ORCHESTRA TO PLAY CARNEGIE HALL WIND ENSEMBLE ONE OF EIGHT GROUP PICKED.Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer NEWHALL - As the old joke goes, ``How do you get to Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall Concert hall in New York, N.Y., U.S. It was endowed by the industrialist Andrew Carnegie at the insistence of the conductor Walter Damrosch (1862–1950). ? Practice, practice, practice.'' And practice is paying off for the Wind Ensemble at Hart High School Hart High School may refer to:
New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. , to perform Friday in the legendary music venue A music venue is any location regularly used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from an outdoor bandshell or bandstand to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music. . ``I've been blessed to be in a jazz band like this,'' said Shannon Canchola, 16, a flutist who hopes for a career in music. ``But I'm extremely scared and excited. It's hard to describe. We'll be sitting in the same spots where Duke Ellington and Yo Yo Ma and all those famous musicians have performed. It's such an honor.'' The students, led by band instructor Anthony Bailey Anthony Bailey is a British author. Born in 1933 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, United Kingdom, he was evacuated to Dayton, Ohio, in 1940 during World War II. For many years he was a writer for the New Yorker Magazine. , comprise one of eight groups invited to the National Invitational Band and Orchestra Festival. Their audition tape, produced last spring, was selected by the Western Band Association in October, and the students have been anxiously preparing ever since. The group will be playing a new composition by John Mackey John Mackey can refer to:
``It was originally written for an orchestra,'' Bailey said. ``But a group of college band directors asked him to adapt it for a wind ensemble. Only three high schools have ever performed it - us, Logan High School Logan High School may refer to one of several high schools in the United States:
With one eye on their music and one eye on Bailey, the students worked on their music at a recent practice until the sound flowed smoothly. Deep in thought, Bailey absent-mindedly chewed the end of his conducting baton and often closed his eyes to focus on the sounds wafting through the band room. ``We have a rigorous schedule - it's intense,'' said saxophone player Russell Ramos, 18. ``But it's worth it. After all the hard work, to know you have accomplished a lot, we're very honored.'' Junior Richie Morrison, 16, has been a tuba tuba (t  `bə) [Lat.,=trumpet], valved brass wind musical instrument of wide conical bore. player since a disastrous turn with the trumpet in elementary school. ``I like the (``Redline Tango'') piece because it has a modern twist and good harmonies,'' he said. ``It's playful, but with a good rhythm. It's an experience I've never had, intense and fun at the same time. When we heard we were going, it was like 'Oh, no.' We are in awe, to be in a place like Carnegie Hall. You just don't get to go there every day.'' ``This is such an honor for all of us,'' Bailey said as the students milled around in the band room after class. ``I always try to take kids to things they've earned. I want them to find things meaningful, that they will remember for a lifetime. I don't think they're going to be talking about that trig problem, but they will remember when they played at Carnegie Hall.'' Carol Rock, (661) 257-5252 carol.rock(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Flutists Martinique Rowden, left, and Mehghan Directo concentrate during a rehearsal of the Hart High School Wind Ensemble, which performs Friday in New York's Carnegie Hall. John Lazar/Staff Photographer |
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