BRISTOL, R.I. (WPRI) — Mt. Hope High School’s Musicafe has provided students an outlet to showcase their musical talents since it first launched back in 2017.

But Thursday night’s Musicafe was different.

Instead of simply celebrating the first Musicafe of the school year, students honored the life of one of the graduates who made it all possible.

Elysia LeBeau was killed in a head-on crash last week in Utica, New York. The 21-year-old graduated from Mt. Hope High School back in 2020 and was one of several students who helped get Musicafe off the ground.

“This program meant everything to her,” Mt. Hope graduate Alexa Canario said. “She was at the forefront of all of it.”

Canario said LeBeau never missed a Musicafe and would show endless support for every single student who performed.

“She was the loudest clapper,” Canario recalled. “She would jump right up out of her seat.”

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Colby Dagwansantos, who graduated alongside Lebeau, said her passion for music was unmatched.

“She’s going to live on through [Musicafe],” Dagwansantos said. “If the circumstances were different, she would absolutely be here.”

Musicafe has grown in popularity over the years, according to Canario and Dagawansantos. What was once only attended by a couple dozen students now draws crowds of up to 150 for each performance.

“Every year it gets bigger and becomes more successful,” Dagawansantos said. “It’s just taken off.”

LeBeau’s memorial service and celebration of life is scheduled for Saturday, according to her obituary.