...what it would be like to actually perform in Carnagie Hall in New York City???
My daughter, Petra (some of you know her as "dragon lova" here) is a Freshman at Judson High School and is in the band. I can't tell you how hard these kids work throughout the entire school year as they strive toward a level of excellence few high school bands ever achieve.
This year, the Judson HS Honor Band was invited to participate in the National Youth Concert this spring in NYC at Carnagie Hall! Only eight ensambles out of the entire United States were invited to this prestigious performance opportunity. In addition to the Carnagie Hall performance, the entire band will give a public concert on Ellis Island at the feet of the Statue of Liberty. The kids will also get to have some fun while in NY and attend a Broadway play, as well as a few other exciting activities.
This is seriously a "chance of a lifetime" for Petra and all the students in the "Rocket Band." Petra is not in the Honor Band this year, but she will have the pride and pleasure of sitting in Carnagie Hall and watching her friends and peers perform on a stage that all musicians dream of, but only a handful ever achieve. I'm so excited for her I could just bust!
Of course, there is always a catch to something like this. The school district will allow the trip, but will not finance it in any way. It is up to each student to raise their own cost of the trip...which is $1650. Several standard fundraisers are scheduled throughout the year (Cookie dough...magazines...you know the drill) but they ultimately have only a small impact on the overall cost of the trip, even if the student is an aggressive and skilled salesperson. (Of which we are neither! LOL)
The other opportunity for fundraising is Corporate Sponsorship. And this is where my beloved friends and family here come into the picture. ;) It would be such a blessing to us to find sponsors for Petra's trip!
Donor categories are offered at the following financial benchmarks and will be mentioned in all program publications school wide:
"Maestro" -- $1650 (supports the entire cost of one trip)
"Conductor's Circle" -- $825 (supports half the cost of one trip)
"Composer's Circle" -- $500
"Director's Circle" -- $200
"Band Member" -- $100
The Judson Band Booster Organization is a non-profit 501-C3 educational organization. Your sponsorship will be tax deductible.
Can you imagine the school flyers and the concert programs with some awesome REPTILE businesses featured? Petra would be the coolest kid on campus! :D
Thank you all, so much, for reading through my ramblings...and even if it's only an encouraging word (of which this place is a treasure trove!) every bit of support is sincerely, deeply appreciated.
:grouphug: