Back to The Studio
The Short Bus cast gathered in front of a yellow bus at Pine Lake
A new musical from The Studio

Short
Bus

Six kids. Five days. One little yellow bus. The songs that helped them hear one another.

01 / The story

Nobody wanted to get on that bus.

Six teenagers. Five days at Pine Lake Camp. One ride that changes what they carry home.

The charter bus breaks down on departure morning, so Sally, Marty, Dinesh, Jalen, Echo, and Tex climb aboard the only vehicle left: a little yellow short bus. They arrive guarded, embarrassed, and determined not to need anyone.

Nobody calls it therapy. They call it character camp, which makes everyone hate it before they arrive. Then the songs begin.

The five campers riding together inside the short bus
The ride to Pine Lake
The campers arriving at Pine Lake Camp as Chadwick welcomes them
Welcome to character camp
The five campers standing beside the short bus on their first day
Day one
02 / Meet the characters

Everybody brought a secret.

They arrive as strangers. Music gives them a way to tell the truth without having to explain everything first.

Sally singing in four poses with a microphone
16 · Lead vocals

Sally

She lost her dad two years ago. She sings beautifully whenever she thinks nobody is listening.

Marty smiling with pigtails and a bunny plush peeking from her hoodie pocket
15 · Class clown

Marty

Quick with a joke, slow to say anything real. The funniest person in the room is carrying more than anyone knows.

Dinesh sitting beside a friend near the water
16 · The documentarian

Dinesh

He films everything. He says he is documenting. Really, the camera keeps him safely outside the moment.

Jalen sitting on a Los Angeles street at sunset
The quiet kid

Jalen

He is grieving his mom, barely speaks, and carries his little Bluetooth speaker everywhere. Then he finds the old guitar.

Echo walking with his eyes closed and white headphones on
The shy camper

Echo

White headphones on, eyes closed, living inside his own beat. In a story about finding your voice, he truly listens.

Country singer · Guitar

Tex

He never goes anywhere without his guitar. Quiet in conversation, he says what he means with six strings.

Biscuit the dog at Pine Lake beside one of the campers
Camp dog · Chosen family

Biscuit

A scruffy stray who wanders out of the woods, joins the crew, and never leaves.

03 / The people of Pine Lake

The grown-ups have songs, too.

The believers, musicians, cooks, and drivers who turn a broken-down trip into a band.

Chadwick Blaze playing guitar in his Believe shirt

Chadwick Blaze

Youth pastor. Guitar, grin, and a Believe. shirt. When Marty needs him, he drops the performance and simply helps her breathe.

Haddie singing in a black robe with gold trim

Haddie

Gospel cook. Warm, direct, and fearless. She helps Sally hear the part of herself that grief could not take.

Gloria singing in a purple and gold robe

Gloria

Haddie's kitchen partner. She finds the harmony beneath the melody and knows exactly when to lift it.

Mateo playing accordion in a lively town plaza

Mateo

Kitchen helper. Salsa and vallenato from sunup to lights-out, with a rhythm that makes even the onions cry less.

Jah Vibez smiling and playing island guitar

Jah Vibez

Camp maintenance, technically. Island guitarist, according to every legend told after dark.

Jaylen Bass performing with his bass guitar

Jaylen Bass

The bus driver. Gruff, unflappable, and always in possession of the last word.

The Pine Lake community gathered together

One camp. One chorus.

By the final night, the kids who arrived hiding are singing, dancing, apologizing, breathing, and listening together. Nothing has magically been fixed. Nobody is carrying it alone anymore.

The campers sharing a song around the campfire
04 / Music and videos

Hear the story before the curtain rises.

The songs move from embarrassment to belonging, from a whisper in a dark cabin to voices gathered around the fire.

Watch on YouTube Listen on SoundCloud
01Just Be Cool!Jalen 02Trauma Upside DownMarty 03I Have a VoiceSally 04Enjoy the FlowEcho 05Take 5 BreathsChadwick 06I Am StrongSally

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The campers together at Pine Lake Camp
05 / The vision
If one kid feels less alone, it worked.

Songs and stories for kids and adults who carry grief, loss, anger, and hard things quietly. Not a promise to fix everything. A reminder that no one has to carry everything alone.

The campers sharing a group hug beside Pine Lake at sunset