Article by Phoenix writer Michelle Paszek ’24:
On Friday, March 25th, the KMHS music department held the Annual All State Student Recital in the chorus room from 6-8 PM. This recital is a practice performance for the high school students in the band, chorus, or orchestra who will be auditioning for All-State at the NYSSMA festival this coming weekend.
NYSSMA, or the New York State School Music Association, holds an annual festival where students from throughout NY state can perform in front of judges for a score. If the student does well, they can be selected as one of the top musicians of the state and can become part of the All-State Band, Chorus, or Orchestra this December.
Junior Isabella Carrano, a participant in the All-State Student Recital who has been doing NYSSMA since elementary school, shared, “I’m going into musical theatre in college and I’m doing this to get a broader perspective of different types of music.”
While preparing his or her piece, students will work with a piano player accompanist. “It’s a different experience for them and that’s great because music is communal and there’s a lot of great things that happen between artists,” said Mr. Vegas, the Music Department Chairman. “It really helps to bring out the true spirit and emotion to the piece – to have this connection to another performer.”
Each student performer was given the opportunity to either sing or play a five-minute excerpt from his or her chosen piece in front of the attendees.
Junior Jake Truncale said, “I loved getting the chance to perform for my family and my fellow musicians. I also enjoyed getting to hear the other musicians perform. We have all been working so hard on our pieces, so it was amazing to have everyone listen to each other.”
Six students participated in this event: vocalists Isabella Carrano ‘23, Gabriella D’Orlando ‘24, Andrea Baez ‘23, Jake Truncale ‘23, violinist Colin Simpson ‘23, and clarinetist Madeleine Lorentz ‘24.
“For the recital, I played the second movement of the Clarinet Concerto by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,” shared Sophomore Madeleine Lorentz. “Although I was very nervous and made some mistakes, I’m also glad that I got the opportunity to perform!”
Overall, the All-State Student Recital has been an informative and valuable experience for the students participating in NYSSMA.