Band to perform at Carnegie Hall on New York trip

Joeley Hedgcoxe, Staff Writer • April 10, 2019

Freshman Kaysey Tauton plays the bass clarinet in the Symphonic Band. The Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble will perform in Carnegie Hall on April 19.

In order to perform in Carnegie Hall, the band will travel to New York City April 17-20 for their 2018-19 trip. At 2:30 p.m. on Friday, April 19, the bands will perform 9 total pieces prepared for the evening.

“These are the best bands we’ve ever had at the school,” band director Paul Heuer said, “Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony are going and it’s gonna be a really, really strong performance. The kids are ready to go.”

The bands’ will perform in the Stern Auditorium with nine other schools in the annual National Band and Orchestra Festival.

“I think that [the trip] puts us on the map as a group that’s performed at a prestigious location.” junior Joe Harris said, “So that means we’re worthy of stuff like that, and it puts a positive connotation to our name.”

Heuer received an email from the organization last year which introduced the idea of performing in Carnegie Hall. Heuer told the students as a surprise and finalized the plans after the summer.

“We were excited, but not surprised when we got the email,” Heuer said. “We had to wait though, we couldn’t tell the kids that we were going until we got the trip approved. It’s going well. We’re only a week out, but if we had to play today, we could, no problem, but we’re gonna keep refining until that day comes.”

The band travels each year, alternating between Corpus Christi and big trips, such as Los Angeles. This year, students will visit the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, rehearse with the Conductor of the Columbia University Wind Ensemble, Jason Noble, perform in Carnegie Hall, and more.

“I’m going because of color guard, and we’re gonna go to The Met, Chinatown and St. Jude’s Cathedral,” senior Riddhi Pareek said. “We’re able to get closer to the band during this trip since we don’t really get to connect with them outside of marching season. It’s really a good time to bond and get to learn more about each other.”

About the Contributors

Joeley Hedgcoxe, Staff Writer

Back in the journalism swing with new ambitions, sophomore Joeley Hedgcoxe is hitting The Red Ledger again as a photographer, going with God’s calling and making a change in her study habits this year. She’s a dedicated performer for the school’s Color Guard, and feels her best when she’s performing with the rest of her beloved team or surrounded by her houseplants. Her favorite movies are made by Wes Anderson, and she’s a music lover at heart, never leaving home without her earbuds. Her favorite song is Alien Boy by Oliver Tree, and she’s a huge fan of Joji, Bastille, and Gorillaz. She spends her free time on facetime calls with friends, listening to music, painting or spinning her guard equipment outside. Whether she’s a plant lover, performer, photographer, or just herself, Joeley wouldn’t change anything about her.

Grace Nguyen, Section Editor

Fueled daily by three iced vanilla coffees, standing at 5’2”, Grace Nguyen will walk into the E103 door with no problem. Grace is entering senior year, and the only reason she is believed to have survived high school is because of the napping couch in the photography studio. During her time on staff, Grace has been to almost every football game, win or loss, and wouldn’t have changed a thing. Yes, Grace has been tackled by football players, run over by coaches, and body slammed by referees. Nonetheless, Grace will confidently walk on the field this year, bruises and all, alongside her sideline media team. Stepping outside the newsroom, which is rare, Grace enjoys playing softball, hanging out with family and friends, and finding excuses to go to every $3 Pazookie Tuesdays at BJ’s. After high school, Grace hopes to pursue a career in sports photojournalism, so watch out for her still getting run over by athletes on ESPN in the years to come. Although it’s bittersweet to leave newspaper upon graduation, Grace is thankful for all the opportunities that she’s had on staff. Through The Red Ledger, Grace created long-lasting friendships and won a lot of awards that she never imagined was possible. Grace hopes that current and future staffers will think of this national-award-winning publication the same way as she did–a second family and their home away from home.