News

How does Apple Valley Band get to Carnegie Hall?

By Lightning Reports, Published: May 20, 2023

This school year has been an exciting adventure for the Apple Valley Middle School Band.

The band achieved a record-setting year for the number of students selected for the All-County and All-District bands. The band also received a Superior rating from the North Carolina Bandmasters’ Association. They went on to participate in the WorldStrides Heritage Festival in Williamsburg, Virginia, where they earned a Gold rating, first place and the Adjudicator’s Award. Along with the awards, the band was invited to participate in the 2024 WorldStrides Festival of Gold, which takes place in cities across the country including Chicago, Nashville and San Francisco.
While the students are proud of their achievements, one opportunity tops them all. The band has been invited to participate in the 2024 Carnegie Hall Invitational Music Festival in New York City. 

"We are extremely honored to receive this invitation," Band Director Ryan Summers said. "Performing in Carnegie Hall will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for our students”.

While all of the band member’s families are excited, they also know this will be an expensive trip. They are going to start raising money for the trip immediately. The first campaign will be to raise enough money to pay for the bus to New York. If you are interested in helping the AVMS Band get to NYC, contact Summers at Apple Valley Middle School.