MHS Symphonic Band On the Verge of Performing at Carnegie Halll

The opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall in New York City is the pinnacle of many a musician’s dream. Symphonic Band will have the chance to realize that dream next February, if they can come up with the money to finance their trip to New York City.

When Band Director Daniel Magallanes received an invitation to audition the MHS Symphonic Band for the 10th annual New York Wind Band Festival, he made preparations to submit a professional recording of their performance.

At the time, a rough amateur recording of the band playing Air For Band by Frank Erickson and Chorale and Shaker Dance by John Zdechlik was available on the MHS Band’s website. In the course of a rigorous application process, Magallanes discovered the MHS Symphonic Band had already proven their talent through that video of their performance.

If the MHS Symphonic Band can make the trip to Carnegie Hall in 2012, it will be the first time a band from Monrovia High School has played there. The five-day festival will also feature seven other bands from high school and college ensembles that have been carefully selected among submissions from North America and Europe.

"For musicians, this is one of the world’s elite stages. Just the history of who has performed there, the amount of musical genius that’s performed on that stage, it’s inspiring," Magallanes said. He compared it to the equivalent of a high school football team competing in a national championship.

If the band is extraordinarily successful in raising money, it may be possible to give members of the color guard a chance to attend the Carnegie Hall performance and experience other cultural opportunities New York City has to offer.

"I’d love to do that," Magallanes said.

For the Symphonic Band alone, it is estimated that 50-60 students will be going, and expenses for the trip will cost well over $2,000 per student.

"The funding part is definitely the most difficult hurdle," Magallanes said.

In the meantime, the Wildcat Band Booster Club is seeking grants and sponsorships from businesses in the San Gabriel Valley to help cover the cost of the trip. Monrovia’s has contributed by donating free 30 day gym passes. Students are selling them for $5 per pass, and the band collects 100 percent of the proceeds.

The band will also be playing during the Santa Anita Racetrack’s "Day at the Races" event for local alumni and their families on April 3. Tickets sell for $15, and $5 of each ticket will go to the band. Another fundraising activity, the Annual Band BBQ, will be held May 21st at the . The band recently hosted a fundraiser car wash at . They will also be planning yard sales and other fundraising activities.

"I’m very proud of my students, and I hope that everyone at our school and in our community shares that pride. This is a once in a lifetime experience that I hope we can afford to make happen," Magallanes said.

"It’s really a great program," said Band Booster President Cristina Samp. She also said that participating in the New York Wind Band Festival would be a unique chance for Monrovia students to play in a place that is normally reserved for professional musicians.

"It’s a tremendous opportunity for them, something they will never forget," she said.