| New York City's Carnegie Hall is world | | | | program. Walnut Hills clearly pushes their |
| renowned for hosting the world's best artists | | | | music programs the same as their academics |
| - all of whom have considered it an honor and | | | | and their music programs continue to grow. |
| privilege to perform there. In April 2007, | | | | |
| the Hall will host the National Invitational | | | | The ensemble ranks as one of the best bands |
| Band and Orchestra Festival. | | | | in the nation with 69 musicians. It is the |
| | | | top performing band of the 11 musical groups |
| The festival is sponsored by Field Studies | | | | from the school and competes at the highest |
| International, allowing high school musical | | | | level of competitions, sponsored by the Ohio |
| groups from across the country to compete | | | | Music Education Association. The Ohio |
| using a recorded audition tape. This year, 18 | | | | schools' ensemble practices in the basement |
| groups have won the coveted opportunity to | | | | of the school, an aging accommodation with a |
| perform on the stage at Carnegie Hall. Frank | | | | leaky roof. |
| Battisti of the New England Conservatory, | | | | |
| Craig Kirchhoff of the University of | | | | The Ohio schools' group will be playing four |
| Minnesota, and H. Robert Reynolds of the | | | | college-level pieces, one of which is Leonard |
| University of Southern Carlifornia will judge | | | | Bernstein's difficult Overture to "Candide". |
| the event, providing recorded comments and a | | | | It has taken a lot of hard work and practice |
| recording of the performance for each musical | | | | for the ensemble, who plans to be perfecting |
| group. The wind ensemble at Ohio schools ' | | | | their performance right up until they leave |
| Walnut Hills in Cincinnati is one of the 18 | | | | for New York. |
| groups selected for the final competition at | | | | |
| Carnegie Hall. | | | | After they received the invitation to compete |
| | | | at Carnegie Hall in October, the cost of |
| While most Ohio schools were cutting back on | | | | transportation and accommodations while in |
| their music programs, the Ohio schools' | | | | New York became a problem. The ensemble |
| Walnut Hills was maintaining its 11 bands. | | | | members and their families sold pizzas, |
| Kerry Kruze, music teacher at the Ohio | | | | magazines and other fundraising activities |
| schools' Walnut Hills, believes that students | | | | for four months. In the end, the Ohio |
| thrive on the arts. The participants in the | | | | schools' group had raised $1,000 per person |
| wind ensemble play with amazing precision and | | | | plus extra funds from the band's booster |
| brilliant sound, according to Kruze, proving | | | | group. |
| that music is not just for kids whose parents | | | | |
| can afford it. | | | | While in New York, the ensemble and their |
| | | | chaperones will see a Broadway show, visit |
| Besides the ensemble, the Ohio schools' | | | | museums, take in a jazz show at Birdland jazz |
| Walnut Hills has a choir, an orchestra, a | | | | club, and see the sights of the city. |
| band, a jazz ensemble, and a steel drum | | | | |