Students from Newsome High School are working hard this month to achieve a dream. The school’s orchestra has been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City in the spring, and in order to fund the trip the group is holding a golf tournament at Riverhills Country Club on Saturday, January 26.
According to orchestra director Christopher Allen, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity few students get to experience.
“These opportunities do not come frequently,” said Allen. “This will be something that these students, parents and I will remember for the rest of our lives.”
The students will perform as part of an annual concert put on by Manhattan Concert Productions featuring top ranked school music groups from around the country. Students will also receive a private music clinic and feedback from a panel of nationally acclaimed musicians.
The cost to take 99 students by plane to the event is $163,000, not including the cost of transportation to and from airports, equipment truck rental to transport the instruments to New York or hotel costs for the drivers.
To offset some of the costs of the trip, the group has arranged the golf tournament and participants and sponsors are still needed. The goal for the tournament is to raise $10,000. A drawing for a full Invisalign treatment from Busciglio Smiles worth $5,000, two tickets to see Hamilton at the Straz Center in February and two one-day Disney park hopper passes will also take place at the tournament. Anyone interested in purchasing a ticket can email Terri Fischer at dntfischer@gmail.com.
“An opportunity like this means the world to me,” said Newsome tenth grade student, Valrico resident Alison Ryan who plays the violin. “Music is pretty much my life. There aren’t many people who get to say they’ve played in Carnegie Hall and can’t believe our orchestra gets to do it. It is a huge honor.”
For information about the golf tournament, please visit www.planmygolfevent.com/32174-Drive_for_Carnegie/. Donations can also be accepted in the form of checks made out to Newsmen Orchestra Booters and sent to C/O Newsome Orchestra, 16550 FishHawk Blvd., Lithia, Fl 33547. Contact Allen at christopher.allen@sdhc.k12.fl.us for any questions.
