DAYTON, Ohio — A group of Ohio high school students are getting a rare opportunity. They get to sing on the same stage as some of the greats. They’re going from Dayton to Carnegie Hall in New York.
Twenty-six students excelling in singing at Stivers School for the Arts in Dayton are getting ready for their biggest performance yet.
“It was actually pretty amazing to know that my senior year I could do something big, something I always wanted to do,” said student Madison Harris.
But for Harris, that almost didn’t happen.
“We had a tough year for COVID year and I lost a lot of confidence in singing which I stopped writing music,” said Harris.
After a frustrating two years trying to do singing classes on a computer, Harris’ long-time choir teacher, Paula Powell, had an idea that would surprise everyone.
“I thought this would be a great opportunity for these kids, so I found out what we would need to do and they said we had to make a recording and send it in, and so I did that,” said Powell.
From there, the Stivers school students were picked to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York.
“I was shocked, I’m still feeling that excitement,” said student Jeremiah Jones.
Students will get to work with top performers, technicians and make the connections that Jones hopes will carry him far beyond high school.
“Being here and being able to like get a taste for performing and have opportunities like this really has encouraged me to go for something like that,” said Jones.
For Harris, it’s just what she needed to find her voice again.
“It gave me motivation to keep going with what I’m doing, don’t give up on your music ’cause it’ll be a bigger setting at the end of all of it,” said Harris.
The students will be performing in New York in March. They are still trying to raise money to get there.
The students are expected to perform in a fundraiser concert for the trip on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 4 p.m. at First Baptist Church on Monument Ave in Dayton.
