From June 17th-23rd, OCSA’s Symphony Orchestra will be taking a trip to New York and Washington DC. The symphony orchestra was invited to play at Carnegie Hall by Music Celebration International and will be performing there on June 21st.  

On the trip, students will perform at Carnegie Hall, visit performing arts colleges, experience different cultures, and do a lot of sightseeing in New York as well as Washington DC. Mr. Frazao said that students should expect a high level of professionalism while performing at such a prestigious hall, and also added that the most important part of the trip is giving students “… a memory they will never forget.” 

Many people have been looking forward to performing at Carnegie Hall since October. Jenesis Lawrence, a junior band major, agrees that she and her fellow performers are very excited to attend this trip. “…Carnegie is such an amazing opportunity and experience and I feel so lucky to be able to play at a hall that so many legends have played at…” She also added that a big part of the symphony is learning to trust one another and unite as a whole and the trip will bring them together as well enhance their musical abilities. “Not only are we playing at Carnegie, but we’re going to Julliard and Manhattan School of Music and so I think that will really motivate and push some of us to a greater level of musicianship.” 

Students have been working since October to fundraise money for their trip, from performing at gigs, doing yard sales, and encouraging people in the community to donate money; so far, symphony orchestra has raised about $40,000 dollars for the trip in total.  

Originally, only OCSA’s symphony orchestra was invited to perform, but it was later opened up to people who have contributed to the symphony orchestra and then to other ensembles in order to fill seats. Symphony orchestra has not yet decided what music they will be performing, but they are currently weighing their options.