The Concert and Chamber Choirs joined 12 other groups from across the country to participate in “Choirs of America – New York City Tour” from April 10 to 14. They also sang in Carnegie Hall, one of the most prestigious music venues in the world.

Choir director Mark Roberts thought the trip went well. “100 people in New York is always a little bit of a logistical headache, but everything went really well, the students really enjoyed the trip and were able to get a lot from it,” he said.

The choirs have been preparing for this trip since January, and everything came together in their performance at Carnegie Hall, according to Roberts. “They were awesome. They got up for the performance even though they had a long layoff sitting before they individually performed, but they really did a great job with it,” he said. “Musically, it far exceeded my expectations and I think the students really got a lot from it in that regard.”

Junior Paige Carver said, “The performance at Carnegie Hall was good overall. I think performing there made us more confident and then we were able to do the best we could.”

Along with the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall, students also participated in master classes and attended workshops from professionals such as Dr. Andre Thomas from Florida State and Dr. Anton Armstrong from St. Olaf College.

The trip was also a bonding experience for choir members. “I feel like overall the opportunity to sing in Carnegie Hall was amazing, but one of my highlights would just be growing closer as a group. Through that we can improve even more because now we know each other better, so I feel like we can progress,” said Carver.

Junior Megan Adachi said, “I thought it was really fun to go to all the different museums that were there, but also to have the chance to sing in Carnegie Hall was amazing.”

Roberts’s own highlight of the trip was that the students appreciated all the musical aspects, including the different master classes, performances, and workshops. “It was really fulfilling and rewarding for me to know that they appreciated that and learned from it,” he said.