Sauk Rapids teen 'brings music to life' and heads to Carnegie Hall

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Ashley Gonzalez has been selected to sing at Carnegie Hall in New York. Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com

Ashley Gonzalez has performed at sporting events, competitions and even a wedding, but come February, the 17-year-old will grace the stage of one of the most prestigious musical venues. 

Gonzalez, a St. Cloud Christian High School senior, was selected to sing in the 2018 High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall.

Students selected for the special event will train with world-renowned directors in New York City before participating in an Honors Choral Performance on Feb. 4.

"It's a huge opportunity," said Gonzalez. "Not many people can say they performed at Carnegie." 

Gonzalez's high school choir director, Nina Aardahl, nominated her for the program last fall. "I was extremely excited and proud of her. It's a very high honor," Aardahl. 

Students from all 50 states as well as Australia, China, Mexico, Qatar and South Korea, among other countries, will travel to New York City for five days in February for the honors choral and honors instrumental performances. 

"I am excited to have been given this opportunity," Gonzalez said in a press release. "It will give me a chance to explore myself musically, to work with extremely talented singers and musicians from around the world, and to train under the direction of a world-renowned director." 

A rare opportunity

Gonzalez was one of more than 18,000 students vying for a place on five different ensembles. To be considered, high school students must have received a teacher nomination or recommendation, completed an application and submitted an audition recording. 

It is rare for people to achieve such a prestigious honor, according to Marcie Givens, who has been Gonzalez's vocal instructor at the Wirth Center for Performing Arts for approximately a year. Givens also works as an assistant professor of music at the College of St. Benedict/St. John's University. 

Practice for the performance has already begun for Gonzalez. The program mailed her a packet of six songs to prepare before arriving in New York City in February.

Three songs are in English, and three are not.

For songs in another language, Gonzalez will have to master pronunciation of words before practicing rhythmic complexities, Givens said.

 Gonzalez practiced an Italian song for the set at her last rehearsal. 

'An innate quality'

Gonzalez has wanted to be a singer since she was young, she said, and was heavily influenced by all of the Disney movies she watched. 

"I just enjoyed it," Gonzalez said of singing. “Music can change how you feel. It’s kind of an emotional ride expressing yourself."

Gonzalez has studied music for seven years, and she dances and plays the flute and piccolo. She is a member of the St. Cloud Christian School Concert Choir, the Concert Band, and she sings on the worship team at The Waters Church.

“She is a very strong musician all around,” Aardahl said. “She is really strong rhythmically because of her tap and dance background.”

Aardahl has been Gonzalez's band director since fifth grade and choir director since seventh grade. "She is outstanding in a lot of ways," Aardahl said.

Gonzalez takes on every opportunity to grow and learn musically, which is an important quality to have, Aardahl said. "She is also one who . . . jumps into anything she can to make herself better, to learn and be a better musician." 

Givens echoed this sentiment, saying Gonzalez is among some of the best students she has taught. "I definitely would put her in the top 20 percent of students I've worked with in my career," said Givens.

Her cheerful, willing attitude and drive to learn makes Gonzalez a great student to work with, according to Givens. What sets her apart is a natural ability to sing and her ability to connect with the text of songs. 

Gonzalez possesses "an innate quality or ability to bring music to life," said Givens, "and she does that automatically."

This fall, she applied to multiple colleges and plans to major in business management and vocal performance. 

Gonzalez is also preparing for a memorized solo at the Wirth Center for Performing Arts and will be singing at the River's Edge Convention Center in early February. 

Follow Clairissa Baker on Twitter @clairissabaker and email her at cmbaker@stcloudtimes.com.