The Longview High School choir has been invited to attend and participate in a National Youth Mass Choir festival in New York. But in order to make that dream come true, the choir must fundraise $200,000 so that all its members can attend.
The festival will take place March 3 to 7 at Carnegie Hall in New York and will feature performances by the National Youth Mass Choir that is made up of several high school choirs from across the country.
Melody McMullen, Longview High School choir director, mentioned the idea came to life through an invitation that was given this past April.
“I submitted our recordings from the competition that we had done for UIL and we were accepted and offered a spot in this festival..” she said.
The choir will rehearse and perform under two world-renowned conductors, Anton Armstrong and Andre Thomas, which McMullen said she is looking forward to witnessing.
“I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity for my students to get to work with these guys. They’re amazing. And I’m excited to get to sit in on those rehearsals and learn from them as well,” she said.
Madison Caudill, LHS student and choir member, said she loves singing and is looking forward to experiencing the festival, along her dream trip of visiting New York City.
“I’ve never really gotten to travel much and going there as my first trip to New York is just crazy, it’s totally mind blowing. I never thought like, ‘Oh, my first trip to New York, I’m going to perform at Carnegie Hall,”’ she said. “I’m excited to learn more about music in general, I love singing. It’s something I’ve done since I was little. Getting to learn how to properly sing more, and getting new chances to learn the music, that’s something I’m super excited for.”
Along with Caudill, McMullen believes this event is not only a learning experience but will assist students with a chance of exploring outside of Longview.
She mentioned that she would like for all students to take advantage of the opportunity, which is costly for most but would like the community to support in making the dreams come true for the 78 choir students.
“We don’t have a population of students that have parents that can just write a $2,400 check, and say, ‘Here you go, go to New York.’ A lot of our students come from normal regular middle class backgrounds, with families who, like most of us are living paycheck to paycheck, who are sometimes struggling, and sometimes not making it paycheck to paycheck. Several of my students have never left the city of Longview, so leaving the city of Longview, and getting to travel to New York, and experiencing more to life than what is offered here in East Texas is a huge eye opening, mind opening soul filling experience for these kids to take with them for the rest of their lives..” she said.
In addition to participating in the event, the funds raised will contribute with other visits in New York such as broadway shows, said McMullen.
The choir is currently putting together fundraisers to raise money which is updated on the choir website at https://sites.google.com/lisd.org/longviewlobochoir/home. Donations and corporate sponsorships are also being accepted through the choir Booster Club, she said.
McMullen mentioned that the choir will be setting up a pay per view type of form to raise money, which will happen in October.
“We are doing a fundraiser where the students are going to record themselves and I will record them doing different performances, solo performances, small group performances, and it’s going to be posted on a website. people can go to the website to see those performances. And it’s sort of like a pay per view kind of a thing. I think it’s a minimal payment but so we will have that and that’s also going to be posted on our website for people to go to,” she said.
The final date to contribute will be by January 13, 2023 as the choir is set to pay their final bill. If interested in donating for the trip email McMullen at mmcmullen@lisd.org, or visit https://verticalraise.com/fundraiser/longview-high-school-choir-fundraiser-22/c/177262/.
Interested in sponsoring? Reach joseph Allen, LHS choir booster club treasure, for more information at longviewchoirboosters@gmail.com.