KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Two Kodiak teens had the rare opportunity to sing at a New York City landmark recently. KMXT’s Diana Gish has the story.
There’s a very old and corny joke that features a tourist asking a New Yorker , "Excuse me? Could you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?" Well, Kodiak’s Hazel De Los Santos and Anna Polum not only know how to get to Carnegie Hall they know how it feels to perform in that world famous concert venue.
Following their success at a state music competition, the two Kodiak teens were invited to audition for a national youth choir. In November they received the invitations and filled out the required paperwork. By December they received word that they had been accepted. De Los Santos explained what followed.
— (Carnegie Hall 1 :41 "and then by … an amazing experience.")
De Los Santos and Polum were two of 200 teens who were selected to participate in the choir. The youth came from all over the U.S and Canada.
Once they arrived for the rehearsals, De Los Santos auditioned for and was selected to perform a solo.
The fact that she received her training in Kodiak surprised the choir director and made a big impression on the audience.
— (Carnegie Hall 2 :41 "Yeah, they were … that was surprising.")
In addition to rehearsing and performing, the students had the chance to take a class at the famous Julliard School of Music. They also saw a performance of "Phantom of the Opera" and went backstage to meet the cast. De Los Santos is hard pressed to pinpoint the best part of the trip.
— (Carnegie Hall 3 :42 "Uhm, that’s kinda … beautiful and yeah…")
Polum graduated from Kodiak High School this year. She has a scholarship to study music education at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the fall. She shared her favorite part of the trip to the Big Apple.
— (Carnegie Hall 4 :22 "Well , lets see … the best part.")
Both Polum and De Los Santos study with private voice instructor Petal Ruch.
— (Carnegie Hall 5 :29 "Oh, I’m so … fantastic experience.")
Polum agreed with Ruch AND, gave her credit.
— (Carnegie Hall 6 :22 "She’s been an … really great.")
So, now, back to that corny old joke where the tourist asks the New Yorker,"Excuse me, can you tell me how get to Carnegie Hall?"
— (Carnegie Hall 7 "practice, practice, practice."SOC)
HOST:Another one of Ruch’s students, Caroline Craig, is currently touring Europe with another youth choirCraig is enjoying the opportunity to visit famous European landmarks and perform in concerts at those locations. ###
