From Escambia County to the Big Apple: 18 high school students perform at Carnegie Hall
Pensacola’s Booker T. Washington choir students gave a once-in-a-lifetime vocal performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City this past weekend. The performance was part of "Festival at Carnegie Hall," an invitational for elite music groups from around the country.
Carnegie Hall has “set the international standard for musical excellence as the aspirational destination of the world’s finest artists,” according to the Carnegie Hall archives.
Last September, the Booker T. Washington group submitted an audition recording three prepared songs of contrasting styles. A month later, they received the best news possible: an acceptance email.
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This past month, the moment finally came to fruition for 18 Booker T. Washington students who were then able to perform six songs on April 16 under the conductorship of Dr. Edith Copely.
“They performed with musical excellence and represented Escambia County well,” Escambia Choir Director Michelle Young wrote in a statement. “Our Superintendent Dr. Timothy Smith along with so many other supporters (donors, sponsors, Booker T. alumni, community members, family members, and friends) were instrumental in assisting us to make this once in a lifetime opportunity possible for these amazing students.“
Escambia County School District’s music education program as a whole was recently honored with the “Best Communities for Music Education” designation from the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation. The designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students, according to a statement by district PIO Cody Strother.
To qualify for the Best Communities designation, Escambia County Public Schools answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program and community music-making programs. Responses were verified by school officials and reviewed by The Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas.
“Music is thriving in Escambia County Public Schools. Our school board and leadership supports music through our staffing, finances, and resources, and that leads to student success,” said ECPS Fine Arts Specialist Angela Barberi in a statement. “Our music students and, as important, their families are invested in their schools. Our music students graduate and they go on to use the soft skills they learned in music in many professions as adults here in our community.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Booker T. Washington students performed at Carnegie Hall in New York
