Calling All Soloists for HYPE Night
Local young musicians shouldn't pass up this opportunity coordinated by Huntington High School juniors Matthew Beeby and Collin Richardson. The pair is organizing a special soloist preview night at the Huntington Public Library on Thursday, April 5 at 7 p.m.
The plan for the evening is quite simple, according to Mr. Beeby: To give student musicians the chance to play their solos in front of a supportive audience as a way to make them feel more comfortable in front of a judge. Next month's event marks the second annual Huntington Young Performers Enrichment (HYPE) Solo Preview Night.
Student instrumentalists currently enrolled in grades 4-12 are invited to participate. The event will run until 9 p.m. in the auditorium of the Huntington Public Library's Main Street branch. Registration is required and is now underway at the library. The program is limited to HPL cardholders only.
Participants are asked to prepare a five minute performance for the evenign. They should provide the name and approximate length of the musical piece they will be playing. Participation will be limited so those interested should register as early as possible.
Messrs. Beeby and Richardson are creative teenagers. The duo was volunteering with the library's Teen Advisory Board last year when a brainstorming session about possible future activities led to the idea of HYPE Night.
"Collin and I are very involved with music, so we thought it would be a great idea to give kids the opportunity to play their NYSSMA (New York State School Music Assn.) solos in public, before going in front of a NYSSMA judge," Mr. Beeby said at the time. "I've found that no matter how long you've been playing an instrument and how confident you feel, it's always hard to stand up and perform your best in front of other people."
Huntington Public Library officials liked the idea and provided the two teenagers with assistance securing the facility's stage for the event, advertising in the library newsletter and getting certificates and ribbons for the participants.
"Last year's event was very successful," Mr. Beeby said. "We had a total of 13 young musicians perform. This year, we hope HYPE Night will attract even more performers. It's a great opportunity to play in public and for getting your nerves under control!"
Settling the nerves of soloists is more important than it might seem. These same young musicians will later play their respective piece as part of the New York State School Music Assn. annual performance evaluation program.
Huntington teachers have been made aware of the event and students on the intermediate, middle school and high school levels are being encouraged to participate.
Hopes are high for the same big audience that turned out for last year's HYPE Night. The energy and excitement in the HPL auditorium was palpable. It certainly appeared as if everyone enjoyed the evening. Admission is free. No tickets are required.
Being talented musicians themselves, Messrs. Beeby and Richardson couldn't resist an opportunity to get on stage last year with their respective trombones and performing near the end of the program. Time will tell if the duo will do the same next month.