MONROE — Choir students at Park Place Middle School will be performing at Carnegie Hall next spring as one of 12 groups to take the stage.
Choir director Katie Carruthers will be taking next year’s 7th and 8th grade choir students to the Big Apple for four days to participate in the New York Invitational Music Festival at Carnegie Hall. The festival recognizes select choirs from all over the U.S. to perform.
Carruthers received an email about the event years earlier and had been debating whether or not to submit an audition tape of her class because of how small the odds were. But, a year or two later she received another email asking if she was still interested in applying for a spot at the festival. This time she wasn’t going to miss it.
After a few weeks, the committee reached out to her and informed her on their acceptance. A few months later she was flown out with her husband to go and see firsthand how the festival works. “The company flies out all the directors a year in advance to preview the festival, see how it goes, walk around and see what you want to take your kids to,” explained Carruthers.
Seventh grader Aidan Gamble expressed his elation for the trip. He is excited to get to know the choir more and be able to experience New York and Carnegie Hall all at the same time.
Another classmate, 7th grader Talia Norton said, “I’m excited to hang out with friends and to have a new experience that some people never get.”
“The whole process leading up to next year will be awesome because I’m going to push them hard,” Carruthers said. “Getting to go and perform somewhere like that is so cool, the experience of being able to be on a stage that so many famous singers have sung on and to be away from home is always an experience on its own.”
Carruthers is eager to see if performing at such a hallowed venue will encourage her students to express their own passion for music and inspire them to embrace their performance ability once they set their eyes on the immensity that is Carnegie Hall.
The 40 choir students will be competing for a gold, silver or bronze plaque that will be voted on by a panel of judges.
The trip will cost approximately $1,778 per person. So far through a school fundraiser, the students have been able to raise around $3,000 by selling chocolate bars. Over the summer, students will take it upon themselves to fundraise any way they can, such as walking dogs or babysitting.
She plans on taking the students around the city to Central Park, Times Square and Rockefeller Center.
