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Blue Mountain Middle School Musicians Featured At State Music Conference

CORTLANDT, N.Y. -- Eight musicians from Blue Mountain Middle School joined students from across the state to perform at a conference for music educators, in Albany last month.

Eight Blue Mountain Middle School students sang in a choir composed of students from across the state.

Eight Blue Mountain Middle School students sang in a choir composed of students from across the state.

Photo Credit: contributed

The students represented the Hendrick Hudson School District, with their performance at the New York State School Music Association's summer conference.

Blue Mountain Middle School choral teacher Kimberly Dunkin nominated Katie Ciulla, Rebecca Fareed, Noah Lipton, Grace Moretti, Nicholas Perez, Parker Piccolo-Hill, Samuel Trager and Rafe Wilkinson to participate in the Middle School Honors Choir.

The choir was open to incoming eighth- and ninth-grade students from all over New York.

Over the summer, the students learned and prepared their music independently, before traveling up to Albany to rehearse with the full choir. This year's conductor was Dr. Judy Bowers, a music professor at Florida State University.

The students had two days to work with Bowers in preparation for the concert, which served as the conference's kickoff event. The program included difficult classical and contemporary pieces alike, including a piece set to Langston Hughes' poem "I Dream a World."

"I am so proud of what my students accomplished on their own this summer," Dunkin said. 

After the concert, she attended three days of choral workshops.

"To sing with other musicians from all over the state is a wonderful experience, and this year's conductor both challenged and inspired them," Dunkin said. They sounded incredible."

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