The “concrete jungle where dreams are made of,” hosted choir students during the first week of April. More than 130 students from all four Rockwood high schools (15 from Summit) traveled to New York City to perform at the world-renowned Carnegie Hall.

Choir students from all over the country sang in the Harmonic Convergence Concert presented by Choirs of America on April 5th. Senior Emily Heigham said that the experience was incredible.

“Performing at such a prestigious place was so amazing. I had always heard of Carnegie Hall so getting to not only see it but also perform there was surreal,” Heigham said.

During the trip, students saw an array of Broadway shows, visited national monuments, and explored NYC. Junior Audrey Schammel said she enjoyed seeing the city for the first time.

“My favorite part of the trip was getting to see Hamilton on Broadway and walking around Times Square with my friends. I had never been to New York before, so everything was new to me,” Schammel said.
Before students departed from St. Louis, they found out that Choir Director Claire Minnis would not be able to join them on the trip. Even though it was bittersweet, she said that she was very proud of how her students performed.

“I think [the students] had a really good time. They did really well and they’ll probably remember it forever,” Minnis said.

Minnis has left an impact on all of her students. Naturally, Heigham said the choir was saddened to hear that she would not be joining them on the trip.

“When I found out Mrs. Minnis couldn’t go I was devastated. Last year in Branson she made [the trip] so fun. Thankfully all the chaperones and [Lindsey] Gibbs made it such an unforgettable experience,” Heigham said.

Sophomore Amelia Kuthe said that she enjoyed getting to know her fellow choir members outside of the classroom setting.

“I loved bonding with kids that aren’t in my choir class normally,” Kuthe said.

Nerves are common, especially before a performance. Schammel said the thing that calmed her down the most was her friends.

“I felt nervous about performing at Carnegie Hall, but I felt better knowing that I was in a choir with people who supported me,” Schammel said.