You can call it an honor or a privilege, but for the VHS Concert Band it was the chance of a lifetime. How many high school concert bands get to perform at New York City’s legendary Carnegie Hall?
Out of thousands of high school concert bands, VHS was invited by Mr. Todd Nichols, a band director at Roxbury High School and artistic director of Eastern Wind Symphony, for the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall.
Upon being informed that they were invited to perform, band director Erik Lynch and the entire band reacted in the same way: absolute awe.
Junior Skylar Fortgang recalls his emotions when he was told the news.
“I just couldn’t picture it,” he says. “It is just so crazy that a high school concert band can receive this kind of honor. It really makes you feel that we are a very special band and how different we are from other high school bands.”
Mr. Lynch believes that it is the group’s reputation and work ethic that brought them this opportunity.
“Our band is just so special because at other high schools,” Mr. Lynch says, “they normally would have up to four concert bands and directors. We are an all-inclusive 9-12 band and unparalleled in this genre.”
Built in 1891 by Andrew Carnegie and designed by William Burnet Tuthill, Carnegie Hall has become one of the most famous and prestigious concert halls in not only the nation, but the world. Seating 2,804 people for a performance, Carnegie Hall is one of the largest performing centers in New York City next to Radio City Music Hall and the major auditoriums at Lincoln Center. Performing at this majestic place would be a dream come true for anybody.
“It was a full house of people who paid money to see us perform,” says Fortgang, “it was just so surreal and made me feel like I was a professional in the big time.”
Carnegie Hall is known for its design and architecture. Mr.Lynch recalls being amazed by just the sheer grandeur of the auditorium.
“The acoustics in that building were just extraordinary,” he says, “the seats, the lights and the sound that came through when we performed, it was just pure magic.”
He says his exact words to the band before they performed were: “Welcome to Carnegie Hall. We are making history right here, right now.”
Performing three pieces of distinctly different character, the band received the ultimate response: a standing ovation from the entire audience.