South Pasadena Middle School Orchestra to Play Carnegie Hall!
The South Pasadena Middle School Orchestra was invited to play at a prestigious music festival at Carnegie Hall in New York City, in March, 2005. In response, Orchestra Director Susan Pascale has launched a fundraising drive to insure that every student in the orchestra can attend the event.
The festival is sponsored by the Field Studies International.
The Middle School orchestra was invited based on the top ranking it earned at the recent Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association Festival. Ms. Pascale submitted a tape of that performance to the Carnegie Hall festival, which earned the group early acceptance last week.
The Middle School orchestra has only been in existence for a little over one full season. It includes 36 string players. In the next school year, Mrs. Pascale expects an additional 25 new members, coming in from her Elementary School strings program.
Mrs. Pascale says that the group’s goal now is to raise enough money so that every member of the orchestra can attend the New York City event. “There is tremendous parental support for the Middle School Program, but many families in the program cannot afford the trip,” she notes, estimated at approximately $1,000 per student, including airfare, 3 nights in hotels and sightseeing.
The fundraising effort was kicked off at a Middle School Orchestra and Chorus Concert on Thursday, April 15, at which plants, pizza and dessert treats were sold.
A fundraising committee has been formed, headed by Jocelyn Kitada, mother of orchestra violin player Laurel Kitada. The committee is actively seeking more volunteers and fundraising ideas. To volunteer, or learn more about the program, contact Susan Pascale at StringsProgram@aol.com.
626-403-4611,
On May 15th at the 2004 Music in the Parks Disneyland Festival the 20-member South Pasadena Advanced Orchestra --- composed of mostly middle-schoolers plus several elementary players --- earned a Superior rating and claimed both the Best Middle School Orchestra trophy, and the Best Overall Orchestra trophy! The awards were presented at California Adventure Park on Saturday evening, after a performance in the morning, and an afternoon the kids spent touring Disneyland and California Adventure Parks with chaperoning parents.
The judges, professors of music and music industry professionals, made no secret of their surprise at the quality of the performance. Judge Jim Lenihan said “Congratulations to the students, the parents, and your director, Susan Pascale, on a really good job. …. I had no idea that South Pasadena had a program of this caliber."
The students who will be entering 5th -9th grade next year will be eligible to join the Middle School Orchestra on their trip to Carnegie Hall in March, 2005, says Pascale. The orchestra is continuing to raise money for the Carnegie Hall trip.
