West High Choir performs at Carnegie Hall in New York

West High School’s 31-member choir traveled to New York to perform at Carnegie Hall after earning a gold ranking at a California festival two years ago; students rehearsed daily and raised funds through community efforts to make the trip possible.

West High School Choir traveled to New York this week to perform at Carnegie Hall. The group includes 31 students and has been preparing for this opportunity for about two years. They qualified after earning a gold ranking at a California festival and were later accepted to perform at the Carnegie Hall venue. Students and staff spent months rehearsing daily and raising funds through community performances and caroling to cover travel costs. Key details: - The choir has 31 students and is directed by Andrea Hernandez. - The group qualified for the Carnegie Hall appearance after placing in the gold ranking at a California festival two years ago and was accepted to the venue. - West High prepared three pieces for the Carnegie performance, including a student-favorite arrangement of "Blackbird." - Students rehearsed daily and carried out fundraising efforts such as caroling and performing for local businesses to meet the trip’s costs. - For some students, this is their first cross-country trip and some have said the experience reinforces interest in pursuing music after high school. Summary: The Carnegie Hall appearance is the result of years of rehearsal, competition success, and community fundraising, and it highlights close bonds among choir members. The choir is scheduled to be a featured group at Carnegie Hall and will perform three pieces, including "Blackbird." Undetermined at this time.