Rebecca Charlton, a 17-year-old senior from Wellington High School, will perform in February with other high school vocalists at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Rebecca is the second student from Wellington High to take a trip to New York that is provided by musical program, Honors Performance Series.
Bryce Wylie was the first Wellington student, who attended last year. Bryce is majoring in vocal music Lorain County Community College.
Honors Performance Series is an international program that selects high school students who work together to perform on one night in ensembles of a mixed choir, women’s choir, band, string orchestra and full orchestra, according to Honors Performance Series’ website.
Students have a choice to either perform in New York or at the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
Rebecca said she had many years of experience doing what she enjoyed; singing in a choir.
She said Wellington High choir instructor Sherry Arcuri nominated her for the opportunity to sing for a very large and unforgettable event.
To be selected to perform as a vocalist at the show, students have to audition by recording themselves singing music provided by the program.
Rebecca said Arcuri helped her learn an Italian aria and performed it for her audition.
While she waited a few weeks to hear results of the audition, Rebecca said it was nerve-racking, but soon felt relieved and excited to hear she was one of 200 students internationally taking the trip.
Rebecca and the other students will be in New York City from Feb. 1-5 rehearsing and preparing for the show they will perform the day before they leave.
Acuri said students will work with a director the program selected.
Rebecca said she will learn to sing in other languages.
Rehearsing between mornings and early afternoons may keep the students busy during those times, but they also will have the opportunity to see a Broadway Show and visit the city’s most famous landmarks.
Near the end of the trip, the students will celebrate their accomplishments on the Finalist Celebration Cruise aboard a private yacht.
To perform as a vocalist, each finalist or student selected has to pay over $1,800 for travel expenses, not including the $300 audition fee.
These expenses include cost of materials for their performance, 24-hour care service, hotel stay and activities throughout the trip.
To raise funds to take with her for travel expenses and others, Rebecca said she had a GoFundMe account created at www.gofundme.com/rebecca-sings-at-carnegie-hall, to raise up to $3,000.
She said with the help of family members, friends and support from her school, she made enough for the trip, but was short of her entire goal.
Rebecca said she’s still accepting donations on her online account until the day of her trip.
She said she is looking forward to the trip.
“I’ve never been to a place like New York before, so that itself is new,” Rebecca said. “I have been out of state, but I’ve never had the hustle bustle of New York.”
Although she will have a chaperon for the trip, with her parents also attending, Rebecca said she feels she will have to do a lot on her own to find her way in the city.
She said being on her own makes her feel stressed and nervous because she knows she will not be with her friends in her classroom.
Arcuri said Bryce also was nervous and overwhelmed before he took off for his trip.
When he arrived back home, she said he was so happy with what he did and learned, and that he brought some new ideas to Wellington’s choir program.
Arcuri said she is proud of both of her students.
“It makes me happy to be able to give them an opportunity like it,” she said. “This is one (Rebecca) will never forget.”
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