Clarkstown South Junior Heading To The GRAMMY Awards

Sam Hart like many other 16-year-olds has started thinking about where he wants to attend college but isn’t totally sure yet.  He listens to wide range of musical genres to see what he likes and in a couple of weeks he’ll fly out to Los Angeles to open for Paul McCartney.

Ok, so the third one isn’t exactly a rite of passage for 16-year-olds.

But for Hart of New City and 29 other high school students around the country, that’s just one of the gigs they’ll be playing in the week leading up to the 54th GRAMMY Awards on Thursday, Feb. 12.

The GRAMMYs are the only peer-presented award to honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position

Hart, a junior at Clarkstown South who plays alto sax, was recently selected as part of the Grammy Foundation’s 2012 Grammy Camp - Jazz Session, a weeklong experience where the students will play together at a variety of events.

“I’m most excited to open up for Paul McCartney,” Hart said. “That’s going to be really cool.”

McCartney is the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year, and on Tuesday, Feb. 10 will perform at the event where he is presented with the award.

Additionally, the Grammy Camp students will play at Southern California University and Spaghettini's, a restaurant and jazz club. The students will also record an album at Capitol Studios & Mastering in Hollywood, which will be the first professional recording Hart takes part in.

The group will also attend the GRAMMYs, including, Hart said, possibly walking the red carpet, and then play at the after party.

“I heard about it from a friend and you have to send in a video audition, so I just thought I’d tryout,” Hart said. “And I got it.”

The camp is open to students from across the country, and Hart was selected to be the first alto sax player. He’s been playing since he was in fifth grade, and he got started because his father is a professional guitarist. Hart said he plays mostly jazz, but also some funk.

“I just love the music, I just love to play,” he said. “It’s a great way to express yourself.”

At South, Hart said he’s in the concert band and takes music theory. Besides that, he’s also in a few other music programs.

“I do a program at Manhattan School of Music on Saturdays. There’s a combo there I play with that I met a lot of my musician friends at,” he said. “And I play in Rockland Youth Jazz Ensemble, which is in Congers.”

Three other members of the combo Hart plays with at the Manhattan School of Music also made the Grammy Camp - Jazz Session. He said he definitely wants to keep pursuing music and study it in college.

Hart said he likes the listen to all the jazz legends, like John Coltrane and Miles Davis, but he also enjoys hip-hop, electronic, folk and other styles of music as well.

And whether it’s in front of Paul McCartney or the most recent winners and/or losers of various GRAMMY Awards, Hart is looking forward to just getting an opportunity to play live.

“Playing in the moment of the music is always the best part,” he said.

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