Stet Tate is a 12-year-old student who is disruptive and often gets in trouble, but displays a natural affinity with music. His single mother, who was struggling with a drinking problem, dies in a car accident. His father, who has a wife and two daughters sends him to an elite music boarding school, the American Boychoir School, to keep Stet's existence a secret. Stet is admitted due to his vocal ability but also the generous amount of money the father pays them.

Stet struggles to fit in, because the other pupils are privileged children, and he cannot read music.