academic Study Time, and that slowly transitioned into writing and recording their songs.

After working on cover songs, they decided to write some music together and became the “Moonfollowers.”

“We hope to become popular with our music and play live and tour someday,” Carter said.

Carter and Watts are now verified artists on Spotify and are played daily on Spotify radio.

Katie Coughlin

Class of 2025 senior Katie Coughlin has been involved in musicals all of high school, and even before that, she performed in and out of school.

She started theatre in sixth grade with middle school plays and musicals, and then began voice lessons and choir in eighth grade. In eighth grade, she had her first lead role as Lucy Van Pelt in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” and that was a catalyst for her diving deeper into theatre.

“This world would not be the same without music. And it doesn’t matter if you think of yourself as musical or not, there’s something musical in the world for everyone,” Coughlin said

Coughlin has competed regionally with her voice teacher in the musical theatre category of the Central Region of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), where she placed first and third in respective years.

Next semester, Coughlin will be going to Oklahoma State University to pursue a music education degree.

“I still have things that I’m hoping for and working for, but I’m almost in the phase of establishing new goals right now. But the ultimate goal right now for me, career-wise, is that I want to be an elementary school music teacher and maybe also teach voice lessons on the side,” said Coughlin.

Jamison Horne

Jamison Horne is a senior member of the current BV West band program who’s planning on pursuing a degree in music composition after graduating.

Horne started his musical journey relatively late, joining band in his junior year of high school with little prior musical experience. Through commitment, hard work, and determination, he has found a true passion for music and has had great success within band.

“I realized that I wouldn’t feel very fulfilled unless I was committing my life to creating something. I decided that I wanted to learn to compose music after being inspired by years of playing video games and watching movies where the soundtracks helped create emotionally impactful and awesome moments,” Horne said.

Now, Horne is preparing to further dedicate his life to the creation of music. He hopes to make his way into the video game or film scoring industry.

BV West has had successful alumni throughout the years and continues to produce talented students to this day. As the program evolves, so will the opportunities for students wanting to pursue performing arts.

“If you’re ever joining a music class, it doesn’t matter if you’re in sports…or if you’ve been doing it your whole life, [music] is enriching. It helps the soul, and it is powerful,” Coughlin said.