Garden City Middle School students to participate in the 2009 Middle School Honors Band Festival The Hofstra University Symphonic Band invited twenty-one Garden City Middle School students to participate in the 2009 Middle School Honors Band Festival. The festival included students from our district as well as 54 other districts from Nassau County and the surrounding New York area.

On October 22, 443 seventh graders, pictured here with composer Robert W. Smith (bottom, left), Mrs. Martha Boonshaft, middle school Band Director, and Dr. Peter Loel Boonshaft, Director of Bands, Hofstra University (bottom, right), combined with 100 players of the Hofstra University Symphonic Band to form the 543-member Festival Band. An educational out-reach program completely paid for by Hofstra University, this massed band took the stage of the Hofstra University Arena for a rehearsal of middle school level music featuring the work of renowned composer and guest conductor, Robert W. Smith. The Honors Band Festival Concert was subsequently held on October 23, 2009 at 8:00 pm.

Selection for this Honors Band was made on the basis of student auditions held in late September. A list of all of the students who auditioned and the instruments they played was sent to the Hofstra selection committee, where final selections were made according to proper instrumentation guidelines. Garden City’s instrumentation, which included 1 bassoon, 5 French horns, 2 tubas, 4 baritone horns and a string bass along with the traditional flutes, clarinets, saxophones and trumpets, was the reason for such a great representation from our district.

Preparation for this concert included several early morning rehearsals. The students were honored to have 10 members of the Hofstra University Symphonic Band come to the Garden City Middle School band room to rehearse and help our students learn their music. Our students had the opportunity to meet and build a relationship with these amazing music education majors, which made their performance in the festival all the more meaningful.

The following students represented our school district:

Michelle Wise, Flute

Amanda D’Antone, Clarinet

Caroline Germano, Clarinet

Timothy Josephs, Bass Clarinet

Alexandra Manning, Bassoon

Elizabeth Butler, Alto sax

Nicole Crilly, Trumpet

Michael Crapotta, Horn

Nicholas Sarkis, Horn

Nicole Gemmiti, Horn

Julia Hall, Horn

William Trimmer, Horn

Haley Sheridan, Trombone

Delaney Hall, Trombone

Alex Ferzola, Euphonium

Peter Kelly, Euphonium

Kristen Adams, Euphonium

Jamie Silk, Euphonium

Anne Marie Kane, Tuba

Jack Murtagh, Tuba

Nicolette Giammona, String Bass