This year the Salida High School Choir has been selected to go to New York City and perform at Carnegie Hall. SHS choir teacher Andre Wilkins has confirmed that the choir will be leaving Salida on April 11th and should return by April 15th. Wilkins is excited for the students to have this experience. 

“This is a world culture event experience that I’m excited to give kids,” Wilkins said.

The choir has been fundraising for this event by selling chocolate and working at the Fibark bouncy castle as well as holding a fundraiser at Stoke, the local barbeque restaurant.. They have also received a large donation from the Walden Chamber Music Group, which was very helpful for their cause. On Wednesday, October 18, the SHS choir also hosted a dinner theater fundraiser which will be very instrumental in helping the choir achieve their financial goals. As of now, 24 students have expressed interest in going on this trip, and every dollar that can be fundraised will reduce the total cost for each of these students. 

The choir will get their music for their performance in the next few weeks and will begin practicing almost right away. The students will work hard right up until the day they leave for New York. Once they get to Carnegie Hall, the choir will be able to rehearse on stage on Friday and Saturday and then will perform for a live audience on Monday, the 15th of April. On that day the Salida choir performs, there will be likely 11 to 15 other schools joining them. This performance will be open to the public. 

Wilkins stated that the process of getting the choir to New York has taken a lot of effort since they sent an audition tape last year, around December 2022, and we are just now beginning to prepare for the event. 

Wilkins has taught the choir for seven years. After the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of kids dropped from around 20 down to nine, when they had to wear masks and sing outside. Now the choir has grown to include 30 students in choir. Everyone in choir is excited to have this experience.