Cranford Students To Sing With All-State Choir

, which is widely known for its choir program, will have six of their students performing with the All-State Choir in Atlantic City at the Teacher's Convention today and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark on Nov. 20. The All-State Choir is part of the New Jersey Music Educators Association, an organization that advances the music instruction in New Jersey's educational institutions.

The students, who auditioned in the spring, are among 1,000 choral students to earn spots in the esteemed NJ All-State Chorus. The six CHS students selected were: Jake Forrestal, Jimmy Sweeney, Lucy Esposito, Ryan Burd, Geddy Warner and Casey Zebrowski. Forrestal, a junior is the only student who has been a member of the All-State Choir before.

“I just really enjoy singing,” Forrestal said.

Forrestal, who has been singing since the third grade, said performing and letting his voice be heard is a huge part of his life. He has performed with the National Honors Choir, in Chicago and Oklahoma. Although, he was a member last year, he said the audition was not so easy, he said.

“It's a little nerve wracking because it’s a live audition,” he said. “In a live audition anything can happen.”

Because there are new members to the All-State Choir each year, the auditions are more competitive, he said. But, he said performing in Atlantic City is not one big party. The students rehearse all day Wednesday and Thursday and perform Friday, leaving very little time for leisure, he said. Performing at NJPAC is what he and his fellow Cranford students look forward to the most, he said.

“I think the most exciting part is performing at NJPAC,” Forrestal said.

While Forrestal has experienced this before, performing in AC and at NJPAC is brand new for Burd. Burd said he is extremely excited and can not wait for the performances to begin.

“I just think singing is my way of expressing myself,” Burd said.

Burd said all of his family and friends were elated upon receiving the news that he would be performing with the choir at NJPAC. Although it will be his biggest venue he will perform at, he hopes his signing will lead him to larger places as well, he said.

For the past 15 years, NJPAC has hosted the All-State Choir. Verushua Spirito, the Associate Director for Performances at NJPAC said they are excited each year for the performance.  Spirito said the relationship the NJMEA has formed with NJPAC is strong and they hope to continue to grow in the future.

“We find the NJMEA important,” she said. “It gives a platform for students and as professionals a venue to perform.”